#CountdownToThomsonCentre: Check out MGH’s new Simulation Centre

#CountdownToThomsonCentre shares the features of Michael Garron Hospital’s (MGH) new Ken and Marilyn Thomson Patient Care Centre, also known as the Thomson Centre, which opens to patients, families and caregivers on January 23, 2023. Follow along as we count down to the opening by marking different milestones and highlighting the ways the Thomson Centre helps improve the care MGH provides the community!

This week, we’re highlighting the new Simulation Centre in the Thomson Centre.

Michael Garron Hospital’s (MGH) new Simulation Centre is an innovative, multipurpose space that will be used for a variety of activities including medical team-based learning, technical training and assessment.

The space will allow healthcare professionals, learners and prospective staff to simulate various clinical situations and receive training and education in a safe space without the risk of causing harm.

The Simulation Centre is housed within the Carswell Family Centre for Medical Education, located on the fourth floor of the Thomson Centre.

Features of MGH’s new Simulation Centre

The Simulation Centre features three different rooms, including:

• A simulation room which can run two simultaneous simulations with cameras so that activities can be observed from elsewhere.
• An observation room where individuals can watch the simulations and communicate with participants from afar.
• An equipment room which offers a variety of medical equipment (such as patient mannequins that have a pulse and respond to care) that can be used to create several different clinical environments.

The centre will also offer teams a private space to assess prospective staff on their clinical skills during the recruitment process. 

Benefits for patients and community

The Simulation Centre offers a variety of benefits to MGH patients and the community:

• Trained care providers: Patients receive care from providers who have access to up-to-date clinical training and education on-site.
• Collaborative care teams: Patients work with healthcare professionals who have been trained on how to work effectively as part of a larger interprofessional care team with enhanced communication and collaboration skills.
• Enhanced safety and health outcomes: Providers have a chance to learn how to perform certain tasks and use medical equipment in a safe environment where they can make mistakes without causing patient harm, resulting in safer care and improved health outcomes for patients.

Other important information

The Simulation Centre will also be used to host additional education sessions for MGH-affiliated physicians in the near future such as training on how to provide care outside of a hospital setting (for example, if a physician is requested to provide emergency care during a flight).