Local Hospital Get a Helping Manikin - KCOY Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo - News

SAN LUIS OBISPO [April 13, 2012] – French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC), a Dignity Health of the Central Coast member, along with Arroyo Grande Community Hospital and Marian Regional Medical Center, is now home to a SimMan Essential – a realistic, full-body adult, patient simulator.  Normally found only at educational medical facilities and intuitions, such patient simulators offer crucial hands-on training and education for our hospital employees. 

The acquisition of the SimMan was made possible by a generous donation from James Flanagan, a retired Cal Poly professor and former FHMC patient.  Flanagan has worked with FHMC medical personnel in identifying this specific program as a means of providing cutting edge technology to our San Luis Obispo campus.

The SimMan and the accompanying patient monitor provide the opportunity for hospital staff to experience, react to and treat realistic, pre-programmed patient cases including IV training, chest tube insertion, the treatment of a heart attack and more.  "Being able to provide such real-time, hands-on training is invaluable. We are proud to be the only hospital in San Luis Obispo County to offer this remarkable educational tool to our nurses, technologists, phlebotomists and more", said Alan Iftiniuk, FHMC President and CEO.

In the future, the SimMan will be housed in a dedicated classroom in the Health Education and Technology Pavilion, a new building planned as part of the renovation and expansion project currently underway at FHMC.  The FHMC Foundation continues to raise funds from the community for the Pavilion, which will be a unique community resource, designed to host community health education classes and provide advanced technological training opportunities for medical personnel.

For more information on the SimMan, FHMC or for a media demonstration of the SimMan, contact Megan Maloney at 805-542-6498.  For additional information regarding the FHMC Foundation, the Health Education and Technology Pavilion, or to make a donation to FHMC Foundation, call 805-542-6496 or visit www.supportfrenchhospital.org.