Doha, Qatar: February 18, 2012: Sidra Medical and Research Center attended the largest international conference on simulation in health care recently, as it intensifies planning for its state-of-the-art clinical simulation center in Doha.

Organized by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, the 12th Annual International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare was held in San Diego, California and concluded at the beginning of February.

The 5-day event gathered over 3100 delegates from 47 countries, and included as many as 85 exhibitors from companies specializing in educational technology, architecture and design, medical equipment, and medical education. It offered scientific presentations, educational courses, technology workshops, and large-scale demonstrations of simulation activities- all designed to meet the needs of healthcare practitioners using simulation techniques for education, assessment, and research.

Sidra Senior Project Manager of Simulation Renee Pyburn attended the conference alongside Sidra Program Manager of Simulation and IMSH 2012 conference co-chair  Professor Guillaume Alinier.  Pyburn said that attending the conference had assisted them in planning for Sidra's simulation center.

"This is the best and largest conference of its kind, and so it was a great opportunity to network and find out what is going on in the industry. We were able to review the vendor products and begin to identify the most appropriate for our center."

Simulation is becoming an integral part of teaching and training programs in healthcare settings globally.  By allowing clinicians and educators to practice their skills and techniques on the latest equipment in a simulated clinical setting, it leads to improved performance and reduced errors while providing patient care.

In addition to the use of simulation for continuing professional development and academic training, Sidra will use simulation to assist in on-boarding approximately 3000 new clinical staff, ensuring that they are fully prepared to deliver safe, high-quality, patient-centered, and culturally appropriate care.

The 15,000 square foot simulation center, which will be Qatar's first hospital-based interprofessional clinical simulation center, is expected to be one of the most advanced in the Middle East when it opens in late 2012. It will be used to test systems, conduct team training, assess and develop staff competencies, and support external education programs. 

"This is especially important wherever there is a culturally diverse mix of staff and patients," said Sidra Communication Project Director Khalid Al-Mohannadi. "Sidra will operate in a regional context and in an all-digital environment with new systems. Simulation addresses precisely these challenges."  

According to Pyburn, use of simulation for on-boarding is still relatively uncommon in health care. Al-Mohannadi commented, "The fact that Sidra is using simulation to on-board staff demonstrates the strength of our commitment to quality and excellence. Simulation will enable Sidra to deliver the high-quality, patient-focused care that we promise."

Recruitment was another major focus during the conference as Sidra prepares to launch its global recruitment campaign for top-tier medical staff.  Sidra Global Recruitment Manager Robin Kerr said, "The conference was a useful gauge for us and provided support for future recruitment. We were able to gain initial expressions of interest from simulation and other healthcare professionals. Even at this early stage, interest was high, both for the simulation center and for our clinical opportunities."

Development of Sidra's simulation center is part of country-wide collaborative efforts to build aligned simulation programs for Qatar. Hamad Medical Corporation is currently building a simulation center. Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, University of Calgary, College of the North Atlantic Qatar, and Qatar University's Pharmacy Program are all involved with Sidra in setting standards for instructor development and establishing simulation standards for accreditation, as well as participating in the development of simulation education programs. 

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About Sidra Medical and Research Center
First announced in June 2004, Sidra represents the vision of His Highness the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who are aiming to position Qatar as leaders in medical research, academic medical training, and health care in the Middle East. Sidra, the first academic medical center in the region, is being built at Qatar Foundation's 2,500-acre Education City campus. Initially, Sidra will have 400 beds available when it opens with built infrastructure to enable expansion to 550 beds in a subsequent phase.

For Media Inquiries:
Rakiya Farah
Communications Analyst, Sidra
Email: rfarah@sidra.org
Phone: +974 4404 2366

Press Release 2012