Rural hospital uses simulation to bolster emergency preparedness

Helen Newberry Joy Hospital, in Michigan’s Eastern Upper Peninsula, partnered with the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation at USF Health in Tampa to strengthen the hospital’s trauma unit surge capabilities. Helen Newberry Joy’s remote geographic location, limited resources and increased probability for severe weather pose challenges if a medical surge incident occurs. CAMLS trains health care professionals through realistic simulation experience. Hospital leaders said the simulation-based training improved teams’ abilities to manage an influx of trauma patients, particularly in high-stress, low-resource situations common in rural settings. Leaders discussed the simulation training at the 2024 AHA Rural Health Care Leadership conference. (AHA News article, 10/3/24)