Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation

In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George sits down with Eli Kinney-Lang, Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary and Director of the engineering arm of the BCI for Kids Lab at the Alberta Children's Hospital. Eli shares how brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are creating new ways for children with complex neurological disabilities to interact with the wo...

In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George sits down with Sharla King, professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta and Program Director for the Master of Health Sciences Education program. With more than 20 years of experience in interprofessional education (IPE), Sharla shares her journey into the field, her leadership in collaborative pra...

In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, Lisa George is joined by Tom Waring and Bree Weyland from the NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation for a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to deliver a large-scale, high-impact simulation experience. The conversation centers on a recent Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) simulation, which brought together over 115 students...

In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, Lisa George is joined by Tara Klassen, Innovation Lead for Surgical Care Alberta. With a provincial lens and a systems-level perspective, Tara works across programs, pathways, portfolios, and geographies to help clinical and operational leaders navigate what she calls “big, weird, shared, complex decisions.” Tara explains why innovation...

In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, Lisa George speaks with Dr. Mary Brindle, pediatric surgeon, health systems researcher, and internationally recognized leader in surgical quality improvement and innovation. Dr. Brindle shares how her clinical work and research have led her to focus on one of the most complex spaces in health care: the operating room. Surgical care is hi...

In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George is joined by Dr. Mohamed Benfatah, a healthcare simulation researcher and the founder of SIM AI Health, an innovative initiative based in Morocco. Dr. Benfatah is pioneering the integration of artificial intelligence with simulation to transform health care education particularly in resource-limited settings. From nurse...

In this special on-location episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George brings you conversations from “Translating Innovation: A-MEDICO Meets Alberta MedTech Industry,” an event designed to spark connections between researchers, trainees, and industry partners working at the intersection of health innovation and medical device development in Alberta. Funded by the Alberta...

In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George is joined by Tyler Tamayose, President and Principal Consultant of Banyan Strategies . A cross-sector leader with a deep background in health care, government, academia, and innovation, Tyler shares his unique journey from early experiences in crisis response to mentoring hundreds of startups. He reflects on the importan...

In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation , host Lisa George speaks with Andrew Karesa , Founder and CEO of blueBell Village , a community dedicated to redefining dementia and memory care through relationship‑focused services and interprofessional collaboration. Andrew shares the personal story that inspired Bluebell Village, beginning with his grandmother’s Alzheimer’s journey....

In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, we sit down with Patty Wickson, a transformative leader with over 30 years of experience in health care innovation, clinical operations, and strategic systems. Patty shares her fascinating journey leading Alberta Health Services’ Innovation Office, where she and her team developed an “Innovation Pipeline” to accelerate health solutions f...

In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George speaks with Dr. Kelly Lackie , Associate Professor and Associate Director of Simulation-Based Education and Inter-professional Education at Dalhousie University's School of Nursing. Dr. Lackie shares her passion for inter-professional education (IPE) and how simulation is used to build equity, psychological safety, and c...

Advancing Health Care Through Simulation – Episode with Dr. Martin Ferguson-Pell In this episode, host Lisa George welcomes Dr. Martin Ferguson-Pell, Professor in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta. A trailblazer in simulation-based healthcare innovation, Dr. Ferguson-Pell shares how his team leverages XR (Extended Reality) and AI tools to revolutionize clinical tr...

In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, Stacie Wood and Alex Martins of Elevate Healthcare share how cutting-edge simulation tools, smart curriculum design, and interdisciplinary collaboration are transforming clinical training across Canada. We explore: The biggest trends in simulation-based education, including AI, remote learning, and cloud-based tools How simulation is evol...

In this episode, we’re joined by Robert Sikora of Edmonton Global to explore the intersection of simulation-based healthcare training and economic development. Robert shares how Edmonton’s growing reputation in health and life sciences is driving international interest—and how simulation is becoming a vital pillar in attracting investment and accelerating innovation. We explore: Why global investo...

In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation , Dr. Tim Willett , a national leader in simulation-based education, discusses the best practices shaping the future of healthcare training in Canada. As the President and CEO of Simulation Canada , Dr. Willett shares insights on how simulation improves workforce development, patient safety, and medical innovation . We discuss: The current...

In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation , Dr. Michael Kallos shares how simulation is revolutionizing biomedical engineering, medical device innovation, and healthcare training . With extensive experience in research and medical technology, Dr. Kallos explores the evolving role of human factors engineering, patient-centered design, and AI in shaping healthcare solutions. We disc...

In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation , Dr. John Gilbert, a pioneer in interprofessional education , discusses how simulation-based training is transforming collaboration in healthcare . We explore: The evolution of interprofessional education (IPE) and its role in improving patient safety How simulation fosters teamwork and communication across healthcare disciplines The impa...

In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, we explore how virtual reality (VR) is reshaping nursing education and healthcare training. Roger Crowe, a leader in healthcare simulation at Bow Valley College, shares insights on how VR enhances medical education, improves competency, and prepares students for real-world patient care. We discuss: How VR is used to replace clinical hours...

In this pilot episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George sits down with John Sutherland, Director of CAMS at NAIT, to unpack how simulation-based education is reshaping the future of health care training in Alberta and beyond. John shares insights into the strategic restructuring of CAMS, outlining the five core areas now driving their mission: operations, simulation-bas...

Welcome to the intro conversation for Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation , a series exploring the critical role of simulation in shaping the future of healthcare. This series highlights NAIT's Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation (CAMS) as a hub for healthcare simulation, workforce development, and innovation. Through conversations with experts, industry leaders, and educators, we’ll explor...