Kirkwood unveils medical simulation lab

Nurses, emergency medical technicians and other health care professionals have a new tool to enhance their “hands-on” training.

Kirkwood Community College on Thursday unveiled its $3.3 million Health Care Simulation Center in Linn Hall. The 10,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility is equipped with six high-fidelity simulators that can cry, speak, bleed and present other symptoms.

The laboratory was funded with $2.2 million in grants from the state's Accelerated Career Education program and just over $1 million from Kirkwood's property tax levy for facilities and equipment.

Kirkwood President Mick Starcevich said the simulation laboratory, the first of its kind at a community college in Iowa, will provide accessible quality education and training.

“In health care, training has to be precise and timely,” Starcevich said. “This new world-class facility brings both of those words.”

Kirkwood Health Occupations Director Mike McLaughlin said the facility is a collaborative effort of the Corridor hospitals and clinics, health care professionals, Kirkwood faculty members, OPN Architects and the contractors who built it.

“You really can't get the full understanding of what this facility is capable of unless you really get up close and touch the simulators,” said McLaughlin, who also serves as director of the center. “We looked at a number of simulation facilities on college campuses as we designed the center.”

Nancy Glab, dean of health science at Kirkwood, said “real” is the operative word when describing what students will see and feel.

“This place is meant to be as real as possible,” Glab said. “It looks, feels and even smells like the real life clinics where our students will work when they complete their studies.”