GE Medical Systems, ST. Luke's Episcopal Hospital and Medical Simulation Corp. To Provide State-of-the-Art Medical Training For Heart Procedures
St. Luke’s to Become First SimSuite® Education Center in the Southern U.S.
WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, GE Medical Systems (NYSE: GE), St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital and Medical Simulation Corp. introduced a unique medical course designed to teach medical professionals the latest techniques in interventional cardiology. The course uses the SimSuite System, which combines “haptics,” or the science of touch, with real clinical scenarios and three-dimensional imagery of the heart for safe, effective learning. The course will be offered at the SimSuite Center at St. Luke’s in Houston, which is the first training center for the GE Cardiology Master Series, and the first top-rated heart center in the U.S. to have the SimSuite System.
The SimSuite System teaches medical professionals the latest techniques used in the growing area of minimally invasive cardiovascular and endovascular procedures, as well as critical care and emergency medicine. St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital physicians and staff, as well as the medical professionals from healthcare facilities nationwide, will train at the SimSuite Education Center when it opens this fall.
The two-day SimSuite course is part of a collection of clinical training courses called the GE Cardiology Masters Series – a program that provides cardiologists and technologists with an avenue for learning the latest techniques in interventional cardiology. The SimSuite System, a significant advancement in medical education, helps medical professionals learn and refine new procedures using the latest imaging technologies and medical devices. Participants are trained in a risk-free setting using a simulated patient, known as “Simantha™.”
According to the 2003 American Heart Association report on heart disease and stroke statistics, the number of cardiovascular operations and procedures increased 397 percent between 1979 and 2000. Today, more than two million heart operations and procedures are performed each year in the U.S.
“The growing demand for heart procedures makes it important for healthcare professionals to have a variety of options for learning new cardiovascular technologies and procedures. Simulated training is an innovative new training option that allows physicians, nurses and technologists to learn state-of-the-art, minimally invasive procedures in a no-risk environment,” says Brad Fox, General Manager of Cardiovascular Imaging at GE Medical Systems.
“Offering the SimSuite Center’s advanced training to the national medical community reinforces our focus on quality and patient safety,” says Dr. Michael Wilson, director of cardiology education at the Texas Heart® Institute, which is considered to be one of the largest cath labs in the U.S., performing more than 12,000 procedures each year. “There is a need for healthcare professionals everywhere to have safe, current practice methods,” concludes Dr. Wilson.
Leading medical institutions across the U.S. such as St. Luke’s are opening SimSuite Centers for a number of reasons, including reinforcing quality standards, emphasizing a commitment to patient safety, recruiting and retaining staff, and maintaining guideline-driven consistency for medical training. SimSuite Centers are also located in California, Washington, and Pennsylvania. Several SimSuite Centers are scheduled to open this year.
“Medical Simulation Corporation is expanding nationwide with a network of SimSuite Centers,” says William Younkes, CEO and president of Medical Simulation Corporation. “Simulation training is a very effective way for healthcare professionals to fine-tune their skills in a ‘reality without risk’ environment. Ultimately, patients receive the benefit when leading organizations, such as the St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, The Texas Heart Institute and GE Medical Systems, recognize the advantage of innovative training to maximize patient safety,” notes Younkes.
About St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System and The Texas Heart Institute
St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System is a comprehensive health system that serves the primary and tertiary healthcare needs of the Houston community. Established by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, the System includes St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, the St. Luke’s Episcopal Community Health Services, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities and most recently, Kelsey-Seybold Management, LLP. St. Luke’s Hospital is home to the Texas Heart Institute, founded in 1962. The Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s is consistently ranked in the top ten cardiovascular centers in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. Visit www.texasheartinstitute.org and www.stlukestexas.org.
About GE Medical Systems
GE Medical Systems is a $9 billion global leader in medical imaging, interventional procedures, healthcare services, and information technology. Its offerings include networking and productivity tools, clinical information systems, patient monitoring systems, surgery and vascular imaging, conventional and digital X-ray, computed tomography, electron beam tomography, magnetic resonance, ultrasound and bone mineral densitometry, positron emission tomography, nuclear medicine, and a comprehensive portfolio of clinical and business services. For more than 100 years, health care providers worldwide have relied on GE Medical Systems for high quality medical technology and productivity solutions. For more information, visit the GE Medical Systems Web site at www.gemedical.com
About Medical Simulation Corporation:
Medical Simulation Corporation, Denver, Colorado, is recognized for its national network of SimSuite® Education Centers located in hospitals and healthcare institutions. The Centers feature the SimSuite Education System, a three-phased learning approach in an environment that simulates a minimally invasive surgical laboratory. The experience includes a pre-procedure briefing, the performance of a procedure on simulated patient “Simantha™,” an opportunity for self-assessment based on procedure outcome, and post-procedure care planning. Developed with aviation simulation principles in mind, the system couples advanced fluoroscopic imaging with superior “haptics” or the science of touch. The SimSuite System gives healthcare professionals access to realistic learning experiences that pose no risk to patients. Visit www.medsimulation.com.
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