SimGHOSTS Chooses Jump for 2016 Conference

August 20, 2015

People don't usually expect the heart of Illinois to be the source of groundbreaking work in simulation education, research, and innovation. But Jump wants to change that mentality.

The leadership, faculty and staff here want to do more than just educate. It's our facility's vision to improve patient outcomes and reduce health care costs.

We are ready to show the world that innovation really does come from the most unexpected of places. I'm proud to share that The Gathering of Healthcare Simulation Technology Specialists or SimGHOSTS chose Jump to host the 2016 U.S. symposium. The Multimedia team at Jump wonderfully put this video together as part of the announcement.

SimGHOSTS offers hands-on training workshops for simulation specialists and technologists from all over the world. Participants learn new techniques that enhance the realism in scenarios, and increase reliability and flexibility of a simulation center's systems. It also gives attendees an opportunity to learn how others conduct simulation and network with each other.

My Experience

I recently attended this year's SimGHOSTS symposium at Cedars-Sinai Women's guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills. This is the first time I got the chance to go to this conference, and it was an educational and eye-opening experience.

It was amazing to see how the duties for simulation specialists differ from site to site. Some are tasked with setting up and tearing down simulations. Some deal with only the technology aspect of scenarios. Others (including Jump) run entire simulations from beginning to end.

It was also interesting to hear about the different practices taking place within various simulation centers. A hot topic among attendees was whether it's beneficial to learners for manikins to die in scenarios.

A majority of participants are of the mindset that young doctors and nurses-in-training should be exposed and desensitized to death. Others believe it's damaging to the learners and taints the overall simulation experience.

There is no one way to run simulation until there are standards in place. That's why SimGHOSTS is such an important gathering for professionals responsible for operating simulation.

Why SimGHOSTS is Important

There are hundreds of simulation centers around the world, but there aren't a lot of educational programs for this developing field. Some simulation specialists come from an information technology background. Others have more clinical experience. That makes it difficult for those charged with running simulations to be on the same page.

SimGHOSTS aims to be a thought-leader in standardizing the way simulation takes places across the world. It also works to advocate on behalf of the simulation community to the greater public. This aligns perfectly with what Jump works to do every day.

Jump is thrilled to be hosting the 2016 U.S. symposium. We hope to share our best practices and inspire the more than 200 simulation specialists who will likely fill our facility during this event. Jump wants to prove it is a tremendous asset to the entire simulation industry.

Dustin Holzwarth has worked as a Simulation Specialist at Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center since February 2014. He has been involved in EMS since 2008 and serves the village of Tremont in that capacity as a volunteer member of Rescue 702. Dustin is a licensed Paramedic and also a Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist, or CHSOS, through the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and serves on that organization’s CHSOS Review Board. Dustin has a true passion for the development of rural healthcare and has the great opportunity to accomplish that work within his role at Jump. He continues to also focus his work on the development and professionalization of what defines a Simulation Specialist.