08/12/2020
The correlation between simulation training and positive patient outcomes is well documented, and sound clinical decision-making and smooth teamwork are especially critical for emergency first responders. Now, thanks to the generosity of The Lawson Family of Durham, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital has the first Mobile Emergency Medical Services Simulation Center (EMS SIM Center) in the Seacoast, bringing state-of-the-art training to EMS responders in the field. This outreach to and partnership with emergency personnel provides access to ongoing, real-time training that is both cost-effective and community-based.
Wentworth-Douglass has a long track record of close collaboration between first responders and our team of educators who have extensive experience in simulation and competency assessment. The underlying principle is straightforward: the better we can replicate the actual patient care setting where the learners work, the easier it is to become immersed in the exercise and perform as they would in real-life circumstances. And the reality for EMS providers is that pre-hospital patient care often takes place in an ambulance.
Photo Caption: A donation from the Lawson Family funded the creation of the Lawson Family Mobile EMS Simulation Center. Pictured at the ribbon cutting are Carol Bailey, Jackie Eastwood, Amy Lawson, Jim Lawson, Brian Nicholson, Stacey Savage, and Greg Walker.
Accordingly, the Mobile EMS SIM Center is housed in an ambulance, and outfitted to replicate the real-life environment EMS personnel work in every day. It includes lifesaving equipment (cardiac defibrillator, suction, airway resuscitation equipment), as well as a life-like robot designed for field training and mobile technology that can simulate fluctuating vital signs.
The Lawson’s gift of the Mobile EMS Simulation Center offers first responders the ability to mimic actual patient care with real-time, hi-tech monitoring and interactive, and immediate hands-on training, proving “a vital link to the community in honor of all EMS personnel,” according to Jim Lawson, of the gift he is sharing throughout the Seacoast.
In 2016, through funding from the Wentworth-Douglass Hospital Foundation, Wentworth-Douglass opened its first Simulation Center at the hospital’s main campus. At this center, Wentworth-Douglass has provided hundreds of hours of education to hospital staff, as well as local Police, Fire and Rescue squads. The impact is ongoing; for example, the team identified a gap between current best practices and the New Hampshire EMS protocol for administration of Oxytocin after childbirth. This collaboration improved care for mothers and newborns throughout the entire state.
Thanks to the generosity of The Lawson Family, the availability of the new Mobile EMS Simulation Center will further strengthen Wentworth- Douglass’ position as the leader in improving the health outcomes of the communities we serve through the innovative use of mobile technology.
For more information about making a transformational gift to support Wentworth-Douglass, contact Cristine More at Cristine.More@wdhospital.org or (603) 609-6207.