July Presidential Message > The Society for Simulation in Healthcare
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Presidential Message July 2018

Advocating for Healthcare Simulation

Happy Summer to all in the Northern Hemisphere and Happy Winter to our colleagues south of the equator.  June was a busy travel month for your President who had the opportunity to visit several affiliates at their annual meetings. I look forward to meeting more of you in the coming months. In each of my visits, I noted your passion and dedication to integrate simulation methods into everyday healthcare for patients.  One of the seven strategic priorities of your Board of Directors is to develop and pursue an advocacy agenda with health systems, insurers, professional associations, select government agencies, industry, specialty groups and patient based associations. What does this mean?

We all work in or are associated with complex healthcare systems that try to deliver the best quality care to patients in a safe and efficient way. Healthcare simulation plays a part in this system, but I am always amazed how little of some our healthcare colleagues and leaders who work in this system really understand about simulation. Many have a simple understanding of mannequins and SPs but really do not understand the value that simulation brings. Many leaders ask for a return on investment for simulation and still others believe that simulation is too expensive for mass appeal. Many of you who work in healthcare education struggle to find funding while those in other institutions are well funded for their simulation activities. Why the discrepancy? Hard to say, but one thing we all can do as a Society is to try to make more people outside of our simulation circle aware of what simulation is and what it can do for patient care.  This means stepping outside our doors and being an expert and an advocate for simulation as an important part of the healthcare delivery system; as important as medicine and surgery. 

One way to do this is to start planning now to participate as simulationists in the global Healthcare Simulation Week – SEP 17-21, 2018. Last year, your Society rolled out a suite of information, press releases, pamphlets and graphics designed for you to advocate for simulation in your workplace, in your community and in your nation. You should plan now for tours of your program for your community and your leaders; send out press releases and photos to local newspapers and on social media; testify before your legislature or get a resolution passed by your local, state and national governments. Sponsor an open house where anyone can drop by to ask questions. Yell from the rooftops about simulation during this week and make it a priority of your simcenter to participate. 

Your Society has provided ample resources again this year at http://www.ssih.org/Events/Healthcare-Simulation-Week-2018   There you can download our Media Toolkit and send photos of your efforts to our social media pages. Be a loud voice and help your Society in its mission to champion healthcare simulation through advocacy!

Joe Lopreiato, MD, MPH, CHSE, CHSE-A
Bethesda, MD

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