Becker’s Healthcare is proud to honor 93 hospitals and health systems with exceptional simulation and education programs. These innovative initiatives give students and healthcare professionals the opportunity to sharpen their skills in realistic, controlled environments that closely replicate real-world clinical scenarios.
Using advanced technologies and highly immersive simulations, these programs help improve patient outcomes, enhance safety and reduce healthcare costs. By providing a secure space for hands-on learning and practice, they equip providers with the confidence and expertise needed to deliver the highest standard of care.
Note: This list is not exhaustive, nor is it an endorsement of included programs, hospitals, health systems or associated healthcare providers. Organizations cannot pay for inclusion on this list. Hospitals and health systems are presented in alphabetical order. We extend a special thank you to Rhoda Weiss for her contributions to this list.
We accepted nominations for this list. Please contact Anna Falvey at afalvey@beckershealthcare.com with any questions or comments.
AdventHealth Orlando (Fla.). AdventHealth’s most profound investments in simulation and education come through its own university. The university’s four-story Simulation Center, opening in Orlando in 2026, will feature high-fidelity mannikins, patient actors, birthing and adult simulation suites, skills labs and debriefing rooms. AdventHealth University’s new Tampa, Fla. site and recently relocated Denver site introduced energized labs and state-of-the-art nursing simulation equipment. As AdventHealth integrates smart room technology in its hospitals, the university will incorporate this technology into its simulation spaces to ensure seamless transitions to practice for graduates. AdventHealth University offers healthcare higher education opportunities to its 1,900 students, from associate to doctoral degrees. AdventHealth’s residency program, which has doubled in size since 2020, provides immersive training during a registered nurse’s first year through advanced simulation and practice. In addition, its graduate medical education residency programs in seven hospitals are currently preparing and training 654 physicians in 13 specialty areas through immersive learning, specialty courses and simulation labs. Since 2021, AdventHealth has launched 27 dedicated education units in collaboration with local colleges and universities, offering prelicensure nursing students a curated clinical learning experience.
Allegheny Health Network (Pittsburgh). Allegheny Health Network’s Simulation, Teaching, and Academic Research Center, established in 2007, is internationally accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in assessment, research, teaching and education, and systems integration. The program is endorsed by the American Society of Anesthesiologists as an official Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology course training site. The center provides simulation education to more than 330,000 individuals and interprofessional teams across nine network hospitals, four neighborhood hospitals and multiple outpatient surgical and radiology centers, as well as two schools of nursing, 22 pediatric offices, the Allegheny County Jail and other community institutions. Education is delivered through in-center training, in situ simulations, and synchronous and asynchronous virtual learning supported by content expert facilitators and technology-enabled modalities. The center’s faculty contribute to the field through more than 15 publications and more than 65 presentations at local, national and international conferences, and have hosted multiple Simulation User Network conferences. Workforce pipeline efforts include integrating simulation-based education into nurse anesthetist, medical assistant and surgical technician programs, along with a science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine program in two middle schools serving underserved youth, and tours for more than nine organizations focused on high school students interested in healthcare careers. Current initiatives include expanding the eight-month “STEMM” program to additional underserved schools, strengthening simulation training for providers serving the inmate population in the Allegheny County Jail and pursuing Society for Simulation in Healthcare accreditation in human simulation. The center is also hosting an AI conference focused on its role in simulation education, and developing trauma-informed care sessions to support obstetric patients through physician-facilitated training.
Allina Health (Minneapolis). Allina Health’s Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Community and Education Center anchors training, community programming and simulation through the Vanderboom Simulation Center and flexible conference space. Within the 10,100-square-foot MacMillan Center, the Vanderboom Simulation Center includes five simulation environments, four debrief spaces, an eight-bed skills lab, a makers space, and a computer lab designed for both departmental and interdepartmental use. Across the Vanderboom Simulation Center and simulation labs across two hospitals, the program supported more than 10,000 employees in the past year and continues to expand into new clinical areas across the system. Training is customized for critical care, surgery, emergency and trauma care and Caesarean sections, while in-situ simulation events bring education directly into clinical environments for teams when and where it’s needed. The simulation footprint serves a wide range of roles, including providers, RNs, nursing assistants, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, safety and security teams, with embedded recording technology enabling debriefing and potential interconnectivity with MacMillan’s conference rooms for large groups. The MacMillan Center also houses a meeting space that seats up to 500 people and can be divided into three rooms to support concurrent sessions. Community engagement includes high school tours and outreach through local high schools and HOSA events, alongside recent training for local National Guard units.
Arnot Health (Elmira, N.Y.). Arnot Health delivers an education ecosystem spanning residency training and a longstanding nursing school. The system maintains full Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accreditation across residencies including family medicine, psychiatry, emergency medicine, diagnostic radiology and general surgery, with training designed around rural and underserved populations and supported by evidence-based didactics. The system’s affiliation with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine positions it as an official regional campus, providing third- and fourth-year medical students immersive rotations across facilities in a patient-centered, team-based environment, and supporting both domestic and international graduates through visa sponsorship. On the nursing side, the Arnot Ogden Medical Center School of Nursing has been training nurses since 1889. The school delivers most clinical learning within Arnot’s patient care units and is accredited by Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing in partnership with Elmira College. To address workforce shortages, the nursing school launched a “full-ride” sponsorship in fall 2024 covering tuition, fees and books for selected students who commit to working on a medical-surgical unit at Arnot Ogden for three years after graduation. On January 7, 2025, Arnot Health affiliated with Cayuga Health System in Ithaca, N.Y. to form Ithaca-based Centralus Health, a $1 billion regional system employing 6,500 staff. The system then began rolling out the Epic EHR and MyChart portal in March to streamline communication and care management. Recent expansions include a new cardiac catheterization laboratory and a pediatric cardiology clinic, delivered in conjunction with Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital as part of a pediatric multispecialty clinic offering both telemedicine and in-person specialty care.
Atlantic Health (Morristown, N.J.). The Gagnon Institute of Bioskills Training and Innovation at Morristown Medical Center, part of Atlantic Health System, is a premier training center accredited as a level I comprehensive education institute by the American College of Surgeons. The institute offers advanced simulation courses, including advanced trauma life support, trauma nursing, laparoscopic surgery and communication skills, using state-of-the-art equipment and immersive, real-world clinical settings. The institute features cutting-edge laparoscopic and robotic surgery simulators, high-fidelity patient simulators and specialized training environments like an upcoming operating room, a trauma bay, and an ICU. In 2024, the institute added custom curriculum design, ensuring tailored, goal-specific training for healthcare professionals seeking skill refinement or team performance enhancement. By providing hands-on experiences in critical procedures such as central line placement, intubation and suturing, the institute bridges the gap between theory and practice.
Atrium Health (Charlotte, N.C.). Atrium Health’s Carolinas Simulation Center, established in 2007, is one of the few programs accredited at a distinguished level by both the American College of Surgeons and the Society for Simulation in Healthcare across multiple domains. The center offers state-of-the-art simulation modalities, including high-fidelity patient simulators, task trainers and virtual simulators, enabling healthcare professionals from diverse disciplines to practice procedures, improve decision-making and enhance patient safety in a risk-free environment. With a focus on interprofessional education, systems testing and research to improve simulation methods, the center serves a wide range of learners, including medical and surgical residents, nurses and practicing professionals. In partnership with various organizations and the Carolina Healthcare Simulation Alliance, the center creates tailored curricula to meet regional and systemwide healthcare priorities. Complementing this is the Carolinas Surgical Skills Center at Atrium Health Mercy in Charlotte, which has provided an advanced learning environment for innovative medical techniques and surgical training since 2010.
Banner Health (Phoenix). Banner Simulation System was established in 2005 at Banner–University Medical Center Phoenix. Over the years, the program expanded significantly to include a 55,000-square-foot simulated hospital in Mesa, Ariz., a center in Tucson, Ariz. and a center in Loveland, Colo. The brick-and-mortar centers offer state-of-the-art simulation modalities, including high-fidelity patient simulators, task trainers, virtual simulators and point-of-care ultrasound training. These modalities enable team members, including providers, residents, nurses and other allied health professionals, to practice high-risk, low-frequency scenarios and procedures, improve decision-making and enhance patient safety in a risk-free environment. Patient safety and quality are at the heart of Banner Health’s simulation program. Through bi-directional feedback, collected data is utilized to inform and prioritize system processes and improvement opportunities. The program’s additional focus on interprofessional, in-situ scenarios reach practitioners in urban and rural facilities across Banner’s 33 hospital system spanning six states. This component allows the program to function as a mobile simulation center, effectively reaching rural and critical access teams. The systemwide program, which is one of the nation’s largest, is accredited by American College of Surgeons and Society for Simulation in Healthcare across multiple domains.
Baptist Health South Florida (Coral Gables). Baptist Health South Florida opened the 38,000-square-foot Baptist Health Education Center in September 2024, establishing a dedicated simulation-and-education service line aligned with its partnership with Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. The center includes 10 simulation rooms, a robotics lab and a virtual reality training suite, with specialized environments that replicate an ICU, trauma bay, operating room and outpatient exam rooms. Skills labs support procedures ranging from IV placement to robotics and advanced minimally invasive techniques, creating standardized training pathways across clinical roles and experience levels. The system is using the education center as part of its workforce pipeline strategy, including a high school immersion program that brought 30 students into the facility for hands-on exposure to healthcare careers and virtual reality ultrasound training. Baptist Health also partners with Big Brothers Big Sisters through monthly events designed to inspire youth. To expand reach and reduce barriers, Baptist Health launched a 40-foot mobile simulation unit that delivers credentialing and skills training directly to physicians and staff across South Florida. The system’s education platform is also evolving through expanded collaborations integrating academic faculty and graduate medical education. These investments reflect the system’s shift toward an academic medical center model built on scalable, technology-enabled training.
BayCare Health System (Clearwater, Fla.). BayCare Health System’s simulation education program delivers immersive, hands-on clinical training across disciplines using high-fidelity manikins, task trainers and virtual reality platforms to strengthen patient safety and professional competency. Simulation is embedded throughout BayCare hospitals and facilities, supporting learners from new graduate nurses to experienced bedside clinicians with tailored experiences aligned to evolving workforce needs. Specialty internship programs leverage simulation to prepare nurses for high-acuity environments, including critical care and pediatrics, and acute care simulations build competency in titrating critical medication drips, managing cardiac arrest events, responding to maternal crises, interpreting cardiac rhythms and addressing pediatric emergencies. BayCare has advanced its model through expanded integration of virtual reality, enabling interactive, scenario-based training that mirrors real-life situations such as cardiac emergencies and sepsis management in a controlled, risk-free environment. Virtual reality simulation is now incorporated into critical care, emergency and progressive care internship programs to support nurses transitioning into specialty roles and managing complex, life-threatening conditions. The program’s roadmap includes expanding simulation within hospital environments and increasing interprofessional simulations that include medical residents and ancillary departments to strengthen team-based care and communication.
