The Medical Simulation Program at the NorthShore Grainger Center for Simulation and Innovation (GCSI) provides advanced simulation medical training to physicians, residents, nurses, first responders and other care providers. With the goal of improving patient care delivery through simulation-based training, the program utilizes immersive simulation scenarios to teach management of critical cases that test clinical, teamwork, and communication skills.
The ability to present rare, life-threatening cases repetitively and "on demand" is the great strength of simulation. From a centralized control room, instructors provide stimuli to recreate complex medical scenarios while observing trainees responses as they care for their "patients"—specially engineered, high-fidelity mannequins. Actual scenarios from NorthShore hospitals, EKGs, radiographic imaging, and de-identified images or videos augment the realism of the cases.
NorthShore is a teaching affiliate of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and GCSI is a key element in the education of medical residents from the institution. Every fourth-year student trains at GCSI on their Emergency Medicine core rotation.
In addition, GCSI hosts a variety of classes and symposiums throughout the year for emergency medical personnel where they can undergo realistic procedural experiences, helping ensure that practitioners can perform expertly and safely in critical situations. Our pre-hospital training is designed to provide our regional EMS providers with the hands-on practice needed to manage crises at the scene. Recognition, treatment, radio communication and transfer of care to the receiving hospital are the primary roles of our pre-hospital care providers.