Greetings SSH Community!

I hope this message finds you doing well. As we enter June — a month filled with vacations, several simulation meetings and conferences, and Father’s Day — I am so pleased to share information about SSH programs and a few of these exciting upcoming events.

This month, I would like to highlight the SSH Accreditation program. Since beginning in 2010, SSH Accreditation has taken the position as the gold standard in healthcare simulation. It signifies a commitment and achievement of excellence for your simulation program and reflects the quality and validity of programs. To date, more than 250 institutions have achieved accreditation in one or more area of standards. The growth of the program has been remarkable and is something those responsible for building so much success should take great pride in. 

The next SSH Accreditation application deadline is July 15, and I encourage you to take a deep look at Full Accreditation or Provisional Accreditation for your program.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Summer is time of conferences and several of our affiliates are having their annual meetings that my colleagues — SSH Immediate Past President Jayne Smitten and SSH President-Elect Jared Kutzin — and I will be attending.

- INACSL24 – June 12-15, Raleigh, North Carolina
- SESAM – June 19-21, Prague, Czech Republic
- ASPE – June 23-26, Vancouver, British Columbia

In addition, SimOps 2024 is coming up next month, July 17-19. This year’s theme, SOAR: "Simulation Operations: Achieve. Redefine.”, was selected to encapsulate our mission's core. It's a dynamic call to excel in the present while reshaping the opportunity in and around simulation operations. Please join our simulation operations community for an exciting program hosted by Children’s Hospital Colorado.

GLOBAL CONSENSUS STATEMENT

We are very proud of the recent launch and publication of the Global Consensus Statement on Simulation-based Practice in collaboration with the Society for Simulation in Europe (SESAM). This groundbreaking statement, developed also in collaboration with representatives from 50 simulation societies across 67 countries, underscores the transformative power of simulation in healthcare education, training, and practice. The Global Consensus Statement calls upon policymakers, healthcare leaders, education institutions, and simulation practitioners to take decisive action to advance simulation in healthcare. This includes advocating for sustained resources, mandating the use of simulation, promoting best practice standards, and fostering research collaborations.

I congratulate the many individuals who dedicated themselves to this effort.

As the SSH enters its third decade, we view this consensus paper as a reflection of the SSH mission — to serve a global community of practice enhancing the quality of healthcare through simulation.  This document not only marks a milestone to reflect on what has been accomplished through healthcare simulation in a brief period but also serves as a sober reminder of the journey ahead to fully realize simulation's potential in enhancing patient safety and improving patient outcomes.

This statement will act as a North Star, guiding us, our partner simulation organizations, higher education institutions, healthcare organizations, governmental and foundational groups, and the public.

The full Global Consensus Statement can be accessed through the Simulation in Healthcare Journal.

I call on the SSH community to disseminate this widely, champion it, advocate for it, and practice it daily.

Warm regards,

Dr. Barry Issenberg
2024-25 SSH President