GHOSTS 2012 Registration Now Open!

sim tech meeting

Registration for GHOSTS 2012 is now live!  A limited number of early-bird tickets are going fast so get yours now!

http://www.simghosts.org/tickets

And just below is the latest copy of the GHOSTS 2012 Brochure! Over thirty-five presentations were submitted to GHOSTS this year from Sim Techs as far away as Australia!

Click to download GHOSTS 2012 Brochure!

Highlights from this year’s meeting include:

  • Comprehensive Trauma Moulage Pre-Conference Workshop
  • (50% Off Normal Course Fees!!)
  • CAE Sponsored Party at Insert Coins Video Game Bar on Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas
  • Keynote from an Aviation Simulation Technician
  • LifelineMobile and Guamard Sponsored Mobile Simulation Lab Truck from Scottsdale Healthcare
  • Operations Manual Development Workshop
  • An opportunity to meet with manikin vendors and help shape future technology
  • Split course tracks for beginners, intermediate and advanced Sim Techs
  • Were staying at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino, which has a water-slide through a Shark Tank!
  • DIY Video Contest
  • Check out the brochure for much more!
This year, GHOSTS has expanded to include a pre-conference day with even more special courses! At this GHOSTS pre-con, beginner Sim Techs will have the opportunity to get official hands-on training with the manikin vendor of their choice.  Sim Techs wishing to goto the next level can sign up for the Comprehensive Trauma Moulage Workshop where they will learn how to mold 3-dimensional wounds and much more!

Operative Experience Provides Realistic Surgical Simulator

Surgical Simulator

At IMSH I had a brief moment to talk with Dr. Robert F. Buckman, Jr. M.D., an internationally-known surgeon and inventor of medical technology devices, about the surgical simulator products available from Operative Experience.  Even though we only had a short conversation I was really impressed with the level of realism inherit with the Operative Experience surgery simulator product line.  Check out my interview with Dr. Buckman below:

Realistic surgery simulator procedures available from Operative Experience include:

  • Point-of-injury Hemorrhage Control
  • Low Transverse C-Section
  • External Fixation of Femur
  • Shunting of Femoral Artery and Vein
  • Proximal Control of Femoral Artery
  • Subdural Hematoma
  • Below Knee Amputation
  • Above Knee Amputation
  • Fasciotomy

surgery simulator

The Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC.Org) helped fund the development of these amazing surgical simulators. Visit OperativeExperience.com to learn more about their surgery simulation products and services!

Smooth-On.Com Moulage at IMSH

At San Diego I got a chance to talk with Brad from Smooth-On.Com, a moulage company that specializes in mold-casting and special effects makeup. Smooth-On has created numerous special-effects molds for major Hollywood films such as Jurassic Park, Star Wars and the Matrix series.   Check out my video interview with Brad where we learn about the benefits of mold casting for moulage and the products available at Smooth-On.com!

As Brad explains in the video above, creating molds for your Simulation lab helps save time for those high-use moulage castings.  This helps to ensure that the next time you need a specific wound you won’t have to start producing the moulage from scratch.

moulage tutorials

Be sure to check out their free How To Make a Molds & Castings ebook as well as their training seminars!

Gaumard to unveil new Full Body Surgical Simulator at IMSH 2012

Next week Gaumard is unveiling their new manikin model “Chloe”, a full body surgical simulator.  HealthySimulation.com will be sure to be there to check out this ground-breaking new medical simulator!

Gaumard full body surgical sim

If you are attending IMSH, check out the The Surgical Chloe Full Body Simulator New Technology Demonstration flyer to enroll today!

Merica’s “Medical Moulage” is THE Moulage Book

Bobbie Merica is a leading expert in the field of healthcare simulation moulage.  As an accomplished simulation author, workshop educator and lab coordinator Bobbie is the definition of “simulation champion”.  But now her latest work Medical Moulage: How to Make Your Simulations Come Alive has set the bar to a whole new level!

Medical Moulage book review

Imagine over 630 pages of moulage recipes ranging from stings to prolapsed cords with detailed instructions for ingredients, equipment, application techniques and even cleanup!  Each recipe has several large and clear photos (over 1200 full-color in the book) which help demonstrate the steps involved and what the finished product should look like.

healthcare simulation moulage suture recipe

The clean layout and simple instructions make moulage recipes easy to understand and quick to follow.  Not only does Bobbie cover the techniques necessary to craft the specific recipe in question but also helps us “set the stage” with other moulage tips that can help further ‘bridge the gap’ to simulator realism.

To see what I mean just check out this downloadable Medical Moulage recipe for “Sutures” where Bobbie writes:

“Depending on the surgery, a postoperative suture may cause considerable pain and discomfort.  Surgical sites should be monitored closely during the first several days to watch for possible complications and to ensure wound integrity.  Place a gray-haired wig and reading glasses on simulator.  Age a hard set of teeth to show slight decay between each tooth, as appropriate for an older person (see: Teeth, Aged).

Using a makeup sponge or your fingers, liberally apply white makeup to the face of simulator, blending well.  Add a small amount of light blue eye shadow to the area under the eyes to create dark circles.  Lightly spray the forehead, upper lip, and chin of simulator with pre-made sweat mixture. “

All this before we even get to the application of the wound onto the patient! Thus, one can see the thoughtful consideration of each and every recipe designed in Medical Moulage, all of which helps to ensure we can provide a high quality simulation for our learners.

 Newborn Simulation moulage recipe

Bobbie not only provides appropriate cases to utilize for each recipe but also recommends other “usually used in conjunction with” recipes for that disease process.  For example, in this pink abscess moulage from Medical Moulage (which is just 1 of over 300 recipes), Bobbie reminds us the appropriate cases for the recipe include:

  • AIDS
  • Cancer
  • Chemotherapy
  • Chrohn’s disease
  • Diabetes
  • Etc.
She then recommends pink abscess can be utilized with the swollen lymph nodes and sweat moulage recipes.  This is especially helpful for healthcare simulation technology specialists who may have their primary background in fields other than medical training such as IT.

