The Sim Cafe~

Send us Fan Mail Leadership in healthcare simulation doesn’t always come with a title or a roadmap. One day you’re an educator or clinician, and the next day you’re responsible for staffing, budgets, accreditation prep, outcomes, and the long list of “Can you also…?” requests that land on a simulation program. We sit down with two leaders who have lived that reality and built thriving programs any...

Send us Fan Mail Grief doesn’t follow a straight line, and it doesn’t only come after a funeral. We talk with chaplain Kathy Gingrich about what grief really looks like in real life and in healthcare, starting with a tender, honest story from Deb about saying goodbye to her beloved boxer, Maggie. Together we name the parts people rarely say out loud: the anticipatory grief that starts years before...

Send us Fan Mail Simulation isn’t just about cool equipment or a perfect scenario. It’s about building repeatable, trustworthy learning and assessment systems that make clinical education safer, fairer, and more effective. We sit down with Jason Conselman, Director of Simulation and Training at the University of Maryland Medical Center, to unpack how a simulation career can grow from the field to...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a movement-first profession steps into a simulation lab built for physiology and decision-making under pressure? We sit down with Denise Romano, an assistant professor leading physical therapy simulation at Binghamton University, to unpack how PT learners can safely practice high-stakes mobility long before they enter acute care. From AFib in the ICU to COPD pati...

Send us Fan Mail We trace Remy Roe’s journey from combat medic to simulation leader and researcher, exploring how trauma, mentorship, and mission shaped a career devoted to equity and authentic training. We share practical ways to build relationships, reduce hierarchy, and design scenarios that change outcomes. • military roots and simulation origin • mentors pushing ideas into action • minority s...

Send us Fan Mail What if the most powerful fix for a bad clinical outcome isn’t another skills refresher, but a simulation that tests your actual system under real constraints? We sit down with Dr. Sarah Beebe—nurse midwife, educator, and founder of 2Bs Consulting—to unpack how translational simulation turns training into measurable change. From a teen birth scenario that ignited curiosity and cla...

Send us Fan Mail What if the most powerful clinical tool isn’t a device or an algorithm, but a moment of genuine connection? We sit down with Jen McCarthy, director of clinical simulation at Seton Hall University and a newly inducted Fellow of SSH, to unpack a humanistic approach to simulation that treats empathy as a vital sign. Drawing on years as a hospital-based paramedic and a leader in healt...

Send us Fan Mail ,What if simulation felt less like a gadget showcase and more like a mission built around patient safety? We sit down with EMS CEO Lou Faustini to explore how engineered learning environments, clear data, and a people-first culture can transform clinical training from first exposure to real practice. Lou’s journey—from systems integration and Six Sigma to the helm of a simulation...

Send us Fan Mail Innovative SimSolutions . Your turnkey solution provider for medical simulation programs, sim centers & faculty design.

Send us Fan Mail We explore how simulation and VR turn abstract lessons into action, helping students build clinical judgment through safe mistakes, clear feedback, and repeatable practice. Dr. Stephanie Justice shares practical setup tips, leadership lessons, and a realistic roadmap for immersive learning. • simulation as a safe space to learn and fail • debriefing to build clinical judgment and...

Send us Fan Mail What if the next breakthrough in healthcare simulation isn’t a device, but the proof that changes patient outcomes? We sit down with  Matt Charnetski —paramedic turned technologist turned incoming president of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare—to chart a path from personal experience to system-level impact. Matt’s journey starts in Antarctic search and rescue and lands in b...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to build safer clinicians, not just better test takers? We sit down with pediatric critical care pioneer and simulation leader Tonya Schneidereith to trace a career defined by curiosity, courage, and a relentless focus on patient safety. From early days as one of the first PICU nurse practitioners in the country to associate director of simulation at Johns Hopkin...

