ROCK SPRINGS — Critical access hospital staff and EMS professionals got some hands-on training with a blinking, talking, breathing healthcare manikin during a two-day emergency simulation earlier this week.
Simulation in Motion Montana, SIM-MT, brought its mobile simulation program to Sweetwater County, with Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County hosting the event.
The training helped local healthcare teams strengthen communication, teamwork, decision-making, and readiness before real emergencies happen, according to Stevie Kennedy, MHSC Emergency Management and Environmental Safety Coordinator.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for our area,” Kennedy said. “We are so fortunate to be able to host this program.”
More than 50 emergency workers trained in different scenarios throughout the two days, working with a manikin that blinks, moves its head, talks, registers blood pressure and oxygen numbers, has an anatomically correct airway, and eyes that dilate when a light is shone in them. The training took place in an MHSC Emergency Department trauma room and a Castle Rock Ambulance Service ambulance.
“Our teams had the opportunity to strengthen their skills by practicing in simulated trauma settings,” Kennedy said. “It’s one of the many ways area emergency responders and healthcare providers become even better prepared to care for the community.”
The participants worked together as a team to diagnose, treat, and debrief a medical scenario; they had the chance to assess strengths and opportunities for improvement in a safe learning environment; and they built a regional response plan to address an infectious disease crisis in their community.
Ronda Zancanella, the Public Health Response Coordinator for the Sweetwater County District Board of Health said the state partnered with SIM-MT to conduct high-fidelity simulation training events throughout Wyoming. The events focus on highly infectious disease response, respiratory illness scenarios, and special pathogen preparedness for EMS and emergency department staff. The primary goal of the project is to enhance the state’s capacity to manage highly infectious diseases through hands-on training and regional collaboration.