Beaufort (S.C.) Memorial. Beaufort Memorial launched the “People Achieving Their Highest” program in summer 2022 to build a sustainable workforce pipeline by advancing existing staff and preparing new entrants for nursing, clinical and nonclinical roles through community partnerships. Across 10 cohorts, the program has produced 96 graduates using National Healthcareer Association curricula spanning electrocardiogram technicians, patient care technicians, medical assistants, certified nursing assistants, phlebotomists, endoscopy technicians, central sterile processing, coders and surgical technologists. Since inception, the program has reached 104 graduates with a 97% certification exam pass rate, supported by scholarships that include childcare assistance, cost-of-living gap support and tuition aid at local accredited institutions. In summer 2024, Beaufort Memorial opened a hospital-based education center with four state-of-the-art simulation labs that support learners and current staff and also serve as a satellite location for the University of South Carolina Beaufort’s nursing program. Beginning in January 2025, a dual-enrollment partnership with the Beaufort County School District enabled high school seniors to participate tuition-free, allowing students to graduate and accept jobs as patient care technicians and medical assistants immediately after high school. The education department uses simulation to prepare teams for scenarios including pediatric respiratory emergencies and malignant hyperthermia drills.
Boston Children’s Hospital. Boston Children’s Hospital’s Immersive Design Systems is a comprehensive, full-scale, person-centered design lab for training, systems engineering and prototyping. The team comprises experts in immersive technologies, engineering, design thinking, team science, healthcare simulation, virtual reality and adult learning-based instructional design. The lab leverages lifelike experiences for the most relevant data and optimized clinical care delivery, systems and environments. The team offers a full range of services, including training and performance, human factors and systems design that improve patient safety, and device design and solutions that provide just-in-time innovation for healthcare. Its robust toolkit includes deep expertise and state-of-the-art facilities for 3D printing, virtual and augmented reality, and rapid prototyping. Innovations include 3D anatomic reproductions for surgical planning and rehearsal, high-fidelity surgical simulators and virtual training packages.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston). The Neil and Elise Wallace Simulation, Training, Research and Technology Utilization System Center for Medical Simulation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a globally recognized leader in clinical simulation. Accredited by the American College of Surgeons and the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in multiple domains, the center provides education and training for clinicians and support staff across specialties, utilizing cutting-edge modalities such as high-fidelity simulation, virtual and extended reality, and task trainers. The center also drives hospital quality improvement, interprofessional team training and educational assessment while hosting a robust research program focused on human performance, patient safety and novel tools in areas like emergency medicine, surgery and even space missions. Leveraging advanced technologies such as machine learning, digital biomarkers and extended reality, the center is at the forefront of innovation in healthcare education and clinical skills enhancement.
Cape Fear Valley Health (Fayetteville, N.C.). Cape Fear Valley Health’s simulation center, located within its center for medical education, is a state-of-the-art facility advancing healthcare education through cutting-edge simulation technologies and multidisciplinary training. Equipped with high-fidelity simulators, as well as advanced surgical platforms, the center provides realistic training across specialties, enhancing clinical competency and patient safety. Accredited by the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons for fundamentals of endoscopic surgery testing and home to an American Heart Association training center, the simulation center supports certifications and advanced training programs. It also plays a vital role in Cape Fear Valley Health’s residency programs and the upcoming Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine, leveraging its resources to prepare future medical professionals.
Carilion Clinic (Roanoke, Va.). The Carilion Center for Simulation, Research and Patient Safety advances patient safety through simulation training, human factors engineering and innovation. Accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, the center integrates immersive technologies like the dynamic “Tesseract” simulation room and advanced passive sensor systems, enabling teams to refine clinical skills, improve workflows and enhance decision-making in high-pressure scenarios. With a makerspace and 3D printing capabilities, the center’s innovations department collaborates with engineers and clinicians to prototype and test medical devices, accelerating safe deployment of new technologies. The center also supports implementation science research from the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, focusing on applying AI and extended reality to reduce redundant tasks and improve care efficiency. The center has incorporated clinical systems testing, trauma bay redesigns and patient-centered programs like the Orthopedic Joint Academy.
Carle Health (Urbana, Ill.). Carle Health Simulation is advancing systemwide education through a scalable “train-the-trainer” model that equips facilitators to deliver consistent, high-impact simulation experiences across all care settings. The program has integrated virtual reality into its curriculum, creating immersive environments that enhance clinical decision-making and learner engagement. It also developed an electronic after-action reporting system embedded within its event reporting application, enabling streamlined feedback and real-time learning to drive systemwide improvement. Facilitation and mock code courses further build internal capacity and support high-fidelity simulation delivery throughout the organization. In alignment with its vision to improve healthcare quality and patient safety, the team is pursuing AI-assisted scenario development to rapidly generate dynamic, evidence-based training content and exploring chatbot integration to strengthen facilitator support. By embedding simulation into the fabric of the health system and leveraging emerging technologies, Carle Health Simulation positions education as a strategic driver of innovation.
Cedars-Sinai (Los Angeles). Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s Women’s Guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills delivers simulation-based services across the hospital, medical network and surgical centers, while also reaching more than 1,000 children annually. The program is accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and the American College of Surgeons, along with anesthesia societies and multiple nursing groups. The executive leader, Russell Metcalfe-Smith, was recently recognized with a presidential citation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare for contributions to simulation. The center is expanding its capabilities with the launch of an immersive room designed to increase environmental realism, including simulations in settings not typically found within a hospital. The program also supports pre-surgical planning so higher-risk surgeries can incorporate simulation-based rehearsal to improve performance. Across Southern California, the center’s stated focus includes changing how education is delivered, using simulation to detect errors in healthcare and supporting deprived communities.
Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute (Little Rock, Ark.). CARTI, the Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute, operates an accredited, one-year radiation therapy program designed to build a pipeline of qualified radiation therapists in Arkansas as demand for cancer care grows. The program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology, described as the only agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation for traditional and distance delivery educational programs in radiography, radiation therapy, magnetic resonance and medical dosimetry. Learners complete comprehensive classroom instruction at CARTI’s flagship cancer center in Little Rock and participate in clinical rotations three days a week for 12 consecutive months at five CARTI locations under the supervision of registered radiation therapists. Training covers oncology, pathology, patient care, psychology, radiobiology, radiation physics, radiation protection and safety, treatment planning and technical radiation therapy. Over the past five years, graduates reported a 100% credentialing exam passage rate and a 100% job placement rate. Since inception, the program has helped nearly 300 radiation therapists enter Arkansas’ healthcare field with hands-on experience in dosage delivery, documentation and multidisciplinary cancer care.
Children’s Hospital Colorado (Aurora). Children’s Hospital Colorado’s healthcare simulation program is fully integrated across the system of care and positioned as a core strategy for strengthening safety, teamwork and clinical readiness. In 2024, the Center was awarded Society for Simulation in Healthcare recognition as a center of excellence in simulation teaching, education and systems integration. The program also served as a national convener by hosting and co-chairing the 2024 Society for Simulation in Healthcare SimOps national conference and hosting the 2023 regional Laerdal Medical Mini-Simulation Users Network conference. Team expertise is reinforced through specialty certifications, with staff now serving as site reviewers. Leaders also contribute to the field through roles with the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence Simulation Collaborative and the International Pediatric Simulation Symposium, and by serving as pediatric simulation experts and a beta test site for new simulation product development. Operationally, the center led complex readiness simulations with multiple hospital departments and the University of Colorado to test and refine workflows for pediatric trauma care. The program also supports a patient safety culture through regular in situ simulations with the codes and trauma programs, and by developing novel workflows for simulation medications and equipment to ensure safe, high-standard practice. Faculty development is expanding through master trainer programs in rapid cycle deliberate practice and a comprehensive simulation facilitator instructor course, while the hospital’s “Sim Wars” event was featured as a 2025 International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning podium presentation and highlighted in a HealthSimulation.com webinar.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The Center for Simulation, Advanced Education and Innovation at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is the only simulation center accredited in the five domains of simulation tracked by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. The center offers hundreds of simulations each year for all levels of healthcare providers, empowering them to deliver the safest and highest quality care. The center has expertise in all aspects of simulation, ranging from procedural training to teamwork development, and provides hands-on opportunities for skill refinement and collaboration. The center’s research program has conducted more than 50 studies, and its findings have led to improved outcomes for patients. The center is also accredited by the American Society of Anesthesiologists and has conducted trainings for providers across the globe.
Children’s Minnesota (Edina). From 2022 to 2024, the Children’s Minnesota Simulation Program delivered more than 650 simulation courses to nearly 6,000 healthcare professionals, totaling over 20,000 learner hours focused on safety, workflow optimization and high-risk preparedness. Simulation-led redesign of the Minnetonka (Minn.) Ambulatory Surgery Center decreased average post-procedure stays for myringotomy and tube insertion patients, improving recovery times and family satisfaction. The program’s neonatal advanced practice provider bootcamp and competency simulations strengthened team communication and confidence in managing rare, high-risk conditions, while quarterly extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation simulations aligned cardiovascular ICU, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and operating room teams for life-threatening cardiac events. Its caregiver simulation training equips parents of infants with complex cardiac conditions to practice medication administration, feeding and emergency response before discharge, reducing anxiety and supporting earlier recognition of complications at home. In 2023, the program partnered with the 133rd Medical Group of the Minnesota Air National Guard to conduct a large-scale pediatric trauma simulation involving 46 Air Force members, 30 simulated pediatric mass-casualty victims and more than 20 system experts providing instruction. Accredited by the Society of Simulation in Healthcare in Teaching Education, Systems Integration, Assessment and Research, the program has earned multiple recognitions, including the “Simulation Continuous Improvement Award” and the Minnesota Hospital Association’s “Innovation in Patient Care” honor.
Christus Health (Irving, Texas). The Christus Simulation Institute runs simulation centers across Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico, along with in-situ simulation training across hospitals. It facilitates realistic, high- and low-fidelity training for residency and fellowship programs, nursing residencies, allied health, and community initiatives, and has trained registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants, and medical residents. The simulation institute has been pivotal in developing Covid-19 obstetric preparedness training in collaboration with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and has been awarded a National Institutes of Health grant to develop a low-cost postpartum hemorrhage skills simulator for use in remote areas. Facilities like the Dr. Perla Castor Clinical Simulation Center and initiatives like interdisciplinary mock code training continue to enhance healthcare preparedness, foster teamwork and expand its capacity for training students.
Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland Clinic’s Simulation and Advanced Skills Center is a fully accredited facility that supports multidisciplinary education, scholarship and training to enhance patient care and safety. The center conducts simulation courses for learners across all clinical specialties, including residents, fellows, nurses and external participants such as first responders and students grades K-12. The center features advanced facilities, including critical care rooms, surgical labs and satellite labs, offering 24/7 skills review opportunities and expanding its reach to locations across the nation and globe. Programs leverage high-fidelity simulators, virtual reality technology and standardized patients, with specialized courses like extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and ventilatory assistance, and in-situ simulations supporting clinical best practices and human factors design. The center is accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Anesthesiologists Simulation Education Network.
Cook County Health (Chicago). The Cook County Simulation Training Center, established in 2005, offers simulation-based medical education for all medical professionals within Cook County Health and serves 10,000-plus students each year. Simulation modalities include procedural skills, task trainers, high-fidelity mannequins and standardized patients. Notable programs include “Sim Wars”, a competitive, team-based simulation event emphasizing medical knowledge, procedural skills, teamwork and team spirit, and “Simtastic”, an annual collaboration where emergency medicine residents from Chicago-area institutions participate in unbiased simulation assessments led by external faculty. These innovative events foster interprofessional collaboration, enhance clinical competency and promote fair-minded evaluation among emergency medicine trainees.
