NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER CAMP LEJEUNE, North Carolina  –   Medical professionals aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune will soon have a new simulation education center to support operational and clinical education. The new “Healthcare Simulation and Bioskills Center” will open its doors on July 11, 2023.

“Having a centralized location dedicated to simulation will allow us the ability to take full advantage of this type of educational modality,” said U.S. Navy Commander Dink Jardine, director for professional education at Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune. “This is going to be a great space and provide a very critical, need that we have not had before.”

According to Jardine, previous simulation training exercises have been challenging due to impediment on medical center spaces needed for patient care. The 2700-square feet building, located just in front of the main medical center, will provide more availability to train medical professionals. The new space will feature two formal simulation or SIM rooms with full-range of video capability and two debriefing areas.

“Being able to video the room gives us a 360-degree view of what is happening,” said U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Ty Quinn, deputy director for professional education. “As scenarios are happening, communication processes can now be visually seen.”

During previous training scenarios, debriefs included discussions from evaluators on what they witnessed during the situation. Now with the new video capability, evaluators can replay the video to show a visual and audible replay of the entire event.

Quinn says the video technology is essential to a successful SIM training program and multi-disciplinary team development.
“Distractions happen in emergency situations, and now we can show the teams exactly what was going on, pinpoint to the millisecond including patient vitals, and show them how they responded individually and as a team.”

The video recordings can be used anytime for training and by other medical teams within the facility. This provides more training opportunities without having to put on full-scale training scenarios. The center also features a skills task training room to help with individual competency development.

As Jardine explains, corpsmen who may not routinely get to perform medical procedures because they don’t currently work in the emergency department or intensive care units will now be able to stay proficient on certain skills because of SIM training.

“SIM training is important because it offers the ability to provide realistic, hands-on learning for medical procedures that are high risk, but low volume,” said Jardine. “This center provides a place for our staff to train and stay proficient in procedures that we don’t see often in some of the spaces.”

The SIM Center will contain several life-sized mannequins called “Human Patient Simulators” which can replicate symptoms and injuries such as heart or lung injuries. One simulator specifically will train anesthesia personnel. All equipment will be available to active duty and civilian medical personnel.

Four staff members with NMCCL’s Staff Education and Training Department will help build content and run the simulations. The SIM Center will have normal working hours, but can be flexible to support training events outside of those hours by appointment.

Jardine says that the space is dedicated to NMCCL staff, but will be able to support other personnel including, 2nd Medical Battalion and other units from Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Stations Cherry Point and New River.

A ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Healthcare Simulation and Bioskills Center will take place at 11 a.m. on July 11, 2023.