Colin Rupp posted on July 17, 2019 09:33
Profiles in Simulation
H. Michael Young, CHSE
CIELO Operations Manager, Center for Interprofessional Experiential Learning and Observation (CIELO) University of the Incarnate Word, School of Osteopathic Medicine
H. Michael Young helped write the book - literally - on simulation operations. He is the co-editor and author with Dr. Laura T. Gantt, and a dozen or so contributing authors in Healthcare Simulation: A Guide for Operations Specialists, published in 2016.
While many people come to careers in healthcare simulation from a variety of backgrounds, Michael’s route may be the most interesting of all: he was a pastor, with a master’s degree in divinity and a bachelor’s degree in practical theology. To support both his education and his family while pastor, Young learned to first repair, then build custom personal computers for small and home businesses.
He was looking for a change, however, and began working for a curriculum publishing company as production manager. Eight years later, Michael accepted a position as computer lab technician at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. Thus began a career in simulation.
Young was assigned to the nursing school and eventually became dedicated solely to simulation. In mid-2014, he worked as a consultant for an audio visual company serving healthcare education programs. Young longed to return to academia, and in 2019 became the Operations Manager at the Center for Interprofessional Experiential Learning and Observation (CIELO) at the University of the Incarnate Word, School of Osteopathic Medicine in San Antonio, TX.
SSH and Young have helped each other grow.
As far back as 2008, Young started scouring the SSH website and forums to learn more and to find people with whom he could network.
He met mentors such as John Rice and Guillaume Alinier. John introduced Young to Richard R. Kyle Jr., co-editor and contributing author of Clinical Simulation: Operations, Engineering and Management, published in 2008.
By 2012, Young co-presented with Alinier in a session at IMSH on the subject of “Simulation Technology as a System.”
In 2013, he was appointed for a one-year term as Director-at-Large on the SSH Board of Directors by then SSH President Paul Phrampus.
That same year, Young chaired the planning committee for the one-day SimOps Symposium during the IMSH preconference in San Francisco in January 2014. In July of that year, others continued the work to launch the first annual SimOps conference ultimately held in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Serving on the Certification Committee, Young sat as chair of the inaugural CHSOS sub-committee and worked with item writers representing operations specialists from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Young worked closely with SSH Director of Certification Andrew Spain and 80+ subject matter experts to develop the Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist (CHSOS) credential.
Serving in the Committee through to its transition to the SSH Certification Council, Michael has provided leadership for all SSH certifications. Because of the work of the CHSOS sub-committee, more technician roles have evolved to the new designation: Simulation Operations Specialist.
Looking ahead, Young hopes to assist others to establish formal education/training paths to help current and future operations specialists to advance their careers and meet the growing demand for operations specialists with advanced skills and knowledge. As simulation continues to mature, says Young, so will its need for knowledgeable and skilled specialists.