Dayton (Ohio) Children’s Hospital. Dayton Children’s new simulation center provides a state-of-the-art training environment with advanced simulators, video playback and reactive manikins situated in realistic trauma, ICU and inpatient room replicas. The center supports caregivers in practicing critical scenarios such as mock codes, resuscitation, intubation and intravenous placement. As a result, the center’s training helps families care for their trach-dependent children. It features a unique transport simulator, mirroring an ambulance setting, offering training that mimics highway driving for transport teams, EMTs and paramedics. The innovative model enhances education quality in a psychologically safe environment, allowing staff to develop skills without risk to patients.
Duke Health (Durham, N.C.). The Duke University School of Nursing’s Center for Nursing Discovery is a nationally recognized, state-of-the-art simulation facility supporting excellence in nursing education, clinical practice and research. Accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and endorsed by the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning for its Core Four standards, the Center for Nursing Discovery spans over 20,000 square feet across two buildings and features 21 specialized rooms and a health innovation lab. The Center for Nursing Discovery serves all academic programs and provides a safe, student-centered environment that bridges didactic content with immersive learning. Its integration of high-fidelity simulation, standardized patients and task trainers builds critical thinking, collaboration and confidence in delivering competent, compassionate care. Its commitment to interdisciplinary education and innovation has earned national accolades, including the “Frontline Simulation Champions Award” from the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning.
Endeavor Health (Evanston, Ill.). Endeavor Health’s simulation enterprise, rooted in work that began in 2006, now supports more than 13,000 learners annually across 25,000 square feet of dedicated simulation space spanning eight acute care community hospitals. Through its simulation ambulance program, the system extends experiential learning into the community, reaching an additional 4,000 people each year. Simulation teams are deeply integrated into patient safety, innovation, research, quality and human factors work, using simulation to strengthen both staff readiness and care delivery. In 2024, the program expanded its capabilities through reinvestment from the Grainger Foundation, adding two new learning spaces, opening a formal point-of-care 3D printing lab, and upgrading multimedia and webcasting capacity. The point-of-care 3D printing program now includes three dedicated printers that support surgical planning and provide patients with tangible models to strengthen understanding and satisfaction. As the simulation ambulance program entered its third year, the system added another ambulance to its fleet, and introduced digital navigation and health literacy training to help community members leverage digital tools to support their health. The program’s academic footprint is also growing, with simulation teams publishing three times and presenting six times across three national and international conferences in a single year.
Episcopal Health Services (Far Rockaway, N.Y.). Launched in July 2023, Episcopal Health Services’ simulation lab program was established through a strategic partnership with Ross University School of Medicine, supported by university investment, the St. John’s ICARE Foundation and medical school grants. Located within the system’s clinical learning center, the simulation facility spans nearly 5,000 square feet across two floors, with more than 3,700 square feet dedicated to education. The lab includes two high-fidelity simulator rooms, with one functioning as a simulated operating room, featuring advanced mannequins including Gaumard Victoria and Laerdal SimMan 3G, along with four standardized patient assessment rooms, five classrooms and a large dividable skills lab for pre-briefing and debriefing. A video capture system with 50 cameras and microphones supports robust performance review and reflective learning. The system established dedicated roles for a simulation director and coordinator before the build-out was complete, and conducted a comprehensive needs assessment to guide technology investments and program design. Within its first two years, the program delivered more than 4,000 hours of education and conducted nearly 300 simulations, serving an interprofessional audience that includes medical students, nurses, physician assistants, attending physicians and pastoral care providers. The lab aligns with the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning and Society for Simulation in Healthcare standards and has received targeted funding support, including $5,000 educational support grants from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in both 2023 and 2024 to purchase laparoscopic and pediatric airway trainers.
Geisinger (Danville, Pa.). Geisinger’s simulation program, part of Geisinger College of Health Sciences, includes simulations using an intuitive robotic simulator to practice specific procedures. Examples of high-fidelity simulators include the SimMan 3G, the most advanced emergency care patient simulator available. The programs include a clinical simulation program and a healthcare communication program, both accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. The clinical simulation program, which focuses on critical thinking and procedural skills, provides training for learners, including a mandatory central line course and a nasogastric tube course for all incoming residents and fellows. The healthcare communication program has standardized patients that play various roles such as patient, family member or member of the healthcare team. This allows learners to practice their communication skills, utilizing case scenarios in a safe environment with debrief and feedback sessions with trained faculty. Notably, the program offers several workshops for all members of the healthcare team, including a microaggressions workshop.
Grady Health System (Atlanta). Grady Health System and Georgia State University’s Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions have partnered to expand the nursing education pipeline, supported by a $23.6 million commitment from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation. The initiative increased nursing class sizes to 250 students annually, aiming to graduate over 2,000 nurses in the next decade, with scholarships available for students committed to working at Grady. In 2024, the Byrdine F. Lewis College opened a state-of-the-art, 14,500-square-foot Clinical Skills and Simulation Center featuring 48 hospital beds, six simulation suites and high-fidelity manikins for practicing patient care skills from routine to complex emergencies. This facility provides an immersive learning environment to equip nursing and health profession students with the skills and confidence to navigate real-world healthcare challenges.
Grande Ronde Hospital (La Grande, Ore.). Grande Ronde Hospital, a 25-bed critical access rural hospital serving Union County and Eastern Oregon, launched UbiSim virtual reality simulation in June 2025 to strengthen nursing education, nurse residency and ongoing professional development despite rural constraints in space, budget and staffing. Since implementation, five unique nursing users completed more than 58 virtual reality simulation sessions focused on high-risk scenarios including diabetic ketoacidosis management, postoperative pain and obstetric preeclampsia. The initiative originated from a nurse resident evidence-based project that compared simulation technologies and selected UbiSim for realism, cost-effectiveness and adaptability. To expand access for hard-to-reach teams, the hospital introduced “Carp Noctum,” a mobile simulation approach delivering virtual reality education directly to night shift staff to reduce scheduling and staffing barriers. The program uses metrics and staff feedback to support budgeting decisions and guide return-on-investment justification, with plans to broaden scenario offerings and data analytics. The hospital earned a 2024 “Performance Leadership Award for Excellence in Outcomes” from the Chartis Center for Rural Health and was named one of the top 100 critical access hospitals in the nation in 2025.
Greater Regional Health (Creston, Iowa). Greater Regional Health has built a hands-on pipeline program through its healthcare camp for middle school-aged students interested in healthcare careers. The free educational camp, which is funded by the Greater Regional Healthcare Foundation, includes breakfast, lunch, snacks and take-aways, and provides immersive exposure to core clinical areas such as the ICU, pharmacy, pediatrics, obstetrics, laboratory, surgery, trauma and radiology. The initiative began with a trial camp for employees’ children to refine the experience before expanding to the community. The hospital has hosted four camps in the last two years, with each session growing in popularity and consistently reaching maximum registration with a waitlist. The program has expanded its volunteer base to include employees from a wide range of specialties, giving staff structured opportunities to teach youth about day-to-day roles across disciplines. Community response has driven high engagement on the organization’s social media posts following each camp. In 2025, the hospital was named a top 100 critical access hospital by the Chartis Center for Rural Health. The organization has also been recognized by the Des Moines Register as a top workplace many times over.
Guthrie (Sayre, Pa.). Guthrie’s Simulation and Advanced Skills Institute, located at Robert Packer Hospital, is a multidisciplinary training facility that supports physicians, medical and surgical residents, nurses, ancillary staff and students using more than 10 sophisticated simulation devices outside the operating room. In fiscal years 2024 and 2025, the institute expanded programming across a wide range of clinical needs, including suture training for walk-in care staff, malignant hyperthermia drills, stroke mock drills and increased in-situ training sessions. The institute broadened its reach by expanding to Guthrie Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton, N.Y. and added specialty-focused offerings such as fundamentals of endoscopic surgery and fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery for general surgery residents, oral maxillofacial surgery labs and a new advanced surgical skills for exposure in trauma course. The institute also introduced an emergency neurological life support course and extended community outreach to local schools. Recent capability additions include a new RobotiX trainer and newly created trainers for burr holes, abscess drainage and thoracotomy, along with skins designed for suture training. The team also facilitated a mass casualty drill involving 30-plus patients and multiple community programs.
Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, N.J.). Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine embeds simulation into the curriculum starting in the first week of medical school, ensuring learners build patient trust, communicate with empathy and perform decisively under pressure from the outset of training. Across the program, each student completes more than 74 patient encounters totaling over 81 hours of simulation practice, examinations and direct feedback from standardized patients, with nearly half of these experiences occurring within the first 16 months. Simulation cases span difficult-news conversations, comprehensive physical exams and urgent care for critically ill patients, with high-fidelity manikin scenarios increasingly designed to dynamically adapt to student actions to reflect real-world consequences. The program’s standardized patient model includes more than 100 highly trained actors representing varied patient populations who undergo multi-day training and preceptorship under established mentors to ensure medically accurate and emotionally authentic portrayals. A significant portion of sessions conclude with immediate verbal and written feedback from standardized patients, giving learners actionable insights on communication, rapport-building and whole-person care. In July 2023, the medical school received a $775,000 Health Resources and Services Administration grant to enhance simulation through new high-fidelity trainers and technology devices, including iPads being rolled out to reduce paper waste from session materials. Simulation has also expanded beyond the medical student curriculum through outreach programs including a medical student-run “Physician for a Day” event for more than 70 high school juniors and seniors annually, and the “Medical Internship Navigating Diversity and Science” program for incoming college students, while residency programs increasingly use simulation for high-risk, rapid-decision scenarios such as deterioration to cardiac arrest.
Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare. Hartford HealthCare’s Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation at Hartford Hospital is a 53,000-plus-square-foot simulation and innovation hub that recorded more than 25,500 visits in a 12 month period. The center’s purpose-built environment includes high-fidelity simulation suites, surgical skills labs, wet labs and virtual reality spaces designed to support hands-on training for learners ranging from novices to experienced clinicians. The hub serves Hartford HealthCare’s systemwide education needs while also providing advanced training for first responders, military personnel, academic partners and medical device companies through customizable curricula, real-world scenario replication, and integrated audio-visual and streaming capabilities. Beyond education, the hub supports medical innovation and device development by offering space for testing, validation and product launch in collaboration with industry partners. The center maintains active academic affiliations with the University of Connecticut for graduate medical education and residency training, as well as with the University of Hartford for interdisciplinary collaboration including media and instructional design. Public investment has accelerated growth, with more than $15 million in State of Connecticut grants supporting expansion of training and research and development capacity. The center holds American College of Surgeons Accredited Education Institute reaccreditation through 2029 and is one of only 20 U.S. centers recognized by Laerdal as a center of excellence.
Henry Ford Health Providence (Southfield and Novi, Mich.). The simulation and education programs at Henry Ford Health Providence span two specialized facilities totaling 16,000 square feet of advanced training space dedicated to research, quality and patient safety. The 7,000-square-foot simulation education center in Southfield offers high-fidelity team-based simulation that includes manikins, simulated participants, robotic skills trainers and an active cadaver training program. The 9,000-square-foot Van Elslander Surgical Innovation Center in Novi features a bioskills and temporal bone lab with direct conferencing to operating rooms to facilitate real-time learning. Together, these centers provide a comprehensive range of technology-, human- and tissue-based simulation for undergraduate and graduate medical education, physician assistant programs and licensed clinicians.
