In this Issue
Executive Director's Update
Jennifer Manos
With this mid-year update, I would like to speak to the amazing contributions of our SSH Leadership and dedicated individuals who selflessly provide their 
time, expertise, and support to advance the mission of our society. I would like to celebrate those individuals within our membership who, through their amazing work, support our mission to advance the application of simulation in healthcare through global engagement. Together we are building a strong and diverse community to advance healthcare simulation. If you are looking for involvement opportunities with SSH please visit http://www.ssih.org for service opportunities. In addition, we have several committees participating in a “Call for Service”. For more information about this and the specific committees please visit http://www.ssih.org/membership/Call-for-Service
The deadline to apply to submit your interest is Monday, July 20, 2015 @ 5:00pm US Central Daylight Time.
The SSH Board of Directors recently met in San Diego for their annual June Board meeting. The Board was presented with an aggressive agenda and I want to congratulate the Board Members and our President, Pamela Andreatta, on a successful meeting rich with discussion, deliberation, and decision. The Board approved the final SSH Strategic Plan which will be available in the coming weeks on http://www.ssih.org for all members to review. Be on the lookout for updates through the SSH website, SimConnect, and social media. In addition to approving a strategic plan that will allow us to move forward with a strong framework to guide decision making for the next several years, the Board also approved the FY 2016 budget presented by SSH Treasurer, Don Combs. This is an important task each June that culminates an extensive budget planning process beginning each year in February. Thank you to Don Combs, SSH Treasurer and Finance and Audit Committee members for your extensive work in reviewing budget requests and presenting a well-balanced budget to the Board for the upcoming fiscal year. To complete Day 1 work, the Board reviewed and discussed reports from all current task forces and committees. This was an extremely important endeavor as we continue to transition to the new committee format.
Day 2 of the Board meeting continued with discussions about the future of SSH and initiatives that will support our mission to advance the application of simulation in healthcare through global engagement. Important topics included the Asia-Pacific Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare, the further development of SSH Regional Meetings, and future sites for the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare. Finally, I would like to announce a new strategic partnership approved by the SSH Board of Directors. SSH and SimGHOSTS have entered into a strategic partnership that we both believe will benefit the simulation operations and technology community.
There is much more to come in the months ahead!! Make sure to stay connected through http://www.ssih.org, SimConnect, SSH social media, and email updates. If you do not receive email from SSH and would like to ensure you have the latest news from your organization please contact Holly Simonton, Communications Manager, @ communications@ssih.org
As I was recently perusing the SSH Facebook page, I saw a post on a newsfeed alerting me that there is only 162 days until Christmas!! It is July…is this happening already? But then it hit me – with only 162 days until Christmas that means we only have we 184 days until IMSH San Diego. IMSH is just around the corner and you can monitor the “Countdown to IMSH 2016 San Diego by visiting http://www.ssih.org/MSH-2016 . Registration will be open in September and we are excited to once again offer you an amazing experience in San Diego!! If you are a first time attendee, we are here to answer any questions you may have, provide support, and help guide you through a wonderful conference. Whether you are attending for the first time or are a seasoned pro, you can participate in the IMSH Mentee-Mentor program. Information will be available soon on how to become involved. For many of you who have attended IMSH in the past, we are excited to offer new and innovative experiences! Check out http://www.ssih.org/IMSH-2016 for more information and updates over the next several weeks and months leading up to IMSH. Also, don’t forget to check out SimConnect, the SSH Facebook and Twitter accounts, and your email for all the latest information.
Thank you once again for allowing me to be part of an amazing organization! As Walt Disney said “All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them”. I believe we, SSH, have the courage to pursue all our dreams to advance our mission and I am proud to serve you and the organization.
SSH Executive Director
SHSC 2015 Conference
By Don Combs & Jayne Smitten
The inaugural Ministry of Health’s* Saudi Healthcare Simulation Conference (SHSC), held in Riyadh, KSA June 9-11, 2015, was a 
remarkable success. Chairman of the Scientific Committee, Dr. Abdulaziz Boker** and his team, led the theme: “Simulation: Future Directions in Saudi Arabia” that welcomed 1300+ enthusiastic and networking SHSC participants including: Academicians, Healthcare Leader/Trainers/Educators, Interdisciplinary Practitioners, Residents/ Students, Researchers and Simulation Sponsors/Solution Providers.
Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) Board of Directors, Dr. Donald Combs and Dr. Jayne Smitten, were invited to contribute plenary talks for the scientific and practical development of the national Saudi integrated simulation strategy. Dr. Donald Combs spoke on “The Digital Patient Platform: Implications for Healthcare Modeling, Simulation and Analysis” and Dr. Jayne Smitten’s talk was on the “21st Century Role of Mastery Learning in Simulation Based Education.” In addition, Dr. Combs and Smitten provided a Pre-Conference Workshop: “Society for Simulation in Healthcare International Accreditation Standards” exploring issues and sharing their encounters reviewing accreditation applications, performing site reviews, and administering simulation programs. The discourse on standards/best practices supported providing the foundations for future successful planning and development of Saudi simulation-based programs and infrastructures. SHSC participant engagement ensured challenging questions were addressed. Insights were provided into the SSH Accreditation process for simulation centers, addressing conceivable improvements in education, patient care and safety- key goals of the KSA Ministry of Health.
* Dr. Mansour Alyami, Chair, Directorate of Training and Scholarships, Ministry of Health with his organizing committee were responsible for this unique SHSC
event
** Dr. Abdulaziz Boker – SHSC Executive and Scientific Committee Lead (Our Contact Throughout the Conference), Director of Clinical Skills and Simulation, College of Medicine, King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital (KAUH)
KoSSH
by Christine Park, MD
I was the opening plenary speaker at the Korean Society for Simulation in Healthcare's Annual Scientific Meeting. The theme of the meeting was 
"Bridging the Gap: Undergraduate to Postgraduate Simulation Training." This one day meeting incorporated special interest group meetings, an outstanding oral poster session, and multiple concurrent sessions on topics ranging from evidence in undergraduate simulation to a virtual reality simulation symposium. I spoke on "Cognitive Performance Competencies in Simulation"
It was a great honor and wonderful opportunity to connect with simulation educators from KoSSH. The leadership was incredibly gracious and welcoming, 
including KoSSH's secretary, Hyun-Soo Chung, who is an SSH board member. The venue, Asan Medical Center, is an impressive healthcare center in the heart of Seoul.
Newly SSH Accredited Programs
- Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfok, VA (Assessment, Research, & Teaching/Education)
- Woman's Guild Simulation Center for Advanced Clinical Skills at Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles, CA (Research, Teaching/Education, & Systems Integration)
- Christiana Care Health System, Newark, DE (Teaching/Education & Systems Integration)
- Gossman Advanced Healthcare Simulation, Seattle, WA (Teaching/Education)
- University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD (Teaching/Education)
- Learning Resource Center at ASU, Phoenix, AZ (Teaching/Education)
- Rural Health Innovative Collaborative Simulation Center, Terre Haute, IN (Teaching/Education)
- CAMS at Mt. Sinai St. Luke's and Roosevelt Hospitals, New York City, NY (Teaching/Education)