Tech specialist ensures innovative experiences for WVU Health Sciences learners
Bobby Huff has always enjoyed technology and exploring how things work. His clear passion from a young age set him on a path to the West Virginia University David and Jo Ann Shaw Center for Simulation Training and Education for Patient Safety (STEPS), allowing him to combine his lifelong interests with healthcare education.
A native of Clarksburg, West Virginia, Bobby earned an associate degree in computer information management from the International Academy of Design and Technology before starting his career at a recycling plant. After six years, Bobby joined the WVU Health Sciences Information Technology Services Help Desk. During that time, he was open to helping anywhere he could, which led to his introduction to STEPS.
The state-of-the-art simulation center is equipped with fully responsive technology that provides students from all five health sciences schools – Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Public Health – and healthcare professionals with a safe setting to improve their skills before encountering patients in everyday and critical care situations.
“I consider myself lucky that I never really had to worry too much about what I wanted to do as a career and that I’m able to incorporate my hobbies into my work,” he said. “WVU is a leader in education, especially when it comes to healthcare education. STEPS is the perfect blend of education and technology.
“STEPS interested me because of the amount of technology, both traditional and cutting-edge, that is used in the day-to-day curriculum. It is easy to see a challenge that I have with tech at home and put it to use to solve a problem at work and vice versa.”
As an IT support specialist, Bobby offers a unique perspective, providing his view as someone with a technology skill set while other members of the team are thinking like healthcare professionals.
“People in both medical and IT fields think in certain ways, very planned out, logical and methodical,” he explained. “While others plan out the ways that simulations are run, there are times where I can provide the ‘how-to’ with my different approach and skillset.”
Bobby plays a pivotal role in maintaining the equipment and making sure all technology runs smoothly for the educators and students. The 20,000 square foot simulation center offers four ICU setups for life-like manikins, 12 patient exam rooms for physical diagnosis and communication and a large surgical skills unit. He provides support in that environment for nearly 140 computers, multiple simulation manikins, several high-tech classrooms and meeting rooms and the learning management system, LearningSpace, utilized across the Morgantown, Beckley and Keyser campuses.
“One of the biggest changes over the years is a switch to digital interactive versions of mostly analog learning situations. Take our large anatomy tables, for example. Before you had to spend time in the anatomy lab looking at cadavers,” he said. “While you still can’t quite beat the ‘analog’ on some things, being able to do a quick dissection on a 3D model on a touch screen can be really helpful.
“VR/AR has also taken some big strides and will eventually be a very potent tool when combined with haptic feedback devices to deliver more immersive simulation experiences, better preparing future healthcare professionals.”
As technology continues to change and evolve, STEPS is at the forefront of enabling students and providers to learn using new technology.
“I take pride in watching students’ skills grow. This is a learning-first environment. Giving students a safe environment to not only succeed, but also fail is an extremely valuable tool,” he said. “Hardly any of us get things right on the first try, so students shouldn’t be afraid to learn from mistakes. They only make us better when we do learn, and we’re here to help students learn!”
-WVU-
as/jw/9/04/24
CONTACT: Jessica Wilmoth
Senior Communications Specialist
University Relations – Health Sciences