HonorHealth (Scottsdale, Ariz.). The HonorHealth Military Partnership Program is a unique, philanthropically-supported education and simulation initiative providing high-quality, hands-on trauma medicine training to military personnel, law enforcement and first responders. Since its inception in 2004, the program has trained thousands, offering over 70,000 hours of clinical preceptorship in 2023, valued at $3.8 million, at no cost to participants. The program features a range of specialized courses, including a two-week trauma rotation for Guard and Reserve units, a 19-week critical care and emergency trauma nursing fellowship, and a nurse transition program recognized as a center of excellence by the Air Force Surgeon General. Using state-of-the-art simulation technology, the program facilitates realistic, high-pressure scenarios to enhance clinical proficiency, such as active shooter exercises and mass casualty simulations. By partnering with the U.S. military and local agencies, the program ensures participants are deployment-ready, improving outcomes and saving lives in high-stakes environments.
Infirmary Health (Mobile, Ala.). Infirmary Health delivers more than 50,000 hours of annual training to a workforce of more than 5,000 team members, supported by dedicated education staff and simulation equipment designed to build readiness for critical clinical events. Its simulation-based clinical education spans basic life support, advanced cardiovascular life support and pediatric advanced life support, along with adult mock codes, operating room codes, MRI-environment mock codes, pediatric skills fairs and maternal mock codes in the birth center. High-acuity scenario training includes resuscitative hysterotomy, post-open-heart sternal reentry simulation and malignant hyperthermia simulations across the operating room, surgical ICU and birth center. Skills development extends across care settings, with med-surg training for IV insertion, nasogastric tubes, urinary and suprapubic catheter care, hemodialysis catheter removal, central line dressing changes, and port access and de-access. Emergency and critical care offerings include intraosseous access, neonatal IV therapy, emergent trach reinsertion, chest tubes, arterial lines, pulmonary artery catheter measurement and removal, transradial band simulation and arterial/venous sheath removal. The system also supports physician education through a residency program at two hospitals and has an approved surgical residency.
Inova (Falls Church, Va.). The Inova Center for Advanced Medical Simulation is a 12,000-square-foot, hospital-based simulation center that advances patient care across the system through interprofessional simulation. The center is accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in Assessment, Research, Systems Integration and Teaching/Education, and trains more than 5,000 individuals each year and averages approximately 700 simulation hours per month using high-fidelity manikins, task trainers and standardized patients. The center collaborates closely with IT and biomedical departments to integrate and test new technologies, and engages future workforce pipelines by partnering with the community to provide tours and simulation experiences for students. Inova’s Advanced Surgical Technology and Education Center is a 10,000-square-foot surgical simulation facility featuring a high-fidelity operating room environment, pre-op and post-anesthesia care bays, two functional endoscopic operating rooms, and state-of-the-art observation and recording capabilities. The center combines centralized skills training areas and a classroom with instrumentation for open and laparoscopic surgery, laparoscopic/endoscopic physical and virtual reality trainers, high-fidelity interactive mannequins and robotic simulators. A defining capability is 3D-printed, patient-specific modeling, with hundreds of trauma, oncology, cardiovascular and neuro patients benefiting from the technology. It is a comprehensive American College of Surgeons Accredited Education Institute, one of only 96 sites worldwide. Recent growth includes a formal two-year fellowship program launched in 2025, and the GoodTalk program introduced in 2024 and expanded in 2025 to more than 900 team members. It also provides approximately 10 training events annually for prehospital personnel, including an annual two-day procedure lab that drew more than 200 providers from 15 regional agencies in 2025.
Jefferson (Philadelphia). Jefferson delivers extensive, award-winning simulation programming that supports learners from foundational communication and physical diagnosis skills to advanced procedures such as cardiac catheterization and anesthesia administration. The program serves more than 2,500 graduate medical education learners annually, along with undergraduate students and practicing clinicians across the health system. Anchored by the 71,000-square-foot Rector Clinical Skills and Simulation Center, Jefferson provides approximately 350 simulation-based skills training and assessment programs across roughly 5,500 teaching hours each year. The center features 20 outpatient simulation offices, four inpatient simulation rooms, a surgical wet lab, five low-fidelity support classrooms and five high-fidelity teaching rooms, including a virtual operating room, virtual trauma/anesthesiology bay and a six-bed virtual ICU/step-down unit. An approximately 150-person standardized patient program supports validated case scenarios and high-stakes objective structured clinical examinations, while virtual and augmented reality enhance realism and learner engagement. Jefferson’s simulation enterprise holds dual accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Health Care and the American College of Surgeons, and extends access through the Rector Center Remote Clinical Skills program, which uses a custom-fitted van, Zoom and home simulation kits to deliver invasive basic-skills training such as IV administration, intubation and Foley catheter insertion.
Johns Hopkins Medicine (Baltimore). The simulation center at Johns Hopkins aims to improve patient safety by providing advanced training for current and future healthcare professionals through hands-on practice and cutting-edge simulation technologies. A partnership between the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Hospital, the center emphasizes skill refinement, advanced techniques and social communication tools for delivering critical news to patients. Annually, the center conducts competencies, continuing education and product training to ensure practitioners are proficient and confident with both current and new technologies. The center employs five simulation modalities, including standardized patient simulation, high-fidelity human patient simulation, virtual reality simulation, task trainer simulation and computerized decision-making simulation. In addition to enhancing diagnostic and procedural skills, the center focuses on assessing and certifying healthcare professionals while contributing to Johns Hopkins’ research mission. The center is accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.
Kaiser Permanente (Los Angeles). Kaiser Permanente’s Garfield Innovation Center drives continuous improvement by exploring and accelerating a future of healthcare that is more connected, equitable, technology-enabled and human-centered. Staffed by interdisciplinary teams of designers, technologists and strategists, the center focuses on reimagining healthcare delivery through actionable, data-driven insights and innovative solutions. The center leverages hands-on simulations, rapid prototyping and iterative testing to develop and refine transformative innovations before implementation. The center comprises mocked-up rooms, robot prototypes, interactive screens and simulation environments including a surgical suite, labor and delivery area, patient home, hospital ward, consulting room and nurse workstation. By integrating technology with in-person care experiences, it aims to reshape existing business models and enhance member and community outcomes.
Kaweah Health (Visalia, Calif.). The Kaweah Health Simulation Center has been open since 2007. The center comprises a multi-station skills lab and a high-fidelity simulation suite with adjacent control room and debriefing room, utilizing SimMan, SimJunior and SimBaby manikins, as well as GI-Bronch Mentor and Heartworks & Bodyworks Simulators. It has been an instrumental piece of the Kaweah Health graduate medical education program, offering both simulation education as well as a clinical teaching and simulation fellowship for residents looking to become simulation leaders.
Loyola Medicine (Maywood, Ill.). Loyola Medicine, anchored by Loyola University Medical Center and partnered with Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine and Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, trains more than 750 physicians across its graduate medical education programs while supporting the education of more than 600 medical students annually. Graduate medical education learners regularly use the Stritch School of Medicine Simulation Lab for high-fidelity, scenario-based training across disciplines, reinforced by clinical exposure at a level 1 trauma Center and Illinois’s largest burn center. The system includes nearly 2,000 physicians and multiple centers of excellence, including transplant, stroke, burn and neuro-spine, creating a high-acuity training environment for emergency, critical care and specialty simulation. Loyola and Stritch have established multiple clinical “firsts” in Illinois and the Midwest, including the first successful lung transplant, first double-lung transplant and first simultaneous double-lung and kidney transplant, expanding the range of advanced-care experiences available to trainees. In 2025, Loyola performed Illinois’s first robotically assisted kidney transplant and a minimally invasive combined lung transplant and heart bypass surgery, strengthening exposure to complex, evolving procedural care. The system was designated an Optum center of excellence for transplant programs and became one of only five national Islet Distribution Centers for diabetes research, supporting hands-on education in endocrinology and cellular therapy. Education also spans interdisciplinary pathways, including accredited residency programs in physical therapy and urogynecology.
Maimonides Health (Brooklyn, N.Y.). Maimonides Health trains more than 500 residents and fellows each year across specialties including pediatrics, general surgery, anesthesiology, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine, internal medicine, radiology and psychiatry, and serves as a key teaching affiliate and clinical training site of SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. Its world-class center for clinical simulation and safety is formally accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and delivers experiential learning across onboarding, multidisciplinary team training, communication and professionalism development, procedural skills and medical decision-making. Learners train using immersive virtual reality simulators, high-fidelity patient mannequins and professional actors to practice high-stakes communication in controlled environments designed to translate best practices to the bedside. The center supports organizational priorities through novel programs such as an immersive psychological first aid workshop open to any hospital employee. Simulation also advances advanced illness management and age-friendly care by using professional actors to help providers practice empathetic “goals of care” conversations with patients and families. The program is integrated into hospital operations through resource-intensive in-situ simulations used to prepare for new facilities, such as recently opened and upcoming emergency departments, allowing teams to detect and correct latent safety threats before patient impact. Mass casualty simulations engage clinical response systems to strengthen crisis preparedness, and the center provides formal training in simulation-based debriefing techniques for real clinical events to promote continuous teamwork and process improvement.
MaineHealth Maine Medical Center (Portland). MaineHealth Maine Medical Center implemented UbiSim virtual reality simulation across its organization, operating eight virtual reality headsets primarily in kiosk mode to maximize accessibility for nursing staff. Two pilot programs, one in the post-anesthesia care unit and another with new nurses at a rural hospital, demonstrated networkwide applicability using highly customized scenarios, like a craniotomy case with newly recorded dialogue and a blood transfusion protocol tailored to Maine Medical Center’s transfusion guidelines. A central strategy is faculty empowerment, with nursing faculty trained to independently build and run virtual reality simulation cases without continuous direct support from simulation staff, leveraging UbiSim’s user interface for scalable deployment. Faculty development has been structured with four foundational training sessions completed in September 2025, with advanced trainings planned to expand case-building and voice-support capabilities. The team also introduced a “ghost mode” approach that uses a third person as a camera operator to improve observation and real-time guidance in virtual reality. Pre-briefing is emphasized to align learner expectations and focus outcomes on algorithmic thinking and protocol adherence rather than fine motor skills. Based on usage trends, Maine Medical Center is planning license and headset expansion and exploring remote-site implementation to broaden access to immersive simulation across the network.
Medical City Healthcare (Dallas). Medical City Healthcare’s 37,000-square-foot HCA Healthcare Center for Clinical Advancement in Frisco, Texas provides advanced simulation education that supports more than 37,000 students and staff through more than 1,300 events annually. The center includes five high-fidelity simulation rooms with adjoining control rooms and adult interactive manikins capable of realistic movement, sounds and adaptive scenario response, along with hands-on task training such as venipuncture, endotracheal intubation and chest tube insertion. A dedicated women’s and pediatric simulation room features a high-fidelity birthing manikin for live birth scenarios, a high-fidelity infant manikin with warmers and resuscitative devices, and a pediatric manikin for team-based pediatric training. A six-bay skills training room uses mid-fidelity manikins for core procedures like IV insertion, vital signs, physical assessment and dressing changes, supported by instructor observation and coaching. Five high-tech debriefing rooms enable audio-video review to strengthen self-reflection, confidence and clinical competence. The facility also includes an auditorium and flexible classrooms for new employee orientation and broader educational programming.
