Rehearsing better patient outcomes

Athletes practice to strengthen their muscles. To hone their skills. To challenge themselves, to respond more quickly, to get better results. They learn to work seamlessly with their teammates so that when it matters - when they must perform - they can excel.

The same is true with medical professionals. Practicing together; rehearsing the best, most efficient methods of patient care; and making mistakes and learning from them is essential. Because when it matters - when they must perform - patients' lives hang in the balance.

With the new, flexible clinical simulation center, UW Hospital and Clinics has a hyper-realistic classroom to prepare doctors, nurses, residents and other providers for the complexities of treating patients with acute, life threatening conditions. Here individuals, or whole teams, can practice and improve their skills in a variety of specialized fields, from surgery, anesthesia, emergency medicine, and trauma, to microsurgery, critical care, laparoscopy, and pediatrics.

The result is more realistic simulations, more valuable training, and, ultimately, better patient outcomes.