WVU celebrates 15 years of simulation education at state-of-the-art STEPS center

When West Virginia University opened its simulation center on the Health Sciences Campus in Morgantown 15 years ago, programming provided just 5,000 educational encounters per year. Now, the David and Jo Ann Shaw Center for Simulation Training and Education for Patient Safety is facilitating nearly 30,000 educational encounters each year as its expert team prepares learners of all skill levels for competent, compassionate patient care.

“Improved care for our citizens starts with advanced training for our learners and providers, and we’re committed to offering comprehensive, experiential education for learners at WVU,” Daniel Summers, director of STEPS, said. “The continued growth at STEPS since it opened 15 years ago allows us to provide the most cutting-edge programs that benefit learners and patients. By providing a safe environment to learn life-saving procedures, develop interprofessional communication skills and use new technologies, we are able to meet our mission of optimizing patient safety and the quality of healthcare.”

In 2008, a three-person team dedicated to the yet-to-be-built center was assembled to prepare to introduce simulation education to students enrolled in WVU Health Sciences academic programs.

“We had no name, just an idea and a blueprint,” Tonya Gillum, STEPS office administrator, recalled. “The simulation center was a new division within the Health Sciences Center without a designated space.”

Along with Dr. David Wilks, who served as medical director, Summers, Gillum and an interdisciplinary planning group landed on the STEPS name, and the facility opened October 16, 2009, occupying 4,000 square feet and offering four labs, two classrooms and two debriefing rooms. Although simulation training had been offered at WVU for many years, the center allowed students from all health schools to work in interprofessional teams to learn critical skills that mimic real-world healthcare scenarios.

By 2015, the space was expanded to nearly 20,000 square feet thanks to the generosity of David and Dr. Jo Ann Goldbaugh Shaw, alumni of the Schools of Pharmacy and Medicine, respectively. The expansion consisted of a new reception area, a dedicated room for maternal-infant simulation, two clinical skills practice labs, a computer lab, 12 exam rooms and a standardized patient changing and staging area, as well as additional offices and needed storage space.

The Shaws were interested in investing in a project that involved a wide range of students, healthcare professionals and first responders to reflect the multidisciplinary environment of healthcare. Reflecting on its growth, they agreed: “We could not be prouder of the accomplishments of the STEPS program over the last 15 years. Technology is rapidly evolving, and the STEPS lab continually evaluates new products and adjusts programs to provide a highly adaptable and flexible learning experience. This requires a lot of work and dedication from the STEPS staff who deserve a tremendous amount of credit for its success. It also requires the long-term financial commitment of WVU and the generosity of donors. With this dedication and support, we are confident great things will continue to happen with STEPS, and by extension, healthcare in West Virginia.”

Most recently, in 2022, the Center added an operating room that is designed and equipped to simulate an operating room that would be used by WVU Medicine surgeons. The team has also grown to include 20 dedicated members and many more faculty educators.

“The STEPS facility at WVU has been an integral part of my scholastic journey, quite literally, since day one of my academic career,” Kent Marshall, current WVU student earning dual medical and doctoral degrees and graduate of the School of Medicine’s bachelor's and master's degree programs in Exercise Physiology, said. “Its impact spans all the way from my first Basic Life Support training during my bachelor’s degree to Advanced Cardiac Life Support and other specialized workshops in my master’s program, all the way through the comprehensive MD/PhD workshops in ultrasound, patient care and surgical techniques.

“The technology and, more importantly, the faculty and staff of STEPS have been unwavering for me, at each milestone. Their role in my education has been nothing short of essential and they have allowed me to navigate complex topics which would otherwise be difficult to teach through any other manner or medium. I am deeply grateful for the STEPS family’s role in shaping me into the capable student I am today, and the physician I will be in the future.”

In addition to providing innovative experiences for learners on the Morgantown Campus, STEPS serves as a resource and provides support for simulation labs on the WVU Beckley, Bridgeport, Keyser, Charleston and Eastern campuses.

STEPS has attained full accreditation by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare in the areas of Core, Assessment, Research, Teaching/Education and Systems Integration, a distinction achieved by less than 3% of the over 700 centers worldwide that are registered. STEPS is also the only center in West Virginia that is accredited in all these areas, and WVU is home to two of the less than 125 individuals worldwide who have achieved the distinction of Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator-Advanced^®.

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-WVU-

jw/9/19/24

CONTACT: Jessica Wilmoth
Senior Communications Specialist
University Relations – Health Sciences