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Finding your dream job isn't always a straight path – just ask Dr. Kristen Brown. What began as volunteering to be an "embedded actor" in simulation scenarios designed for medical residents transformed into a career-defining passion that now shapes healthcare education at Johns Hopkins and beyond.

Dr. Brown takes us behind the scenes as Associate Dean for Simulation and Immersive Learning at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, where she's pioneered simulation education across all advanced practice nursing programs. Her innovative approach has expanded simulation capacity through virtual reality, adding thousands of additional training hours while maintaining the pedagogical integrity that makes simulation effective. From standardizing simulation curricula to leveraging cutting-edge technology, Dr. Brown reveals how simulation has evolved from a supplementary teaching tool to an essential component of clinical preparation.

The power of simulation comes to life through Dr. Brown's personal experience responding to a roadside emergency. Drawing on skills practiced countless times in simulation scenarios, she instinctively managed a critical airway situation despite being outside her specialty area. This real-world application perfectly illustrates why simulation matters – it creates lasting behavioral changes that translate directly to improved patient outcomes. As Dr. Brown emphasizes, regardless of technological advancements, effective simulation must drive behavior change through meaningful engagement and evidence-based practices.

Dr. Brown's work extends beyond Hopkins through her leadership roles with the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, where she serves on the Board of Directors and multiple committees. Her recent policy initiative brought together presidents of major simulation organizations, healthcare education leaders, and policy experts to develop a consensus statement that will shape simulation's role in addressing workforce development challenges. Join us for this fascinating conversation about how simulation is revolutionizing healthcare education and why staying true to its foundational principles ensures it remains transformative for learners and patients alike.

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What happens when simulation breaks free from hospital walls and becomes embedded throughout an entire healthcare system? Ryan Aga and Don Brock reveal the remarkable transformation at Health Partners, where simulation has evolved from a training method into a life-saving force reaching 14,000 learners annually across eight hospitals, countless clinics, and even rural communities.

Their story unfolds through powerful examples of lives saved, including a cardiac arrest patient given just a 5% chance of survival who later thanked the simulation-trained team for allowing him to witness his grandson's birth. This isn't just about clinical skills—it's about creating a culture where simulation becomes woven into the organizational fabric, with their CEO personally sharing simulation success stories with hundreds of leaders.

Behind the numbers lies a deeply human approach. Don, a retired Air Force flight nurse turned simulation operations manager, brings mechanical precision to Ryan's visionary leadership. Together, they've built a program that reaches every corner of their system, from dental clinics to primary care offices now handling patients with acuity levels previously seen only in emergency departments. They're even building the future healthcare workforce through extensive youth programs in local schools.

The President's Award-winning team doesn't shy away from healthcare's harsh realities—the lingering trauma of the pandemic, financial constraints, and the sobering statistic that 250,000 Americans die annually from preventable medical errors. Their response? A fierce tenacity to improve, an openness to diverse perspectives (including hiring a biomedical engineer to bring fresh insights), and a deep commitment to supporting each other through healthcare's most challenging era.

Whether you're just beginning your simulation journey or looking to scale your existing program, this conversation offers both inspiration and practical wisdom from pioneers who've made simulation an essential, system-wide force for saving lives. Connect with Ryan and Don on LinkedIn to continue the conversation about transforming healthcare through simulation.

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What if healthcare professionals could practice high-stakes procedures hundreds of times before ever touching a real patient? Dr. Ryan Ribeira is making this vision a reality through virtual reality medical simulation.

As both an emergency physician and the founder of SimX, Ribeira bridges the worlds of clinical practice and technological innovation. His journey began in quality improvement and patient safety, where he recognized that traditional approaches weren't creating the dramatic safety improvements healthcare needed. Looking to aviation's remarkable safety record achieved through simulation, he saw an opportunity to transform medical education using virtual reality.

Traditional medical simulation centers face significant limitations – they're expensive, require dedicated space, and offer limited availability that typically restricts training to quarterly sessions. Mannequins can't display neurological symptoms or traumatic injuries, and capturing the psychosocial complexity of real patient interactions is nearly impossible. Ribiera's solution? Create virtual patients and environments that can be deployed anywhere in minutes.

The impact has been transformative. Healthcare organizations using VR simulation have increased training frequency from quarterly to several times weekly. Modern headsets with improved refresh rates have largely eliminated motion sickness concerns, making the technology accessible to virtually everyone. The technology allows learners to experience rare but critical scenarios repeatedly, building muscle memory and decision-making skills without risking patient harm.

Looking forward, Ribiera envisions AI-generated training scenarios, mixed reality combining physical task trainers with virtual overlays, and biometric monitoring that keeps learners in the optimal stress zone for skill acquisition. These innovations represent a fundamental paradigm shift from "see one, do one, teach one" to "see one, sim a hundred, then do one."

For healthcare educators, administrators, and practitioners facing increasing patient volumes and staffing challenges, VR simulation offers a powerful solution for rapid, effective training. Join us as Dr. Ribiera shares his insights on this revolutionary approach to medical education and his vision for a future where patients never have to be someone's first attempt at a procedure.

Innovative SimSolutions.
Your turnkey solution provider for medical simulation programs, sim centers & faculty design.