December 22, 2020By Lance Baily

Global Healthcare Simulation Community Mourns Loss of Champion Chad Epps

With a heavy heart, HealthySimulation.com is sad to report that medical simulation expert Dr. Chad Epps, died suddenly on Friday, December 18, 2020. His unmatched service to clinical simulation through the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation (CHIPS), Global Network for Simulation in Healthcare and Society for Simulation in Healthcare will never be forgotten. This article shares Chad’s memorial service information and ways his family will accept donations made in his honor, as well as more about his leadership for the field of healthcare simulation. A virtual memorial service for Epps was held on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. CST via Zoom.

Help support the Epps family: Mandy Glidewell, a close friend of the Epps’ family, has graciously coordinated a meal train. Availability dates run through the end of May, and the recommendation is that all meal trains utilize restaurant or “contact-free” delivery. Click here to donate

Chad Epps Virtual Memorial Service


Sponsored Content:


Epps began his career as an intern at the University of Florida in 2000. After completing medical school at the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine that same year, he went on to become an anesthesiology resident at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Following this residency, he became a human patient simulation fellow at Mount Sinai.

In 2007, Epps was offered a position as the associate professor and director of simulation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham – where he remained for almost nine years. During this time, he was named president of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, and has also served as Chair of the Council on Accreditation of Healthcare Simulation Programs. More recently, Chad served as the volunteer President of the Global Network for Simulation in Healthcare (GNSH).

HealthySimulation.com Founder and CEO Lance Baily said, “I was devastated to learn of Chad’s passing on Friday, as he was one of the kindest people I have ever met. He was always open to conversing with me, and was one of the most effective leaders in our professional community. He would patiently listen to everyone in the room to gather opinions before building consensus, and then effectively guiding decisions that supported everyone’s best interests. Chad and I had conversed on Thursday regarding marketing strategy for GNSH, and the shock from hearing that he passed away later that night has been overwhelming. He was just too young to be taken from us and my thoughts go out to his wife and children. The entire international medical simulation community is sharing their grief about Chad’s passing on social media — we have lost a true champion who will always be missed.”

The Society for Simulation in Healthcare released the following information regarding Epps’ services:


Sponsored Content:


As Professor & Executive Director at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation (CHIPS), Chad was such an integral member to the SSH and simulation family, and the medical community at large. He was a father, husband, friend, mentor, and teacher, and our thoughts are with his family and friends. He will be missed greatly.

Funeral Services for Chad will be held graveside at Westover Memorial Park in Augusta, Georgia on Wednesday, December 23. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donating to the Chad Epps Scholarship Fund.

Most recently, Epps was an integral part of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tennessee. He was recruited to UTHSC from the University of Alabama at Birmingham to lead the new $39.7 million UTHSC CHIPS. The 45,000-square-foot facility is the first-of-its-kind for the campus and the only facility in Tennessee built for and fully dedicated to simulation education. Epps began his tenure here in 2016 as the executive director. He also served as an interprofessional professor in education and anesthesiology. As a fellow, faculty, and director of simulation he has been active in simulation education, research, assessment, and center management for nearly two decades.

In 2018, Epps became the first simulation educator and administrator from Tennessee to be selected as a Fellow of the SSH Academy. He was among 11 selected for the Class of 2019 and one of only 61 honored globally with a SSH Academy Fellow distinction.

Epps successfully implemented high quality interprofessional simulations across both universities and health systems. He is published in the areas of simulation-based interprofessional education and co-edited the recently released textbook “Defining Excellence in Simulation Programs.” In an article published by the University of Tennessee, “Dr. Epps said, his favorite aspect of simulation education is the opportunity to improve patient safety and health care delivery by ensuring graduates are well prepared for everything they will experience in the clinical setting.”

The Global Network for Simulation in Healthcare released a memorial video honoring Epps titled “Chad Epps – Sharing Our Passion for Simulation.” Healthcare Simulation champions and organizations around the world have shared their shock and sadness over the weekend, with offers for support to the Epps family from groups such as SSH, GNSH, ASPiH, SESAM, INACSL and more. Countless individuals have posted on social media their devastation about the loss of Chad Epps, sharing fond memories of a man who was “kind,” “innovative” and “an amazing leader.”

No details regarding the nature of Epps’ death have been released. Chad leaves behind a wife and two young children.

Funeral Services for Chad will be held graveside at Westover Memorial Park in Augusta, Georgia on Wednesday, December 23. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donating to the Chad Epps Scholarship Fund.


Sponsored Content: