TTUHSC El Paso Hosts Inaugural Medical Simulation Conference

Medical educators with an interest in simulation technology gathered at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso on Friday, Jan. 31, for the first-ever Southwest Region Simulation Educator and Operations Conference.

The one-day conference was presented by TTUHSC El Paso, in collaboration with University Medical Center of El Paso, New Mexico State University, the University of Texas at El Paso and William Beaumont Army Medical Center.

The event featured regional and national leaders in simulation-based medical teaching, which uses high-technology, lifelike patient manikins that allow students to practice clinical procedures without the risk of harm.

“Now that the conference has been established, we are excited to see it grow and showcase they type of education being provided using simulation on our campus and in the region,” said Scott Crawford, M.D., FACEP, CHSOS, director of TTUHSC El Paso’s Training and Educational Center for Healthcare Simulation (TECHS).

A variety of medical simulation manikins were displayed at the conference.

Simulation education helps students, residents, physicians and first responders prepare for real-world scenarios, such as the Aug. 3 mass-casualty incident in El Paso. TTUHSC El Paso students and residents, as well as Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso, were prepared for the influx of gunshot-wound victims from the mass shooting at the Cielo Vista-area Walmart thanks to the training they received at TECHS.

“Similar conferences are offered at a national level, but with the expertise that we have locally we can deliver and share the same high-quality education, content, innovation, and even networking without forcing people to travel to get the experience,” Crawford said.

The conference also featured exhibits by equipment manufacturers who demonstrated some of the newest innovations in health care simulation technologies.

Conference participants learned techniques for medical moulage, the art of creating and applying mock injuries for use in health care education and training.