Simulation

The Section of Simulation is dedicated to improving healthcare through innovative medical education, assessment, research, and outreach. It oversees the Yale Center for Medical Simulation (YCMS), one of the largest medical school simulation centers in the country. Serving as a model for other institutions, YCMS is a 4,950 square foot, Society for Simulation in Healthcare accredited, state-of-the-art interdisciplinary center, promoting the acquisition of basic and advanced clinical skills essential for medical students and trainees to master. The Center is available to all members of the Yale School of Medicine community for education and research opportunities. The Section of Simulation faculty have a track record of academic productivity, receiving several federal and foundation grants, publishing their work in top tier scientific journals, and developing highly innovative, adaptive strategies for virtual simulation learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our recent work includes:

• Dr. Evans received a $1 Million R01 grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for her study, “Improving patient and clinician safety during COVID-19 through a rapidly adaptive simulation intervention.” In response to the urgent need for innovative strategies that address the COVID-19 public health crisis, YCMS faculty developed a project to implement the COVID-19 Responsive Intervention: Systems Improvement Simulations (CRI:SIS).
• Dr. Ambrose Wong received a grant from the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation for his project titled, “The Agitation Code Team Response (ACTR) Intervention to Improve Patient and Health Worker Safety” which incorporates simulation technology for behavioral emergencies.
• Dr. Melissa Joseph received two grants for the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Foundation to investigate use of physiologic measures of stress and anxiety during simulated clinical scenarios for resident physicians.
• Launched a webinar series, “COVID-19 Healthcare Education Series: A Global Perspective”, in partnership with Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q).
• YCMS faculty co-authored an article in Academic Medicine, "Virtual tele-simulation technology as a distance learning solution for clerkship medical students during COVID-19."
• Numerous publications in other high profile journals including The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, Academic Emergency Medicine, JAMA Network Open, and Pediatric Emergency Care.
• YCMS staff Luis Cruz, Joy Grabow, and Jeffrey R. Hoffman received the 2020 Yale University Linda Lorimer Award for Distinguished Service for their exceptional work to adapt training to a virtual environment, provide educational continuity for medical students and residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Dr. Jessica Ray received the Society for Simulation in Healthcare Emergency Medicine Section's Researcher of the Year Award for her novel work in adapting human factors and systems engineering principles to emergency care and behavioral health.