Answering the Call
Mobile Health Care Simulation Units
ARIANNA WHITEHAIR CARRIE JONES
The Mobile Health Care Simulation Unit is a groundbreaking new technology making a much-needed appearance in the Mountain State . Through its implementation , Emergency Medical Service ( EMS ) workers in remote areas will now be able to receive formal , realistic training on various skills that were once only able to be accessed in a hospital setting .
“ The units are fully equipped with high-fidelity simulation mannequins from Laerdal that can fully simulate patients in the adult , obstetrics , adolescent and newborn fields of care ,” says Nicholas Cooper , director of education at HealthNet Aeromedical Services . “ These five simulators will provide the state ’ s community and technical colleges and select training facilities the opportunity to take EMS education outside the classroom and expand training into rural and remote areas .”
After Governor Jim Justice created the EMS WV : Answer the Call initiative , which funds strategies to bolster the state ’ s EMS workforce , the high-tech simulation units were born out of a portion of West Virginia ’ s allocation of CARES Act dollars .
“ Every aspect of this mobile simulation unit involves state-of-the-art technology ,” says Cooper . “ The entire vehicle is wired for the use of three cameras mounted in the back of the ambulance that can be displayed on a TV screen outside . Instructors can monitor activity from both inside and outside of the ambulance through computers and tablets that interact with the students . Both audio and visual components were installed during the manufacturing , and it ’ s the same technology that is being used in training centers in all the major hospital simulation units .”
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