PAALSS
Polish American Advanced Life Support and Simulation Symposium
The 1st Polish American Advanced Life Support and Simulation Symposium (PAALSS Symposium) was held at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) on January 20, 2010 Three medical universities from Poland took part in this program: Bydgoszcz Medical University, Medical University of Silesia and Poznan University of Medical Sciences.
The purpose of the symposium was to give our Polish colleagues an overview of medical simulation and to build collaboration for future education and research endeavors.
The program started with a tour of The Center for Human Simulation and Patient Safety on Main 6 and a lecture by Dr. Ellen Brock, Medical Director, on the VCU experience of establishing simulation and the process of integrating simulation into the existing medical education curriculum. David Walton, the Simulation Technology Specialist, discussed the practical points of simulation center design. Dr. Shawna Perry, Director for Patient Safety Systems Engineering discussed the use of simulation in patient safety. Dr. Greg Christiansen, Director of Simulation for the Department of Emergency Medicine, provided a demonstration in the trauma bay. Dr. Suzanne Wright, Director of Doctoral Education in the Department of Nurse Anesthesia gave the group a tour and Operating Room simulation and debriefing demonstration; Dr. Melissa Bradner, Clerkship Director in Family Medicine, explained the standardized patient program at VCU and gave the group a tour of the exam rooms. Donna Edmonds, CEO of the Virginia Biosciences Commercialization Center, discussed potential participation in research trials.
After the visit at VCU the group traveled to Philadelphia, PA to tour the simulation centers at: Villanova University, Drexel University and Jefferson Medical College that was coordinated by Eric Stehle of Educational Management Solutions Inc.
On Jan 22 the group traveled to Phoenix, AZ to take part in the 10th annual Society for Simulation in Healthcare International Simulation Conference.
A result of this first meeting was the Polish American Advanced Life Support and Simulation (PAALSS) Working Group was created. The Working Group will be developing education and research projects between Poland and the United States.
(From left to right) Blazej Smigas Head, of the Office for International Programmes, Medical University of Silesia (SUM) in Katowice , Poland; Michał Starosolski, MPH, EMT-P, Medical University of Silesia; Radoslaw Marciniak, MD, Medical University of Silesia; Ellen Brock, MD, Director of VCU Center for Human Simulation and Patient Safety (CHSPS); Brenda Seago MLS, MA, CHSPS; David Walton, the Simulation Technology Specialist, CHSPS; Lukasz Gasiorowski, MD, Poznan University of Medical Sciences; Prof. Małgorzata Tafil-Klawe, MD, PhD, Vice-Rektor of Nicolaus Copernicus University as head of the Medical University in Bydgoszcz; Przemyslaw Paciorek, MD, PhD, Director of Emergency Medicine Medical University in Bydgoszcz.
Michael S. Czekajlo, MD, PhD; Tore Laerdal (pres. Laerdal Corp.); Radoslaw Marciniak, MD; Lukasz Gasiorowski, MD
Blazej Smigas , Mary Patterson, MD (President SSH); Radoslaw Marciniak, MD Michał Starosolski, MPH, Michael Czekajlo, MD, PhD
Front Row: Prof. Małgorzata Tafil-Klaw;, Melissa Bradner, MD; Greg Christiansen, MD; Michal Starosolski; Lukasz Gasiorowski
Back Row: Przemek Paciorek, MD, PhD; Michael Czekajlo, MD, PhD; Dr. Michael Fallacaro; Dr. Suzanne Wright; Radoslaw Marciniak, MD; Blazej Smigas