Hello From SAIL,
We hope that all of you are well and enjoying a prosperous new year. Our amazing team at the Simulation and Integrative Learning Institute continues to ‘SAIL’ along. SAIL is dedicated to remaining a leader in simulation innovation, championing health equity, ethics, and justice; promoting compassion and patient-centered and patient-partnered care, including self-care; and partnering with all stakeholders, including the surrounding community.
One of SAIL’s newest partnerships, launched in December 2021, supports the work of Almost Home Kids, which provides a bridge from hospital to home for children with complex medical needs. Through this partnership, SAIL is conducting mannequin-based simulations to help Almost Home nurses practice their clinical skills, as well as conflict-resolution scenarios to prepare nurses for difficult conversations with family members.
We are also launching a partnership with UI Health’s Care for the Caregiver counseling program, which helps healthcare providers process their own grief or trauma in the aftermath of an adverse patient outcome. To facilitate UI Health’s efforts to support these “second victims,” the SAIL team will provide simulations for the program’s peer-to-peer counseling training sessions.
The success of SAIL is built on the talents of the entire SAIL team. We want to end our note by acknowledging their dedication, flexibility, and ingenuity over the past two years during the COVID pandemic. Not only did the team keep UIC’s simulation going, but they also moved the needle forward in healthcare simulation. Our hats are off to our entire team and humbly say, “Thank you!”
Have a safe and abundant spring!
Christine and Bob
TECHNOLOGY-BASED SIMULATION (TBS)
Though Omicron came as a surprise, it was no surprise that the TBS was able to swiftly and seamlessly transition some mannequin sim programs to tele-simulation. The operations specialists jumped right back in.
TBS has taken extra precaution and reduced in-person programming to protect their staff and the learners from transmission. They will continue to take extra measures until the COVID numbers come back down. Be prepared to wear N95s when instructing in person.
Programs
Beyond regular programming like M3 Pediatric, M3 Surgery, M4 Emergency Medicine, and M4 Anesthesia clerkships, the Emergency Medicine and Pediatric residents have been busy with simulations this winter.
M2 Synthesis Sim #1 – was one of those larger programs that transitioned to tele-sim. Kudos to SAIL Tech-Sim Coordinator, Angelo Dindia, and the simulation technologists that somehow always make it look easier.
The SAIL Institute is garnering lots of attention. SAIL recently opened their doors to an outside research group. You would have thought there was a real surgery about to happen in the OR once we finished setting it up! We don’t want to share too much, but you might see a familiar mannequin face in some marketing soon.
New Hires
With all the exciting programs we’re running (and looking forward to a busy spring), TBS is in the process of on-boarding 12 new staff members. We look forward to their contributions.
American Heart Association (AHA)
SAIL staff Jim Haukland and Edward Fraim continue their amazing work running and teaching AHA certification courses. They have provided certification to over 700 students in the past 7 months alone.
Asset Tiger
SAIL staff member Rupak Basu has been working furiously to get Asset Tiger up and running. Once it is set up, it will be a valuable tool to help SAIL manage and maintain all of our amazing state-of-the-art equipment.
Human Based Simulation (HBS)
Some highlights and updates from the HBS team:
Rehearsal for Authenticity (formerly known as Choose Your Own Adventure) - Learners are responding well to this new program offering them the opportunity to try things out and on when it comes to finding their voice and bettering their interpersonal skills. For those who missed it in the last newsletter, this is a new M3 project that enables learners more voice in their simulation encounters.
Almost Home Kids – The first session on conflict resolution skills took place in December – thanks to everyone involved. For those who missed it in the last newsletter, Almost Home Kids is a short-term community based pediatric healthcare facility that brings together Medical Professionals, Recreational Volunteers, Community Providers, Sponsors, Donors, Friends, Corporate and Civic Partners.
M2 OSCE – Starting an exam on January 4 after a two-week holiday break during a COVID surge was a challenge, running every day for two weeks. But we did it, despite COVID cancellations and all! Thanks to everyone involved for your timely responses to all our emails asking for “yet another date…”.
M1 Sensitive History Workshop – Thanks to everyone who participated in this workshop for your flexibility and patience! Originally designed and trained to be in person, this workshop was moved swiftly and assuredly to remote right before the holiday break.
Transgender and Non-Binary/Genderqueer Focus Group – Bonnie Violet, self-described as a trans genderqueer spiritual drag artist, identity doula and digital chaplain, facilitated a focus group comprised of transgender and non-binary/genderqueer individuals. They were asked about their experiences in healthcare and what they would like students to know or understand about their health experience. SAIL is hoping to translate this discussion into better representation in our simulations.
Moulage, moulage, moulage! The TBS and HBS teams have been collaborating on making some fancy moulage molds using our brand-new 3D printer. Never before did we think we'd say “Let’s put the psoriasis on the baby and see how we like it.” It’s a long story.
Pronounced (moo-lahge), moulage (according to Wikipedia) is the art of applying mock injuries for the purpose of training emergency response teams and other medical and military personnel. Moulage may be as simple as applying pre-made rubber or latex "wounds" to a healthy "patient's" limbs, chest, head, etc., or as complex as using makeup and theatre techniques to provide elements of realism (such as blood, vomitus, open fractures, etc.) to the training simulation. The practice dates to at least the Renaissance, when wax figures were used for this purpose.
Even in the cold, we can still SAIL!!!
Simulation and Integrative Learning Institute
Department of Medical Education
University of Illinois College of Medicine
1220 South Wood Street, 5th floor (MC/951)
Chicago, IL 60608
312-413-8030