June 14 ribbon-cutting launches four SIM-NE trucks

They’re here.

The campus is invited to get a look at the four high-tech Simulation in Motion Nebraska trucks (SIM-NE) during an open house June 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot on the northwest side of the College of Public Health. UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., will host a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m.

The open house will give the campus an opportunity to see and go inside the trucks before they’re stationed in Norfolk, Lincoln, Kearney and Scottsbluff, where UNMC has nursing college divisions. In Kearney, UNMC has both nursing and allied health programs.

The customized trucks were funded by a $5.5 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to provide training opportunities on life-saving procedures for rural emergency medical providers and hospitals.

“The SIM-Nebraska project will help save lives. It will surely increase the quality of care across Nebraska,” said Dr. Gold. “We are grateful to the Helmsley Charitable Trust for their support.”

Paul Paulman, M.D., UNMC assistant dean for clinical skills and quality, is principal investigator of the grant. Jennifer Adams, M.D., UNMC assistant professor of anesthesiology, is co-investigator.

Each mobile unit is outfitted with supplies to recreate an environment as close to reality as possible for the learner. Specially educated trainers will bring real-life, on-site emergency training scenarios to rural health care providers to enhance training and recruit new personnel.

The rear compartments of the trucks have areas that can simulate an emergency room and an ambulance. The manikins are computerized training tools that talk, breathe, have heartbeats, and can react to medications and other actions of the learners. They can live or die and can be revived over and over again.

The grant will help fund program operation for three years. Private funding, partnerships, fee for services and state and federal grants will be sought to sustain the project after the first three years.

3 comments

  1. Audrey Paulman says:

    What a great project. These trucks and their staff represent UNMC well. Thanks for bringing this dream to reality, Brian, Doug, and Meg, thank you.

  2. Jon Allen, MD, FACP says:

    Congratulations SIM-NE.
    Looking forward to working with you.
    Jon Allen, MD, FACP
    Medical Director, SIM-ND

  3. Kristin Utterback says:

    Hello!
    My name is Kristin Utterback and I am an employee at Nebraska Medicine on the weekends and a middle school teacher during the week at King Science and Technology Magnet school in Omaha. I would love an opportunity for one of your trucks to stop by and show the 7th and 8th grade Health Career Academy students this amazing creation of portable medicine! I know that you are targeting rural Nebraska, but one urban stop along the way would benefit the North Omaha students greatly. Please let me know!

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