FORT WAYNE, IND. – JULY 12, 2021 – The Advanced Medical Simulation Lab (Sim Lab) at the Parkview Mirro Center for Research and Innovation has been accredited as a Comprehensive Accredited Education Institute (AEI) by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The recognition is another milestone as Parkview Health prepares to launch graduate medical education programs in general surgery and internal medicine in 2022.
Parkview’s Sim Lab is a state-of-the-art facility featuring some of the most advanced medical simulation technology available today. Individual physicians, as well as teams of clinical professionals, can train in one of three labs equipped with high-fidelity medical manikins, virtual reality systems and other simulation tools.
As a Comprehensive AEI, the Sim Lab has demonstrated it addresses the educational needs of a broad spectrum of learners and advances the science of simulation-based surgical education. In addition to providing its current training programs for health care providers and students, the Sim Lab will help train general surgery residents in Parkview’s new graduate medical education program, which will begin accepting applications this fall.
“This recognition exemplifies our expertise in educating health care providers with state-of-the-art technology and programs, led by accomplished clinical faculty including Kevin Pei, MD, director of the new general surgery program,” said Michael Mirro, MD, senior vice president and chief academic research officer, Parkview Health. “Though we provide training for an array of specialties, we are especially excited to invest in a world-class graduate medical education program to serve the needs of northeast Indiana. We look forward to welcoming general surgery residents next year and helping them learn the skills they need to provide excellent care.”
According to the ACS, the overall goals of the AEI program are to enhance surgical patient safety, support surgeons’ maintenance of certification requirements, address the competencies that all surgeons and surgical residents need to achieve and demonstrate, and enhance access to contemporary surgical education. AEIs provide learners an opportunity to learn and practice new skills and receive immediate feedback without compromising patient safety or comfort. AEIs also conduct innovative research to advance simulation-based surgical education.
The AEI accreditation program is a voluntary, peer-review process. Institutions that successfully complete the process are accredited for a period of five years. To receive accreditation, an institution undergoes a stringent two-part review process, including an onsite survey conducted by a team of experienced surgeon site reviewers who have expertise in skills and simulation education.
About the American College of Surgeons
The ACS is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and to improve the quality of care for surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The ACS has more than 82,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. For more information, visit www.facs.org.