MedStar Health (Columbia, Md.). MedStar Health’s Simulation Training & Education Lab serves as the system’s main education infrastructure, supporting more than 35,000 physicians, nurses and other associates. As part of the MedStar Institute for Innovation, a team of more than 100 professionals delivers education consultation, program development, technical support and program delivery across in-person training, interactive online modules, high-fidelity simulation and continuing professional education, including tools leveraging AI. In fiscal year 2025, the lab supported more than 1.4 million online learning completions and more than 53,500 learners through hundreds of learning modules developed annually with system subject matter experts. The lab operates four regional simulation centers with simulated operating rooms and high-fidelity training bays, and deploys a 40-foot mobile simulation lab featuring simulated patient rooms, control stations and a debriefing area to reach MedStar’s 10 hospitals and regional care sites. In fiscal year 2025, simulation learner volume increased by more than 5%, and advanced practice provider-focused simulation training rose by 85% compared to the prior fiscal year. The system’s proprietary learning platform, “SiTELMS,” averaged more than 3,000 daily logins from nearly 55,700 unique users in fiscal year 2025, while continued medical education engagement was led by nurses, followed by physicians and physician assistants. The lab holds several accreditations and, in 2025, launched neonatal emergency safety training across all seven delivering hospitals as an interdisciplinary neonatal emergency program.
MemorialCare Long Beach (Calif.) Medical Center & Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital. The Simulation Center at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital utilizes cutting-edge technology to support clinical training for employees, nursing students, practicing physicians and those going through medical residencies. The hospitals recognize that simulation activities have much better outcomes for learners than simple explanation or demonstration, and allow learners a safe space to practice key patient care skills before having to perform them in a live, high-stakes environment. High-fidelity mannequins are a key element of clinical training success, as they allow for subtle changes in clinical status, nuanced patient assessments, practice with complex patient interventions, and more realistic practice with patient communication. As such, the large facility has several high-fidelity simulators for adult, maternal, pediatric and neonatal, giving current and future professionals the skills they need to provide excellent patient care across the care continuum and age spectrum. In fiscal year 2025, the Sim Lab provided a total of almost 35,000 learner hours focused on medical interventions and hospital initiatives including patient experience, patient safety, infection control, medication safety, interprofessional communication, skill validation, chain of command and clinical certifications.
Memorial Health (Springfield, Ill.). Memorial Health opened its learning center in 2015 on the campus of its flagship hospital in Springfield. The facility has since been dedicated to supporting and developing the capabilities of the healthcare workforce and promoting a culture of continuous learning and improvement. In addition, the learning center has multiple simulation facilities and surgical skills labs. Its simulation center has 10 simulated learning environments and 16,000 square feet of patient care rooms, operating rooms and ambulance and patient homes. The facility is also a teaching hospital for Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. The center also hosts training free of charge for paramedics and emergency medicine providers in the state. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the center shifted its priorities to become a training center for nurses and physicians treating respiratory illnesses. It also pivoted to virtual sessions for frontline staff members, promoting social distancing and remote learning.
Mount Sinai Health System (New York City). The Mount Sinai Health System leverages advanced simulation technologies across its campuses to enhance training and improve care quality. Its flagship Mount Sinai Simulation, Teaching, and Research Center is the only facility worldwide to hold simultaneous accreditation in research, teaching and education, systems integration, and fellowship programs from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. Facilities like the Center for Surgical Simulation, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence and the Simulation Center at Mount Sinai West provide cutting-edge training in robotic surgery, team-based care and interprofessional collaboration. Programs such as the Morchand Center for Clinical Competence and the Philips School of Nursing Simulation Center focus on competency-based and hands-on training for future healthcare leaders. By integrating extended reality, virtual reality and high-fidelity simulators, Mount Sinai fosters a culture of safety and continuous improvement, setting a benchmark for excellence in medical education and patient care.
NYC Health + Hospitals (New York City). NYC Health + Hospitals’ Institute for Medical Simulation and Advanced Learning is one of the nation’s most comprehensive health system–based simulation networks, serving as the training and innovation arm of the country’s largest public health system. Operating across 11 acute-care hospitals, correctional health services, specialty mini-labs and in-situ clinical environments, the institute ensures equitable access to high-fidelity training for frontline teams in every borough. Since its inception, the program has trained more than 150,000 physicians, nurses, midwives, residents and allied health professionals in critical areas such as obstetric emergencies, sepsis, behavioral health crises and advanced resuscitation, with measurable improvements in team performance and reductions in preventable harm. Health equity is embedded into simulation design, with scenarios focused on implicit bias reduction, culturally responsive communication and patient-centered care for New York City’s diverse communities. The institute also demonstrated systemwide agility during Ebola preparedness efforts and the Covid-19 pandemic, rapidly scaling tele-simulation, virtual reality and augmented reality training to prepare thousands of staff in ventilator management and infection control. Accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in the six domains of core, assessment, research, teaching/education, systems integration and fellowship, the institute reflects the gold standard in simulation excellence.
NYU Langone Health (New York City). The NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island (N.Y.) Simulation Center, housed in a 5,000-square-foot facility adjacent to the NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, provides advanced clinical training for physicians, nurses, medical students and first responders. The center, operational since 2013 and relocated to its current facility in 2015, offers high-tech simulated training environments, including a multipurpose hospital room adaptable as an operating room, ICU or trauma bay, and patient exam rooms equipped with standardized patients and audio-visual capabilities. Key training focuses include technical skills, such as central line insertion, paracentesis and IV placement, as well as communication, teamwork and patient safety. Supporting NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine’s mission, the center enhances educational excellence through experiential learning and competency-based interprofessional programs. Additionally, faculty-led debrief sessions provide purposeful practice and feedback to promote professionalism, clinical reasoning and care quality.
Naples (Fla.) Comprehensive Health. The Judith & Marvin Herb Family Simulation Center at Naples Comprehensive Health has earned full accreditation in teaching/education and core standards from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and the Council for Accreditation of Healthcare Simulation Programs, placing it among fewer than 300 simulation centers worldwide to achieve this gold-standard distinction. The 12,000-square-foot center features two fully functional operating rooms, multiple simulation suites, a procedural skills lab, classrooms with advanced audiovisual and debriefing technology, and an immersive interactive mixed reality room. The center delivers thousands of hours of multidisciplinary training annually to physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, emergency personnel, students and community partners. Programs are designed to replicate real-world clinical scenarios, strengthening critical thinking, teamwork, communication and procedural skills in a safe learning environment. Faculty highlight the value of advanced interactive mannequins and simulation tools in enhancing both teaching effectiveness and learner engagement.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Columbus, Ohio). Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s simulation and outreach education program integrates simulation into clinical care, safety, education and healthcare design, delivering more than 2,500 simulation events annually. From 2021 to 2024, a systemwide simulation initiative contributed to a significant reduction in central line-associated bloodstream infection/catheter-associated urinary tract infection events, positioning simulation as a diagnostic and intervention tool for hospital-acquired conditions. The program supported the safe launch of a maternal-fetal medicine program through 32 in-situ simulations across multiple departments, engaging more than 420 staff members over five months and logging more than 400 hours of simulation activity in that period. Simulation is also embedded in pre-construction design for spaces such as the neonatal ICU, emergency department and pediatric ICU, using cardboard mock-ups, 3D modeling and in-situ simulations to identify latent safety threats before buildout. The team extends training beyond clinicians through customized caregiver simulations for tracheostomy care, tube feeding and emergency preparedness, as well as community preparedness efforts for school nurses, emergency medical services and affiliate hospital teams, including mass casualty exercises. The program earned accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in October 2023. Recent innovations include interpreter-use training through simulation in the heart center to strengthen emergent communication and better engagement with interpretive services.
Nebraska Medicine (Omaha). In 2020, University of Nebraska Medical Center opened an advanced clinical simulation facility, the five-level Dr. Edwin G. & Dorothy Balbach Davis Global Center, designed to create safe, innovative and experiential training environments. The “iEXCEL” initiative, headquartered in the center, advances healthcare education through simulation-based techniques and 3D-augmented and virtual reality technologies. Within the center, replicated clinics, hospitals, ambulatory and home care units enable learners to simulate and practice incidents, events and patient care scenarios to build confidence and skills that will ultimately improve patient outcomes. The center, which features the first holographic theatre in any academic institution in the world, trains healthcare students from all disciplines as well as Nebraska Medicine healthcare professionals. The venue supports research and business development, including content creation for its 3D, virtual reality and holographic technologies.
Northeast Georgia Health System (Gainesville). The Northeast Georgia Health System Center for Simulation and Innovation advances clinical excellence and health equity through dual accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in Teaching and Education and the Association of Standardized Patient Educators, placing it among a select group of nationally recognized programs meeting rigorous standards in interprofessional and standardized patient education. A hallmark of the program is its mobile simulation initiative, which operates across 11 rural communities and partners with 15 emergency medical services, many of which are in maternity care deserts. The mobile program trains more than 500 healthcare workers and emergency personnel to expand access to high-quality clinical education. The center delivers comprehensive, multimodal training across emergency medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and behavioral health using high-fidelity manikins, standardized patients, virtual reality and hybrid simulation to strengthen both technical and communication skills. Through its standardized patient program, the center emphasizes cultural competency and patient-centered care, embedding simulation across all roles from patient care technicians to physicians. It also serves as a regional disaster preparedness hub, coordinating mass casualty drills that unite emergency medical services, law enforcement and hospital teams to enhance emergency response readiness. Strategic partnerships with nursing schools, emergency medical services programs and graduate medical education programs support workforce development, while national content distribution through the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses extends its educational impact beyond Georgia.
OSF HealthCare (Peoria, Ill.). OSF’s Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center is recognized globally as a leader in healthcare simulation, innovation and education. The six-floor, 168,000-square-foot facility, among the largest of its kind, serves as a hub for advancing clinical skills and interprofessional collaboration. Established in 2012 in partnership with the University of Illinois College of Medicine, the center is dedicated to improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs through education, research and systems testing. Last year, the center trained more than 35,000 learners through 2,747 unique learning events. Its simulation programs strengthen clinical competency, improve system reliability and support patient safety initiatives, including efforts to reduce hospital-acquired conditions. The center has provided more than 1.1 million learner visits through simulation, in-situ, digital and off-site approaches. The program has also hosted more than 6,600 simulations and skills experiences at its facility. All told, the center has trained 1,300-plus medical students and residents. It also houses the Innovation Academic Incubator, a research collaborative with four major academic institutions that generated 42 funded projects valued at over $4 million. Extending its mission beyond clinical teams, the center engages the next generation of healthcare professionals through “OSF STEAM.” In 2024, the program reached more than 34,000 middle- and high-school students across 29 states through in-person experiences and creative at-home kits focused on science, technology, engineering, art and math.
Ochsner Health (New Orleans). The Ochsner Clinical Simulation and Patient Safety Center, established in 2017, is an 8,300-square-foot facility dedicated to enhancing patient safety and clinical outcomes. It employs high-fidelity human patient simulators and advanced training technologies to provide healthcare professionals, residents and students with immersive, team-based learning opportunities in realistic settings, such as emergency departments, operating rooms and patient care units. The center focuses on evidence-based programs that improve collaboration, communication and decision-making. Training spans basic skills to advanced procedural innovations and crisis management, enabling participants to refine their expertise in a risk-free, ethical and collaborative environment.
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (Columbus). The Clinical Skills Education and Assessment Center at Ohio State University is a premier simulation training facility that features advanced human simulators, virtual reality surgical trainers with haptic feedback, and high-fidelity virtual critical care settings that replicate operating rooms, NICUs and emergency departments. The center invests in leading-edge resources such as a 3D printing lab, immersive anatomy visualization tools, and the KindHeart cardiothoracic trainer, making it one of fewer than a dozen sites worldwide to offer open-heart surgery simulation. The program has fostered various innovative partnerships and programs, including disaster training, interdisciplinary mock codes and telehealth development.
Orlando (Fla.) Health. The simulation program at Orlando Health, launched in 2009, provides new clinicians with two simulation centers: the Orlando Health Institute for Learning Simulation Center and the Medical Education Center for Simulation-Based Training. The program employs bedside educators in guiding students through simulations of mock codes, adverse reactions, stroke, orthopedics, respiratory disease, precipitous delivery, sepsis and more. In addition, the program also participates in an annual systemwide mock mass casualty event to reinforce emergency preparedness. To accommodate the program’s fast expansion, Orlando Health developed a 2.5 day course which trains team members across hospital sites to facilitate simulation.
Parkview Health (Fort Wayne, Ind.). Parkview Health’s Mirro Center Advanced Simulation Lab, a 4,000-square-foot facility that opened in March 2015, advances patient safety and care quality through immersive scenario-based and task training for physicians and interdisciplinary clinical teams. Accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and dual-accredited by the American College of Surgeons, the lab offers three training labs equipped with high-fidelity manikins as well as advanced virtual reality systems for endovascular, laparoscopic and pulmonary procedure training. Its manikin fleet spans adult, pediatric, infant, newborn and premature simulators with interactive features such as breathing, facial expressions and bleeding to support both routine care and emergency response scenarios. The system extends access through a robust mobile simulation program, leveraging an ambulance fleet and a mobile medical training lab, which is a 42-foot freightliner, to deliver training in real-world environments across northern Indiana and northwest Ohio. Launched in late 2023, the mobile lab includes two simulation rooms, two control rooms and a debriefing space, with a rear simulation room designed as a near-replica of an ambulance so teams can train without taking an active unit out of service. The vehicle is expected to provide at least 250 hours of training per year for Fort Wayne-based emergency medical services, police and fire, while also supporting other regional departments. The program also offers professional development courses and an in-house 3D printing service used for surgical planning, tool production and patient education, including the “Forever in Your Heart” program that creates memorial models of infant hands or feet for bereaved families.
Penn Medicine (Philadelphia). The Penn Medicine Clinical Simulation Center is a state-of-the-art, 22,000-square-foot facility providing advanced simulation training to physicians, students and healthcare professionals. With realistic hospital environments and human patient simulators, the center offers interprofessional team training and individual instruction in procedural skills such as central line placement, laparoscopic procedures and fiberoptic endoscopy. It serves as an authorized provider of American Heart Association courses, a Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons test site for laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery certifications, and offers a robust standardized patient program as well. The center also conducts in-situ simulations across Penn Medicine facilities to address training, assessment and change management. Equipped with simulated procedure rooms, emergency department rooms and multi-purpose skills labs, the center emphasizes patient safety, clinical excellence and interprofessional collaboration. Its highly skilled team integrates simulation methodologies into curriculum development, enhancing the skills and efficiency of both clinical and non-clinical staff.
Prime Healthcare (Ontario, Calif.). Prime Healthcare’s PrimE-Academy delivers a scalable, systemwide virtual learning platform designed to ensure equitable access to high-quality education across a multi-site health system. Using synchronous, asynchronous and hybrid methodologies, the academy combines a robust video on-demand library with adaptable site-specific toolkits to reinforce skills in real time and support hands-on application. Enterprisewide focus groups and needs assessments guide curriculum development, with recent expansions in behavioral health, emergency services and maternal-child health reflecting frontline and organizational priorities. The model breaks down geographic and size-based barriers, creating a unified learning community while allowing hospitals to tailor content to local patient populations. In 2025, the program was presented at the Association for Nurses in Professional Development national conference as “Creating a Virtual Learning Community in a Multi-Site Organization” and received the “Participant’s Choice Award.”
RWJBarnabas Health (West Orange, N.J.). RWJBarnabas Health’s Institute for Nursing Excellence delivers systemwide nursing education through highly realistic simulation, hands-on training and emerging technology at two strategically located training hubs. The institute provides structured development led by nursing professional development practitioners and extends interprofessional training opportunities to teams across the state. A core differentiator is its systemwide approach to interprofessional simulations, delivered both at regional centers and in situ at hospitals, designed in close collaboration with local teams to maximize clinical relevance and impact. Simulation offerings include malignant hyperthermia and mock code scenarios across operating rooms, critical care and emergency departments, imminent delivery simulations in emergency departments without labor and delivery units, obstetrics complication simulations within labor and delivery, and mass casualty incident drills supported by integrated high-fidelity cases. The institute also strengthens educator capacity through its “Foundations of Simulation” course, now used for onboarding all new nursing professional development practitioners systemwide. In partnership with the critical care service line, the simulation team supports a central venous catheter insertion course to ensure all new residents and advanced practice providers demonstrate proficiency in this high-risk procedure before independent practice, contributing to reduced complication rates.
Renown Health (Reno, Nev.). The Helmsley Simulation and Innovation Center at Renown Health is funded by a $3.1 million donor grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. The simulation center, opened in January 2025, has greatly expanded the health system’s ability to train healthcare providers throughout northern Nevada. The Helmsley Simulation and Innovation Center features three simulated patient rooms, classroom space, computer labs and a conference center, allowing trainers to run current and future healthcare professionals through real-life acute, outpatient, telemedicine and specialty care scenarios. The state-of-the-art simulation and innovation center expanded the Nevada health system’s academic partnership with the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine and substantially increased training capacity from 1,500 to 2,500 clinicians each year across urban and rural settings.
Riverside Health (Newport News, Va.). Riverside Health’s simulation training lab opened in September 2020 following a three-year collaboration involving the family of Brandon D. Rogers, DO, community donors, Riverside medical staff and the Riverside Foundation. The hospital-based program supports five affiliated system hospitals, lifelong health and palliative care service lines and the Riverside College of Health Sciences, and earned full Society for Simulation in Healthcare accreditation in teaching and education in December 2023. The 8,400-square-foot facility emulates clinical care environments across four dedicated areas: a medical/surgical/ICU ward, labor and delivery room, emergency medicine/trauma bay and a procedural skills suite. Training is supported by an integrated audio-visual learning management system with debriefing capabilities and a broad modality mix that includes adult simulators of varying fidelity, birthing simulators, pediatric and neonate simulators, surgical and partial task trainers, and clinical equipment used in the hospital such as ultrasound, video laryngoscopy, defibrillators and a neonate warmer. The lab provides faculty development in healthcare simulation fundamentals and debriefing concepts, supports curriculum design and low-cost model production, and offers electives and clerkships for residents and medical students. Since opening, the lab has hosted more than 16,600 learners across approximately 100 programs and facilitated 1,360 evolutions totaling nearly 4,300 hours of simulation-based training. Community outreach has expanded through stroke awareness and hands-only CPR training for fourth graders, point-of-care ultrasound exposure for university pre-health students, and an immersive program created with trauma educators for individuals identified as at risk of being impacted by gun violence.
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Buffalo, N.Y.). State-of-the-art simulation programs make Roswell Park a hub for next-generation training opportunities in nursing and minimally invasive surgery. The Marie E. Bogner Center for Nursing Excellence supports high-fidelity simulations for hundreds of Roswell Park staff members each year. The center provides hands-on training for the cancer center’s 900 nurses and 150 assistive personnel, who receive ongoing education in critical areas such as code responses, acute care skills, chemotherapy administration, occupational safety, sedation and end-of-life care. The Bogner Center simulation lab also hosts visits from more than 200 prospective healthcare students annually. A pioneer in robot-assisted surgery, Roswell Park welcomes student and veteran surgeons alike for simulation-based training in skills mastery and the fundamentals of laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery. The cancer center’s new ENDO Mentor Suite provides high-fidelity modules in gastrointestinal, urologic and thoracic surgery, and its applied technology laboratory for advanced surgery program will soon add an “Essentials in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery” curriculum for gynecology.
Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Health Care System. Sarasota Memorial Health Care System opened the Kolschowsky Research and Education Institute in April 2025, creating a five-story, 82,000-square-foot hub that integrates clinical research, graduate medical education, simulation and interdisciplinary training under one roof. The facility includes a fully immersive 360-degree simulation room, advanced clinical skills labs, configurable mock environments such as an emergency department, ICU and operating room, classrooms, a medical library and a 400-seat auditorium. Since expanding its research and education platform, the health system’s number of active clinical studies has more than tripled to more than 150. In collaboration with Florida State University, the system continues to grow residency and fellowship programs in specialties including internal medicine, emergency medicine and palliative care, with nearly half of physicians trained there remaining in the area and more than 70% choosing to practice in Florida. Simulation is used as a continuous driver of safety and performance, supporting interdepartmental drills, testing new treatment protocols and training on emerging technologies before clinical deployment. In May 2025, the institute hosted the system’s annual interprofessional research conference, boasting more than 350 attendees and more than 70 presentations, advancing cross-disciplinary learning from medicine and nursing to pharmacy and public health. The system’s educational infrastructure is bolstered by sustained quality performance, including CMS 5-star ratings and five consecutive Magnet nursing designations.
Sharp HealthCare (San Diego). Sharp HealthCare’s Brown Simulation Center expanded rapidly in 2024–25, adding two new operations coordinators and increasing both training volume and participation. In the first 10 months of 2024, the center supported 867 training hours and nearly 1,500 simulation participants, more than 900 of whom were registered nurses, representing a more than 20% increase in total participants and a 170% increase in registered nurse participants compared to 2023. The center developed 22 new simulation curricula in 2024 and supported seven additional educational activities, and in 2025 delivered approximately 45 unique simulation activities. Newer offerings include a medical ICU competency evaluation program that introduced individual competency evaluations for registered nurse leaders and was adopted by other medical ICUs in the system. In addition, the system now offers a high-consequence infectious disease training that standardized processes and educational plans across Sharp HealthCare. The center also partnered with San Diego’s Rady Children’s Hospital emergency transport service to deliver pediatric respiratory illness management training during respiratory infection surge conditions, combining didactic content with simulation scenarios. Additional curricula include palliative care conversation training, immersive medical error disclosure and root cause analysis instruction aligned with patient safety requirements for residents. In collaboration with a human trafficking survivor and advocate, the center’s human trafficking workshops trained more than 100 interprofessional team members and were presented at the Emergency Nurses Association’s annual conference.
Spartanburg (S.C.) Regional Healthcare System. The Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System’s simulation program has grown significantly since 2020, with an increase in learners, learner contact hours, and enrolled nurse residents in its “transition to practice” nurse residency program. The 3,600-square-foot center features advanced simulators, task trainers and innovative scenarios like the medical error immersive training, which fosters patient safety, empathy and accountability among multidisciplinary teams. The program’s partnerships have earned it recognition as “Business Partner of the Year” from three local schools and academic institutions and has contributed to workforce development, including a work-based learning program that has brought in new hires. Supported by multiple grants, the simulation program has expanded to include cutting-edge technologies such as virtual reality and AI, enhancing realism and effectiveness in training. In 2024, the simulation lab assisted in over 11,000 learner engagements, including more than 330 high school, clinical and medical students.
