Simulation Solutions from Elevate Healthcare

A Closer Look at Harvey: The Leading Cardiopulmonary Patient Simulator From the Gordon Center

A Closer Look at Harvey: The Leading Cardiopulmonary Patient Simulator From the Gordon Center

The Gordon Center is a designated Center of Excellence of the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine. It was established over 45 years ago for the application of advanced technology to healthcare education for medical, nursing and physician assistant students, physicians, nurses, physician assistants, paramedic/ firefighters and instructors. More than 2,000 medical centers and agencies worldwide use the educational systems and training curricula developed at the center.

The most long-standing example of our creative work is Harvey, the Cardiopulmonary Patient Simulator. First introduced in 1968, it simulates essentially any cardiac disease, including blood pressure, breathing, pulses, heart sounds, and murmurs. The current generation Harvey simulates lung disease, and is more portable. Curricula for nurses and physician assistants have been developed and successfully evaluated in studies at multiple schools. Harvey trains tens of thousands of learners worldwide at nearly 600 institutions.

Our Prehospital and Emergency Training Programs began over 35 years ago. They now train thousands of course registrants per year at over 700 agencies in Florida and more than 1,000 in other states, as well as internationally. Courses address multiple content areas, including cardiac life support, trauma, pediatrics, stroke, heart attack, advanced airway, team training, rapid response and disaster response. We are the designated lead training center for the Florida Department of Health’s Emergency Response to Terrorism training program. Our curricula are disseminated to Florida’s state and community colleges, and the paramedics trained at our center respond to the 911 calls of millions of Floridians. We also help train U.S. Army Forward Surgical Teams prior to their front-line deployment, and healthcare providers from other high-level federal agencies.

The State of Florida has recognized our work as an example of programs that “enrich the lives of the citizens of the State.” Our projects have received several national “Awards for Educational Excellence,” including recognition from the American College of Cardiology and the American Medical Association. Our programs are created by an international consortium of physicians, nurses, educators, and engineers from 14 medical centers that meets several times per year. Multicenter research studies have demonstrated the educational effectiveness of our teaching systems. Support for these activities has been provided over the years by the State of Florida, the federal government, and by private funding and technical support from major industries, foundations, volunteer organizations, and individual donors.

Harvey, the Cardiopulmonary Patient Simulator, is the longest-running simulation project in medical and nursing education, and the only cardiology patient simulator proven to teach bedside clinical skills that transfer to real patients. Harvey and its related curricula were created by an international consortium of physicians, nurses and educators from 14 medical centers, and are recommended by the American College of Cardiology Task Force on Teaching. Unlike many simulators, Harvey is simple to use, and a suggested curriculum is provided for you.

Harvey trains tens of thousands of medical and nursing students, as well as residents and fellows, at nearly 550 institutions worldwide. The new Next Generation Harvey is now available. This latest version of the simulator includes the following features:

  • 20 new customized patient scenarios, including cases with faster heart and respiratory rates
  • 50 total patient scenarios with more than 1,500 bedside findings
  • 10 comprehensive standardized patient cases
  • Added peripheral pulses for palpation
  • Access to ongoing webinars for faculty and technical support

Learn more about Harvey on the GCRME Website!

Lance Baily Avatar
BA, EMT-B
Founder / CEO
Lance Baily, BA, EMT-B, is the Founder / CEO of HealthySimulation.com, which he started in 2010 while serving as the Director of the Nevada System of Higher Education’s Clinical Simulation Center of Las Vegas. Lance also founded SimGHOSTS.org, the world’s only non-profit organization dedicated to supporting professionals operating healthcare simulation technologies. His co-edited Book: “Comprehensive Healthcare Simulation: Operations, Technology, and Innovative Practice” is cited as a key source for professional certification in the industry. Lance’s background also includes serving as a Simulation Technology Specialist for the LA Community College District, EMS fire fighting, Hollywood movie production, rescue diving, and global travel. He and his wife live with their two brilliant daughters and one crazy dachshund in Las Vegas, Nevada.