Simulation Mannequins Unveiled At Providence Park Hospital
SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) -- A new Simulation and Education Center is open at Providence Park Hospital in Southfield.
The $3.5 million, 7,000 square foot facility will let medical staff practice procedures and techniques on patient simulators in an effort to improve patient care.
On command these high tech life-like mannequins can simulate all sorts of symptoms from swelling in the throat and sweating to different heart rhythms. Since the simulators are connected to monitors they provide real-time information to medical staff for them to make a diagnosis and perform the necessary treatment, such as putting a chest tube in the patient.
"It can be very chaotic and we get to practice that a lot on the simulation dummies," Dr. Issam Turk, an internal medicine resident, told WWJ health reporter Dr. Deanna Lites. "That helps improve patient mortality and following the guidelines properly."
The patient simulators also help with other key aspects, such as team work during a medical emergency and learning from a mistake.
Dr. Peter Lopez, who is a general surgeon, pointed out that fixing your mistakes on the patient simulators is a huge benefit for medical professionals.
"It's usually not just one thing but a bunch of things that go wrong," Lopez said. "You can come back here, recreate what happened and see how you can fix it."
There are also birthing mannequins featured at the hospital. Those come complete with groans, grunts and screams, along with contractions to help staff learn to deliver babies and deal with different complications.
