Cadence Health awarded grant to establish McCormick Foundation Simulation Training Center

Establishes The McCormick Foundation Simulation Training Center

Cadence Health today announced the Robert R. McCormick Foundation has awarded the system a $1 million grant to establish the McCormick Foundation Simulation Training Center at Central DuPage Hospital. The Simulation Training Center is scheduled to open later this year.

"Cadence Health has a deep commitment to patient care through education and practice," said David D. Hiller, President and CEO of the McCormick Foundation. "This learning center will bring together teams of specialists for hands-on learning that helps them put the latest clinical advances into immediate practice."

The simulation training institute will replicate real-world clinical settings, including a critical patient care room, emergency department and trauma care.  These settings will feature high-tech adult and child manikins that mimic real-life audible patients' sounds, and even pupillary reactions.

"The grant from the McCormick Foundation to establish the training center is a perfect example of the foundation's commitment to strengthening communities and fostering leadership and civic responsibility," said Chris Hensley, President, Cadence Health Foundation. "This gift will help advance health care throughout the western suburbs."

The new technology makes it possible to create a realistic, controlled environment that imitates real-life patient experiences closely enough to enable health care professionals to practice, refine skills and coordinate treatment plans in a collaborative, team environment. Physicians, medical assistants, patient care technicians, registered nurses, EMTs, paramedics, pharmacists and therapists gain skills that will provide care not only to people in need of medical care within the hospital, but also throughout the community during natural disasters.

"The Simulation Center will allow health care professionals the opportunity to participate in an active learning environment by replicating real-life clinical experiences," said Michelle Olech Smith, MSN, RN-BC, Clinical Simulation Administrator, Cadence Health. "By offering simulation experiences, we'll be able to assess and examine ways to improve patient safety and enhance the quality of patient care."

In addition, fire districts, EMS systems, school districts, private ambulance companies, police and sheriff departments, hospitals, dispatch offices and other community groups will be invited to participate in simulation drills.

When fully operational, an estimated 5,000 healthcare professionals, 1,000 community residents and 8,000 high school students will train annually at the simulation center.