New simulation learning center debuts at UCSF

Jan 17, 2011

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) this week christened one of the first interprofessional, team-based simulation learning centers in the U.S.

The Teaching and Learning Center is designed to prepare doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists together for the changing healthcare landscape, according to the university.

Funded with $15.5 million from the California Telemedicine and PRIME-US Education Facilities initiative, as well as philanthropic support, the 22,000-sq-ft center has transformed the second floor of the UCSF library on its Parnassus campus into a state-of-the-art facility that will serve more than 2,500 students each year, the university said.

The facility includes 12 high-tech classrooms and clinical exam rooms, with 10 full-body mannequin simulators, as well as telemedicine facilities. So far, 88 simulation cases have been planned for 2011 alone.

Those efforts stem from UCSF's leadership in healthcare education and also the changing demands under healthcare reform that are expected to increase the role and responsibilities of clinical pharmacists, highly trained nurses, and dentists in providing overall care. UCSF is home to schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing, and pharmacy, all of which rank among the top four nationwide in their fields.

"What's so unusual about UCSF is that we have four top-notch health professional schools and a physical therapy program located on this small campus in a very concentrated way," said Kevin Souza, UCSF assistant dean for medical education, in a press release. "Our schools have always worked together, but now we have a way to focus that training and have such a great opportunity to take advantage of what we all do really well."