Stanford Medicine (Palo Alto, Calif.). Stanford University School of Medicine and its hospitals established the Center for Immersive and Simulation-based Learning in hopes of pioneering novel techniques, technologies and applications for patient care. The system benefits from the simulation center’s practical- and research-based findings. The program promotes innovation, with the ability to formulate clinical spaces that mirror their real-life counterparts closely and allows students to practice before live clinical testing. Among the simulation modalities available are standardized patients, part-task physical trainers, virtual reality, desktop simulations and mannequin-based simulators. The center also operates the Goodman Immersive Learning Center, a simulation facility that serves budding surgeons at the medical school.
Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart (Pensacola, Fla.). The Simulating Emergency Action for Life team at Ascension Sacred Heart’s Studer Family Children’s Hospital has scaled pediatric emergency simulation across Florida, training more than 900 healthcare professionals at 13 locations across northwest, north central and northeast Florida. The mobile program delivered over 1,750 hours of continuing education credits and achieved an average participant rating of 2.9 on a 3-point Likert scale, reflecting near-maximum satisfaction and learning outcomes. The team uses high-fidelity mannequins and advanced simulation software to deliver tailored, high-acuity training designed to improve early recognition of pediatric distress and prevent full-code events. The program acquired and implemented two additional high-fidelity mannequins, enabling multi-patient scenarios that strengthen coordinated emergency response and interprofessional communication. The team has launched two research projects focused on measuring simulation training effectiveness in pediatric emergency care. The program expanded recently to add four facilities in Jacksonville, Fla., a pediatric infusion clinic, and recent and upcoming freestanding emergency departments. Studer Family Children’s Hospital also plans to establish a dedicated simulation center as the region’s first permanent hub for pediatric emergency education and research, and is pursuing acquisition of a high-fidelity premature 26-week-old mannequin to address neonatal high-acuity, low-frequency training needs.
Sutter Health (Sacramento, Calif.). The Sutter Health University simulation program, launched in 2009 in Sacramento, is accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and delivers more than 4,700 simulation training experiences annually for physicians and advanced practice clinicians across specialties including obstetrics-gynecology, emergency medicine and pulmonary medicine. In July 2024, Sutter expanded simulation access to Sutter Roseville (Calif.) Medical Center with a 5,676-square-foot simulation lab designed to replicate real-world clinical settings. The lab includes hospital-style patient rooms, four dedicated exam rooms, a virtual reality suite for surgical training, extensive medical equipment and two high-tech life-like mannequins, supported by two control rooms for seamless scenario management. Since launch, learner feedback has shown 99% felt safe in the simulation environment, 97% agreed simulation made learning more effective, 96% said scenarios reflected real life and 98% confirmed they met clinical objectives. The program also supports broader professional development, including a “transition in practice” program that received the “Excellence in Practice Award” from the Association for Talent Development. In 2026, Sutter plans to deploy a 44-foot mobile simulation lab with two simulation rooms, two control rooms and a debrief room, equipped with high-fidelity mannequins ranging from neonatal to geriatric. Made possible entirely through philanthropic donations to the Sutter Health Foundation, the mobile unit is designed to bring immersive training directly to clinical sites, reduce staff travel and minimize operational disruption while enabling more interdisciplinary simulations.
TMC Health (Tucson, Ariz.). TMC Health operates multiple advanced simulation programs, including an accredited obstetrics simulation program, two adult simulation labs and a dedicated pediatric simulation lab that is described as Southern Arizona’s only dedicated pediatric simulation lab. The pediatric lab features five state-of-the-art mannequins representing patients from premature infants to teenagers, capable of simulating changes in skin color, respiratory distress and cardiac events to provide immediate, realistic feedback to learners. This immersive environment is designed to strengthen pediatric emergency decision-making and interdisciplinary teamwork under pressure in a risk-free setting before real-world encounters. The obstetrics simulation program is integrated into the hospital’s safety focus of the quarter as a multidisciplinary effort to strengthen coordinated response, while the two adult simulation labs support initial training for patient care technicians and ongoing skill development through quarterly adult safety day exercises. The pediatric lab is fully integrated into the system’s education and training programs to ensure staff readiness for high-stakes pediatric events across the system.
Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital and USF Health. Tampa General Hospital’s academic partnership with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine is supported by extensive simulation programming delivered through the USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation. Established in 2012, the center is led by Yasuharu Okuda, MD, who is credited with writing the definitive textbook for the oral board examination in emergency medicine and with building simulation centers for the New York Public Health Center and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs in Washington, D.C. The center hosts more than 30,000 clinicians and learners annually, providing evidence-based simulation training that includes neonatal resuscitation, newborn care, skin preparation, Foley catheter insertion and removal, Covid-19 response and code blue protocols. The program trains more than 100 incoming medical residents each year in central line placement to ensure interns are proficient in core procedural skills. Specialty-based simulation spans emergency medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynecology, ear, nose and throat, pediatrics, plastic surgery, rehabilitation, pulmonary, surgery and vascular, including cadaver labs, microsurgery training and advanced trauma operative management. The center also offers extended reality research and implementation, including simulations for team communication in hospital settings and a developing scenario requiring learners to identify and triage sick patients on a train platform. A two-year National Institutes of Health phase 2 “Small Business Innovation Research Award” supports a collaborative study between the center and Immertec, with expected funds of $1.6 million to evaluate immersive technology for specialized training of rural healthcare professionals, complemented by the acquisition of advanced manikins capable of breathing, blinking, generating vital signs, and integrating with virtual and augmented reality. Through “CAMLS Without Walls,” the program deploys an advanced mobile simulation unit using a decommissioned ambulance to deliver high-tech training within up to a 300-mile radius, including maternal and neonatal outcomes training in partnership with the Florida Center for Emergency Medical Services.
Texas Children’s Hospital (Houston). Texas Children’s Simulation Center, founded in 2009, has spent nearly two decades expanding from a medical education resource into a systemwide quality, safety and innovation engine known for simulation-based quality and safety work. The program has pioneered multiple applications, including simulation-based clinical system testing, simulation-based design testing, root cause analyses, plan-do-study-acts and clinical rehearsals for unique patients. What began as an 8,000-plus-square-foot center with three staff now includes 13 in-situ simulation rooms across the system and a simulation center location with two large theaters, supporting a footprint that now spans four hospitals. Simulation volume grew from 42 simulations in 2009 to more than 884 across the system in 2023, and the program now conducts over 21,498 hours of simulation annually. The center delivers interdisciplinary programming for both clinical and non-clinical teams, including simulations supporting a therapy dog training program, as well as tracheostomy emergency simulations for families and caregivers that have been adapted for home health nursing staff. The team also leads the system’s clinical event “hot debrief” program, having developed the tool used across the hospital system and a clinician-focused course on debriefing actual events. The simulation center is accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in teaching, education, research, systems integration and core standards.
Tulane University School of Medicine (New Orleans). Tulane’s Center for Advanced Medical Simulation and Team Training has supported health professionals for more than 16 years and has trained more than 84,000 learners, including more than 57,000 medical students and 11,000 residents and fellows. The center offers 10 professional certifications, supported by dozens of high-fidelity patient simulators, task trainers and virtual reality-based simulators. A signature capability is point-of-care ultrasound education, backed by an extensive array of ultrasound task trainers and 25 Butterfly iQ3 point-of-care ultrasound probes used to train learners of all levels. Beginning in 2025, the center and the Tulane School of Medicine Office of Academic Affairs are integrating point-of-care ultrasound skills into all four years of medical school starting with the class of 2029. The center also partners with Tulane’s standardized patient program, which is one of the oldest in the country, to deliver hybrid simulation that combines standardized patients with high-fidelity simulators, task trainers and point-of-care ultrasound. Tulane’s simulation program has been accredited since 2011 as a comprehensive program by the American College of Surgeons Accredited Education Institutes. Recent innovations include a custom database that captures and reports education and research metrics, links simulation-based education to accreditation requirements, and uses early AI integrations to identify themes across more than 7,000 annual session evaluation comments. In 2025, the obstetrics-gynecology department launched in situ simulation-based training bringing together Tulane residents and New Orleans-based LCMC Health nursing staff to build teamwork and communication during difficult deliveries and critical events.
UAB Medicine (Birmingham, Ala.). UAB Clinical Simulation operates under a “sim first” philosophy that prioritizes patient safety by ensuring teams practice, refine and collaborate in realistic environments without risk of harm. In fiscal year 2024, the program leveraged a distributed model with 193 trained facilitators collaborating to develop and deliver simulations aligned to real-world care priorities, embedding simulation into clinical education and quality improvement rather than positioning it as a stand-alone function. The center deploys high-fidelity manikins, standardized patients, online and hybrid learning platforms, and immersive technologies to reveal blind spots, anticipate risks and prevent errors from reaching patients. In summer 2025, the program launched a pilot study, supported by American Heart Association grant funding, focused on improving the clarity and effectiveness of 911 dispatcher CPR instructions in Birmingham. That same year, the program expanded its “iSim” offering to create interactive, data-driven simulations using augmented reality, virtual reality and cloud-based platforms, and added virtual reality headsets to its equipment loan portfolio. The program also developed leadership-focused training, collaborating in 2025 on an immersive leadership communication simulation that guided leaders in creating psychologically safe environments.
UCHealth (Aurora, Colo.). UCHealth’s simulation program delivers standardized, high-impact training across simulation centers in the Denver Metro, Northern Colorado and Southern Colorado regions. The program earned International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning endorsement in 2022 and achieved re-endorsement in 2025, reaffirming standards alignment as UCHealth expanded from 25,000 to more than 30,000 employees. Since 2020, the simulation program has grown 183%, reflecting increased demand and the scale of its education footprint. Learners span physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers, residents, pharmacy teams, respiratory therapists, patient care technicians and allied health professionals, with training designed to strengthen interprofessional communication, coordination and decision-making. Simulation nurse educators and lab coordinators deploy a spectrum of modalities, including high-fidelity simulators, task trainers, standardized patients and virtual simulation technology to prepare teams for high-stakes scenarios in risk-free environments. The program also integrates simulation into quality improvement initiatives to identify system vulnerabilities and improve safety protocols before they affect real patients. Through standards-based consistency and rapid growth, UCHealth is scaling simulation as both a training engine and a reliability tool across a multi-state footprint.
UCLA Health (Los Angeles). UCLA Health opened a 30,600-square-foot medical education and surgical innovation facility in 2023 across from Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, combining the UCLA Simulation Center with the Center for Advanced Surgical & Interventional Technology. The hub brings mock clinical experiences, surgical and procedural simulation and hospital team training under one roof with an audiovisual system built for live streaming and recording. Training resources include a computerized manikin patient that can breathe, sweat, cry, blink and dilate its pupils, alongside a robotic surgery simulator and virtual reality 3D headsets for scenario-based simulations. The center supports skills mastery, faster response times and more coordinated teams through experiential learning designed to build confidence and competence, all while improving patient safety and driving cost and process efficiencies. Simulation programming continues to expand to meet the needs of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and affiliated partners across health sciences schools, including nursing and dental. A recent initiative uses simulation-based training for anesthesiology residents to address gaps in mental health screening and perioperative care for older adults who don’t speak English. The program immerses trainees with standardized patient actors and interpreters, training staff to use video and phone interpreters effectively, with plans to expand the approach across specialties and staff.