Send us Fan Mail A near-drowning in the Norwegian fjords set a family on a path that would change how the world learns to save lives. We sit down with Jon Laerdal, Chief Product Officer at Laerdal Medical, to explore the unlikely journey from toy design to Resusci Anne, from classroom CPR to on‑the‑unit practice that measurably improves survival. Jon pulls back the curtain on how evidence and guid...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you take simulation out of the lab and put it at the center of global health strategy? We sit down with Dr. Pam Jeffries and Dr. Lennox Huang—co‑chairs of the Global Network for Simulation in Healthcare (GNSH)—to unpack how thought leadership, diversity, and real‑world constraints are reshaping the field for measurable impact. We dig into what sets GNSH apart fro...

Send us Fan Mail Katie Cushman, Simulation Operations Specialist at Atrium Health, shares her journey from nursing student to healthcare simulation professional and how finding her niche in simulation technology combines her passions for healthcare, education, and technology. • Transitioned from nursing school to pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Simulation after realizing bedside nu...

Send us Fan Mail Matt Needler shares his journey from combat medic and philosophy major to becoming Director of Operations at Belmont University's 60,000-square-foot simulation center, where he oversees high-fidelity simulation experiences across healthcare disciplines. • Started in simulation by chance after seeing a job opening while working in physical therapy • Advanced from technician to...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Cynthia Clark opens up about the hidden epidemic affecting healthcare environments nationwide: workplace incivility. Drawing from decades of research and practical experience, she paints a compelling picture of how seemingly minor behaviors like eye-rolling or walking away mid-conversation can create serious patient safety risks when they occur in clinical settings. What makes...

Send us Fan Mail The BCIT simulation team shares their transformative journey from siloed departments to a unified center of excellence, culminating in their recent SSH accreditation as Canada's fourth accredited program. Carrie Meager and Heather Epp reveal how leadership support, psychological safety, and human-centered approaches created their successful simulation community. • Evolution f...

Send us Fan Mail Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardmarn/ Readiness quiz: https://emergency.scoreapp.com/ A staggering statistic opens this eye-opening conversation with Dr. Richard Marn: one person per day dies in the United States due to medical emergencies that begin in dental offices. As a board-certified anesthesiologist with decades of experience, Dr. Marn reveals the critical saf...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Kristina Dreifurst explains how her revolutionary Debriefing for Meaningful Learning (DML) model enhances clinical reasoning among nursing students through structured debriefing techniques that focus on the relationship between thinking and action. She shares her journey from using early Mrs. Chase mannequins as a nursing student to developing a pedagogical approach now utiliz...

Send us Fan Mail Lou Oberndorf's vision transformed healthcare education forever. As founder of Medical Education Technologies (METI), he brought simulation technology from aerospace into medical training when educators were still relying on centuries-old teaching methods. "Medicine has been practicing on us for a thousand years and we're done with it," Lou explains, capturing...

Send us Fan Mail Finding your dream job isn't always a straight path – just ask Dr. Kristen Brown. What began as volunteering to be an "embedded actor" in simulation scenarios designed for medical residents transformed into a career-defining passion that now shapes healthcare education at Johns Hopkins and beyond. Dr. Brown takes us behind the scenes as Associate Dean for Simulation...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when simulation breaks free from hospital walls and becomes embedded throughout an entire healthcare system? Ryan Aga and Don Brock reveal the remarkable transformation at Health Partners, where simulation has evolved from a training method into a life-saving force reaching 14,000 learners annually across eight hospitals, countless clinics, and even rural communities....

Send us Fan Mail What if healthcare professionals could practice high-stakes procedures hundreds of times before ever touching a real patient? Dr. Ryan Ribeira is making this vision a reality through virtual reality medical simulation. As both an emergency physician and the founder of SimX, Ribeira bridges the worlds of clinical practice and technological innovation. His journey began in quality i...

Send us Fan Mail Wendy LaGrange, VP and Managing Director at Wallcur (now part of 3B Scientific), reveals the vital role of the Corporate Roundtable within the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. This behind-the-scenes organization bridges the gap between industry partners and educators to advance healthcare simulation and improve patient outcomes. • Corporate Roundtable serves as the corporate...