iEXCEL awards showcase new levels in health care simulation

The UNMC Interprofessional Experiential Center for Enduring Learning program held a ceremony Feb. 16 at the Davis Global Center to honor its third annual iEXCEL Innovation Award recipients.

The awards recognized med center colleagues who have elevated their medical simulation work in such areas as neurosurgery, emergency medicine, perfusion, anesthesiology and vertigo cases.

Pamela Boyers, PhD, associate vice chancellor for clinical simulation, iEXCEL, said the annual event is testimony to the faculty awardees and their creativity, as well as the iEXCEL staff who work so closely with them.

“Thanks to a generous community who partnered with the state of Nebraska to provide the amazing resources available in the Davis Global Center,” Dr. Boyers said, “innovation in health professions education is occurring at a rapid pace.”

The award recipients are:

• Clinical Award: Scott Sanderson, program director, staff perfusionist and adjunct assistant professor in the UNMC Department of Medical Sciences. Sanderson changed his perfusion curriculum to include iEXCEL and simulation, growing his simulation curriculum since iEXCEL opened.
• Impact Award: William Thorell, MD, co-director of the Stroke and Neurovascular Center at Nebraska Medicine and professor of in the UNMC Department of Neurosurgery. His love of teaching, neurosurgery and simulation led him to be involved in many sessions at iEXCEL, including ear, nose and throat skull base, American Heart Association stroke and neurosurgery training.          
• Teaching Technologies Award: Robert Norgren, PhD, professor in the UNMC Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy. Dr. Norgren conducted the neuro block labs using multiple technologies.
• Nebraska Medicine Award: Kalen Knight, forensic nursing program supervisor with Nebraska Medicine. Knight conducted activities and second-level simulations on iEXCEL’s iWall for the emergency department fellowship.
• Collaborative/IPE Award: T.J. Lockhart, MD, associate professor in the UNMC Department of Anesthesiology and director of simulation. Dr. Lockhart oversees interprofessional mock codes for medicine, pharmacy and nursing students and has revamped the course setup and curriculum and simulations where students run mock code scenarios.
• Academic Award: Stacie Christensen, DPT, assistant professor in the UNMC Department of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. Christensen created an educational model and training for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) cases.
• Student Award: College of Pharmacy Student Group – UNMC American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists. Pharmacy students hosted recurring simulations on Naxolone and student skills.