UI Health (Chicago). UI Health’s M. Christine Schwartz Simulation Laboratory at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing is a 13-room simulation space that uses high-fidelity manikins and a comprehensive audio-visual recording system to deliver human-based simulation pedagogy for nursing learners. The lab educates more than 300 nursing students annually on the Chicago campus. It supports interprofessional training by collaborating with UIC students in physical therapy, medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, while also advancing simulation research and scholarship through faculty, student and partner engagement. The program aligns with a nationally recognized academic platform, as UIC’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is ranked sixth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. In July 2024, the Schwartz Lab hosted an international simulation training for Caribbean nurse educators, extending its community-driven collaboration model beyond the U.S. In fall 2025, UIC Nursing launched its inaugural certified registered nurse anesthesia program to help address projected shortages that are expected to impact rural communities most acutely across Illinois. Looking ahead, the Schwartz Lab is expanding to include simulated pre-operative, post-operative and operating room spaces targeted to open in fall 2026, and it recently acquired Laerdal Medical’s MamaAnne birthing manikin to enhance prelicensure and postlicensure training in birthing care.
UPMC (Pittsburgh). The University of Pittsburgh’s Wiser Institute for Simulation, Education and Research was established in 1994. An integral piece of the university as well as the UPMC Health System, the institute offers a fellowship program as one of the few centers in the world accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in all five specialty areas. The institute’s programs aim not only to provide simulation based training, but also to improve patient safety, explore improvements in healthcare delivery and foster research on simulation education.
UVA Health (Charlottesville, Va.). UVA Health and the UVA School of Nursing, in partnership with the UVA School of Medicine, launched the UVA Healthcare Simulation Collaborative in 2021 to unify simulation resources under a single operational structure and strengthen interprofessional education. The collaborative manages more than 30,000 square feet of simulation space and logged more than 40,000 learner contact hours in fiscal year 2025. The program integrates standardized patient actors, used in 124 sessions in fiscal year 2025, to enhance realism and deepen communication, clinical reasoning and patient-centered care skills. A hallmark of the collaborative is cross-disciplinary engagement, with medical students in the past fiscal year completing 2,048 hours of simulation in the nursing school, and nursing students participating in 907 hours in medical school simulation spaces, reinforcing team-based care from the earliest stages of training. The International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning-endorsed simulation lab continuously develops new experiential learning scenarios, including birthing simulations, alcohol de-escalation in post-surgical care, disaster response in low-resource settings, vaccine hesitancy counseling, end-of-life care, crisis communications, dementia care in a mock assisted living environment, Epic charting and prescription drug interaction cases. Through shared infrastructure, innovative curriculum design and a strong culture of collaboration, UVA’s Simulation Collaborative prepares future nurses and physicians to deliver coordinated, high-quality care in complex healthcare environments.
UW Health (Madison, Wis.). UW Health’s emergency education and clinical simulation program has demonstrated sustained excellence in clinical operations, education, research and professional advocacy. The program maintains full accreditation from both the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and the American College of Surgeons–Accredited Education Institute, validating the rigor of its educational and research activities. The program also recently completed a 1,600-square-foot expansion that increased capacity to more than 22,000 learner hours annually, alongside the successful integration of cadaveric tissue for advanced procedural training. Educational hours increased by 20% across faculty, students and practicing clinicians over the span of a year, supported by the development of a comprehensive simulation facilitator training curriculum that has trained more than 100 learners and led to the launch of a three-day immersive simulationist bootcamp to formalize pathways into the field. The team also pioneered a curriculum bridging prehospital care and medical direction, securing quarterly simulation training for more than 1,000 paramedics and firefighters since 2021. Nationally, program leadership co-founded and chairs the Society for Simulation in Healthcare’s “New to Sim” affinity group and holds prominent conference leadership roles, while scholarly work advances non-technical skills training, human factors research and cost-effective, low-fidelity simulation strategies to promote equitable education. Supported by a 2023–24 Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation “Catalyst Award for Transformation in Graduate Medical Education,” the team innovates in areas such as interprofessional operating room curricula, micro-credentialing for facilitators and research correlating learner performance with surgical simulation metrics.
UW Medicine (Seattle). “WISH”, the The Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho Institute for Simulation in Healthcare, is the University of Washington’s simulation center, which spans 30 departments throughout UW Medicine, medical school, nursing school, pharmacy school and the physician assistant training program. With the use of cutting-edge technology, WISH facilitates education and training so learners can perfect their skills before applying them to a patient. Created in 2009, WISH promotes interprofessional team communication, effectively reducing the margin of error and keeping patients safer. Donations, along with awards such as the “WISH Innovation in Simulation Award,” help support innovations in technology, education and delivery. The program’s research arm, the Center for Research in Education and Simulation Technologies, supports advancement in the field of healthcare simulation sciences via the creation of realistic models, virtual environments, and more.
University of Chicago Medicine. The University of Chicago Simulation Center supports over 250 simulation-based programs annually, training nearly 9,000 learners across the UChicago Medicine health system and the Pritzker School of Medicine. It provides immersive, hands-on clinical training using high- and low-fidelity simulators to enhance skills assessment, research and healthcare delivery in a safe environment. The center collaborates with quality and patient safety teams to improve healthcare outcomes through initiatives such as clinical team training, resuscitation, emergency preparedness and simulation-based clinical systems testing. Community outreach includes educational programming on Chicago’s South Side via a simulation mobile unit, an ambulance converted into a training center. UC Simulation is accredited by the American College of Surgeons and the American Heart Association, and its contributions have earned UChicago Medicine multiple honors, including Magnet designation, U.S. News and World Report rankings, and awards from the American Heart Association.
University Medical Center New Orleans. University Medical Center New Orleans created an innovative perioperative simulation laboratory to transform orientation for medical students, surgical technologists, nurses and residents through hands-on, low-risk practice of core operating room skills. Built in a dedicated space using retired surgical instruments, expired supplies and repurposed equipment, the lab allows learners to rehearse scrubbing, gowning, gloving, maintaining sterile fields and opening surgical supplies before entering high-stakes clinical environments. Surveys show more than 90% of participants are satisfied with the orientation experience, with learners reporting higher engagement and empowerment and perioperative staff demonstrating increased confidence in the operating room. The program intentionally breaks down silos by bringing residents, nurses, surgical technologists and attending physicians together in simulation sessions, strengthening mutual respect, communication and patient safety. The medical center also redirects excess supplies to mission trips and veterinary clinics, and has instituted annual boot camps for surgical residents alongside expanded training for new perioperative staff. Featured in the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses Journal’s periop briefing in 2025, the program is expanding into specialty-specific boot camps in vascular, neurology and orthopedics.
University of Miami Health System. The University of Miami Health System’s Simulation Hospital Advancing Research and Education program provides clinical, research and educational simulation opportunities. With easily personalizable environments that can mirror ambulance bays, emergency departments, incident command centers, outpatient clinics, labor and delivery suites, operating rooms and more, students have unparalleled access to authentic equipment, techniques and experiences in a safe, simulated setting. The program’s research contributes greatly to patient safety, disaster preparedness, health equity and more. The program is beginning to incorporate augmented, virtual and mixed reality technologies to help familiarize students with operating rooms before clinical placement. Students, healthcare professionals, first responders and corporate partners alike can access the facility. The hospital was established in 2017 and has since played a crucial role in creating and standardizing processes that address hurricanes, active shooters, disease outbreaks and other disasters.
University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center (Memphis). University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center opened the state-of-the-art Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation in 2018. The center utilizes standardized patients, high-fidelity patient simulators and virtual reality settings to educate students, residents, professionals and clinicians. The facility serves those at the dentistry, graduate health sciences, health professions, nursing, medicine and pharmacy colleges, preparing them to deliver high-quality team-based healthcare.
University of Utah Health (Salt Lake City). The Simulation Learning Center at the University of Utah College of Nursing provides simulation education and research for students, faculty, clinical staff and community partners. Students, including pre-license and graduate nursing students, medical students and residents spend an entire day each week of the semester in the center harnessing psychomotor skills, critical thinking and clinical judgment, led by full-time faculty educators. The learning center is also shared frequently by the College of Nursing for courses and conferences, such as the pediatric critical care medicine “boot camp” for first-year fellows, as well as a two-day pediatric and neonatal care ultrasound course. In 2022, the simulation team at the center was nominated for the International Nursing Association of Clinical and Simulation Learning “Frontline Simulation Champion Excellence” award.
Valley Children’s Healthcare (Madera, Calif.). Valley Children’s extracorporeal membrane oxygenation program is distinguished by its robust training program, where 25–30 specialists complete over 1,400 simulation hours annually to maintain high proficiency. The hospital was the first in California’s Central Valley to provide life-saving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. Thanks in large part to its emphasis on training and simulation, Valley Children’s extracorporeal membrane oxygenation program has received international recognition as a platinum-level center of excellence in life support.
Valleywise Health (Phoenix). Valleywise Health’s new simulation center delivers hands-on, high-fidelity training using advanced simulators, reactive manikins and video playback across realistic surgical, trauma, obstetrics-gynecology and inpatient room environments. Over the span of a year, the center conducted nearly 500 training sessions, ranging from mock codes to intubation and intravenous placement, and trained more than 3,200 learners. A standout capability is its in situ heat stroke simulations, which prepares emergency physicians, residents, nurses and emergency department support staff to treat heat stroke patients using cold water immersion. Valleywise Health emergency medicine physicians have pioneered cold-water immersion protocols in Phoenix’s extreme heat, including placing patients in a body bag-like container filled with ice to rapidly cool core temperature, strengthening readiness during the annual surge of cases in June, July and August. The center also trains Phoenix Fire Department paramedic students in basic emergency medicine, including cold water immersion simulations. With a high-fidelity manikin supporting advanced stroke response, laparoscopic skills and other critical procedures, the program helps bridge the gap between theory and practice while advancing care quality and equity across the organization.
WellSpan Health (York, Pa.). WellSpan Health supports a broad education pipeline across a nine-hospital system with more than 23,000 team members and 220 patient care locations, with three additional hospitals set to launch in 2026. The WellSpan Health Kinsley Foundation Medical Education Simulation Center annually delivers more than 5,000 learner encounters and over 10,000 contact hours for residents, advanced nursing, advanced practice providers, medical students, allied health and support staff, with clinical teaching faculty devoting more than 4,000 hours to education in the center alone. Systemwide training infrastructure includes three family medicine residency programs and additional residencies spanning psychiatry, general dentistry, general surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics-gynecology, emergency medicine, orthopedics and pharmacy, along with clinical fellowships in cardiology, emergency medicine ultrasound, orthopedic hand surgery, orthopedic trauma, sports medicine and surgical critical care. WellSpan also invests in youth-focused pathways, including a school-based program where more than 60 volunteers contributed over 230 hours mentoring about 50 inner-city high school students. The program culminates in a five-hour career fair hosted by 40 volunteers for about 80 students, featuring hands-on simulation activities across more than 15 healthcare careers. In 2024, WellSpan received regulatory approval through a strategic affiliation with Jersey College, establishing a school of nursing in York County, enabling an associate degree in nursing in as little as two years via a non-traditional stackable credentialing approach, with the inaugural cohort graduating in 2026. In February 2025, WellSpan and Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine approved an agreement to add a second regional medical school campus in York County launching in 2027, with an initial class of approximately 40 students starting August 2027. WellSpan also plans to create the Jeanne Donlevy Arnold Center for Nursing Innovation, focused on transforming training, establishing next-generation care models, and leveraging AI and integrating digital technologies.
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