The ceremony will take place on October 13. The campus community and the outside community is welcome to visit the new center to see the space and equipment and to learn about the center’s purpose.
Jackson College will be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new Medical Simulation Center on Monday, October 13 at 5pm. The Medical Simulation Center is housed within Justin Whiting Hall on the college’s campus and will build upon the college’s Rawal Center for Health Professions to provide students with hands-on learning for medical and healthcare careers.
According to an article on Jackson College’s website, the college’s president and CEO, Dr. Daniel J. Phelan, was quoted as saying of the new Medical Simulation Center, “Healthcare is constantly evolving, and it is our responsibility at Jackson College to prepare our students for this dynamic environment. The Medical Simulation Center ensures they are ready not just for the challenges of today, but also for the innovations of tomorrow. By giving them a space to learn, practice, and adapt, we are equipping them to provide the highest quality of care for our community.”
The community at large, as well as the campus community, is welcome to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony, which will give anyone who visits the opportunity to take a tour of the center for an up-close look at the new simulation equipment. The Medical Simulation Center has been modeled to look similar to Henry Ford Jackson Hospital, providing students with an added level of realism as they prepare to enter into the healthcare field. The center includes realistic simulated environments, including an ICU, a birthing suite, a medical office, an ambulance bay, a trauma center, and an operating room. The center uses high-fidelity manikins and virtual reality headsets to replicate the types of scenarios healthcare workers typically encounter during a day on the job.
Sarah Case, who is a physician assistant and Jackson College’s simulation coordinator, said of the new space, “Students will take everything they have learned in the classroom, come into this space, and act as if they’re treating a real patient. They will use their skills and critical thinking to build confidence and competence.”
Students in all of the college’s healthcare programs, including those preparing for careers in nursing, sonography, radiography, surgical technician, respiratory therapy, dental hygiene, EMS, medical assisting, and billing and coding, will be able to access the center and its technology. The college has also decided to allow community organizations access to the Medical Simulation Center for their individual uses.
The Medical Simulation Center received support and funding from Jackson College, Alro Steel, The Alvin Glick Foundation, and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.
Randy Glick, who serves as the CEO for Alro Steel and as president of the Alvin Glick Foundation, said, “My father Al, and the whole Glick family, always believe in giving back. While in the hospital in his final days, he talked to the staff about their lives and work. He came to understand some of the staffing challenges they were facing. He then challenged us to find a way to make a positive impact. We’re proud to have partnered with Henry Ford Jackson, Spring Arbor University and Jackson College for the Jackson Healthcare Workforce Initiative to improve the healthcare workforce pipeline. Jackson College’s incredible, cutting-edge simulation center will help train the next generation of healthcare workers right here in Jackson.”
For more information about Jackson College, visit the school’s website.