So to summarize: I have never seen such a complete and thorough presentation of medical moulage recipes.  I guarantee if you pass Medical Moulage around at your next simulation staff and educator meeting, your team will be inspired into the creative process for designing new scenarios, updating old scenarios and adding moulage to your simulation lab toolbox.

Thus, I highly recommend Bobbie’s Medical Moulage: How to Make Your Simulations Come Alive book for every healthcare simulation lab library.  You can buy the book from amazon with the link below:

 

Cut Suit Demo by “Strategic Operations”

naked cut suit

This week I was invited by Kay Nims from the Nellis Air Force Base Simulation training program to witness a demo of the Human Worn Partial Task Surgical Simulator, or CUT SUIT, by Strategic Operations.

The CUT SUIT, is a experiential immersive learning service provided by Strategic Operations wherein a medically trained acting professional wears a moulage suit over chest, torso and limbs in-order to present a live-victim engagement.  During the demonstration and with Las Vegas based Thunderbirds flying overhead, a mock IED explosion rocked the audience to attention as a soldier stumbled from behind the vehicle, simulating massive limb bleeding, blocked airway, traumatic brain injury and shock.  In all honesty, the realism of seeing a professional actor beg the paramedic to “save his leg” gave me goosebumps.

What is really unique about the CUT SUIT, is the ability of medical response teams to deal with realistic wounds on a live patient in real time.  Imagine the benefit involved with creating a realistic military or trauma scenario and actually be able to have learners make surgical cricothyroidotomy cuts into a live patient while under fire.

Check out the video highlights above and click the link below to read more about the CUT SUIT!

Read the rest of this entry »

*Just Released* Medical Moulage: How to Make Your Simulations Come Alive!

I am happy to announce that Bobbie Merica of MoulageConcepts.com has released her new book entitled “MEDICAL MOULAGE: How to Make Your Simulations Come Alive”!

Rely on this easy-to-use guide to create over 300 special effectsfor your clinical simulations and live drills. Simple recipes andover 1,200 full-color illustrations provide step-by-step how-to’s using readily available ingredients.

Each easy-to-follow recipe specifies:

• Topic
• Designer Skill level
• Objective
• Appropriate Cases or
Disease Processes
• Equipment & Ingredients
• Set the Stage
• In a Hurry?
• Clean up and Storage
• Techniques

Read the rest of this entry »

Halloween Moulage with Bobbie Merica

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Bobbie Merica Moulage Halloween

Our Favorite Moulage Expert Bobbie Merica from MoulageConcepts.com is celebrating the upcoming release of her new book MEDICAL MOULAGE – How to Make Your Simulations Come Alive, with two “Halloween” based recipes!

blood moulage

The first recipe is for Blood!

impaled object medical moulage
The second is for an impaled object!

As always, be sure to check out MedicalMoulage.com for more great moulage!

Additional Moulage Resources

Rob Shotto from Penn State Clinical Simulation Center sent me this email last week to share some additional moulage resources! Thanks Rob!

———

Lance,

Interesting articles on moulage.  I have found immense benefits in moulaging sessions here and the “fire” is spreading!  Non-moulage sessions now appear awkward, almost not completed.  Thanks for the great Job you are doing with your website.  I find it as a great resource.  A company I have found to provide tangible realism, down to microsurgey usage,  is Paint and Powder Cosmetics.  Their Trauma Skin FX® brand, I currently use is phenomenal!  It provides such detailed realism that our microsurgey Department is developing a set of wounds to practice under the “scope”!

I am also a retired combat medic and have found a company called Military Moulage® to provide very extensive techniques across a broad moulage medium.  The company is owned and operated by highly recognized and awarded Hollywood effects artists!  The company offers training classes in HD Tactical moulage and is attended by institutions across the U.S. and a large part of Military/DOD and Homeland Security agencies.  Check it out!  Thanks again for your efforts in educating our community.

Respectfully,

Rob Shotto

Operations Manager/Lead Coordinator
Penn State Clinical Simulation Center
Penn State College of Medicine

Medical & Trauma Moulage Workshop for Clinical Experiences

Our friend Bobbie Merica from MoulageConcepts.com has put together and AMAZING Moulage Workshop for Medical & Trauma Clinical Experiences!

Moulage from Bobbie Merica

Bobbie writes: ”I knew HealthySimulation.com would want to be the first to know about the newly scheduled Medical Moulage & Trauma Conference!  This course is designed to enhance beginner, intermediate, advanced and trauma realism in simulation scenarios while providing best practice techniques that assist the learner in “Bridging the Gap in Simulation.” TM.  This intensive hands-on, 24-hour course is composed from my new book ”Medical Moulage- How to Make Your Simulations Come Alive!” and will be presented in a multifarious approach including:

  • Life-like three-dimensional wounds that can be sutured, debrided, and triaged for a realistic training experience including scenario staging and techniques.
  • Accessory moulage options
  • Wound care, reuse and storage recommendations
  • Time and money saving alternatives

This exciting conference is scheduled for January 18, 19, & 20th in historic Woodland California and includes CEU’s and certification options!  Space is limited, reserve your seat today!

Who: Nursing Educators, Simulation Coordinators, Simulation Tecnhicians, First Responders, or other Medical Simulation Users.
When: January 18th – 20th 2012, 8am-4:30
Where: Woodland Community & Senior Center – Woodland Hills, CA
Cost: $375 (plus the cost of a Moulage Kit).
Register: Register by following the directions indicated in the brochure link below!

Download the Brochure Here!