In the province of Ultrecht, Netherlands, surrounded by lush, pine forests rests the quaint Dutch village of Bilthoven. Part of the municipality of De Bilt (famously the ancestral home of the Vanderbilt family), Bilthoven is also the home of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare’s first fully accredited simulation program in Europe. The Medical Training & Simulation (or METS) Center gained its accreditation from SSH in April of this year, and has been named the Program of the Quarter by the Accreditation Council.

The METS Center is led by Executive Director Mr. Ron Brendel. “We are very excited to be a part of SSH and are honored to collaborate on the first web journal,” says Dr. Brendal. ““This recognition leads to a strengthening of the national and international position of the METS Center, so we are thrilled.”

Approximately 30 minutes’ drive from Amsterdam, METS was originally started twelve years ago as a course to train paramedics in the region, focusing primarily on those who worked on ambulance services in the province. However, the program rapidly gained attention from all corners of the Netherlands for its substantive approach to simulation-based methodologies.In fact, diverse partners from multiple disciplines began to request training from the upstart program, including Midwifery, Anesthesiology, Emergency Medicine, and Critical Care. “We finally got to the point of saying we either have to stop adding more classes, or we have to start building a more permanent foundation.That was 2007.” That year, construction began on a nearly 6,000 square foot facility that now houses eight skills rooms, two classrooms, and five high-fidelity simulation suites that include an OR, ER and ICU suites, an obstetrical and pediatric unit, and an immersive simulated ambulance. “Because of our primary focus of providing training to Emergency Medical Services and dispatchers across the Netherlands, we wanted to make sure we were set up to deliver training on the continuum of care from the field all the way through the Operating Room, and everything in between,” says Brendal.

In fact, METS will begin a new pilot program this year in which multiple disciplines will be immersed in continuum of care training in a variety of simulated events using all components of the Center’s unique accommodations.“We truly believe in focusing on human factors and team-based learning, and this pilot will hopefully deliver a product that will give our participants a real understanding of their roles throughout the continuum of care.”

In addition to its new standing with SSH, the METS Center has garnered acclaim throughout the Netherlands, as well as the rest of Europe.Since 2014, the Center has been a collaborative member of EUSIM, an international partnership of simulation programs across the continent.METS is also a member of the Society for Simulation in Europe (SESAM), and has been recognized by the European Resuscitation Council for its excellence in providing resuscitation training.

Dr. Brendal says the program is quite anxious to become more immersed with SSH and the accreditation process. “We love how robust the simulation community is in the United States, and want to be more involved in, and learn from, our colleagues in America.To get acquainted, you must participate, and that’s what we intend to do.”Dr. Brendal himself has become a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) and sees more of his staff becoming certified as well. METS has also sent a contingent of staff to the International Meeting for Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH) for that past three years.

From a small ambulance service training program, the METS Center has become an internationally renowned center for simulation excellence.“(Accreditation) is a fantastic appreciation for our joint efforts. The quality mark contributes to our ambition to be a distinctive, professional and healthy organization. Our procedures, guidelines and protocols have been reviewed and the process has a positive effect on the quality of our simulation education.” The Society for Simulation in Healthcare applauds the work of Dr. Brendal and his exceptional team, and congratulates them on being named the Program of the Quarter.