IU Health Simulation Center

Trust and good relationships help create higher fidelity simulations. Whether that’s between an educator/facilitator and a technician or between standardized patients.

Simulation Trainer Noel Outland has done simulations at Indiana University Health for over 30 years and Simulation Trainer Michael Davis for over 13 years. The pair has done more advanced simulations together for over a decade and have known each other since college.

“This type of simulation requires a lot of improv and vulnerability,” explained Davis. “The simulation fidelity is much better because we're able to easily bounce off each other and to pick up cues from each other so well.”

“We naturally act like brothers and know what will get a reaction from each other,” explained Outland. “Those little things make it much more realistic and help us create opportunities for the learners to meet the simulations’ objectives.”

IU Health
Indiana University School of Medicine M.D./Ph.D.
Indiana University School of Nursing

Ya know it’s Monday when you have to clean blood splatter off a 10’ sim room wall. 🩸

Standardized patient case training isn’t just essential for building real‑world clinical confidence — it’s also a chance to learn, laugh, and grow together as a team.

"This is also a great time to strengthen rapport, align on communication styles, and ensure everyone feels confident portraying the case consistently," said Karen Bridgemen Schroedle, standardized patient educator.

"We take the time to practice key case moments, clarify any anticipated challenges that may occur during scenarios, and make sure everyone is calibrated on scoring and feedback expectations. We spend this time to build camaraderie, share tips from past encounters, and create a supportive environment where SPs can learn from one another. Standardized patient case training isn’t just essential for building real‑world clinical confidence — it’s also a chance to learn, laugh, and grow together as a team."

IU Health
Indiana University School of Medicine M.D./Ph.D.
Indiana University School of Nursing

When our center was being built in 2011, a real ambulance was lifted into one of our rooms before the wall was finished. Recently Emergency Medicine used it as part of a multi-patient simulation.

“The simulated ambulance is used to create realistic pre-hospital settings for our learners,” said our sim center’s Medical Director Dr. Dylan Cooper. Most recently, emergency medicine senior residents practiced resuscitating a critically ill patient awaiting transfer in the back of the ambulance.

“This scenario prepares these physicians in training to work in our lower resource settings across the state, such as rural hospitals, where critically ill patients may require transfer to higher levels of care, such as IU Health Methodist, University, or Riley Hospitals,” explained Cooper.



IU Health
Indiana University School of Medicine M.D./Ph.D.
Indiana University School of Nursing

Yesterday we hosted a Mini Laerdal Medical Simulation User Network Conference. Simulators from across Indiana gathered for focused presentations and discussions about Best Practices, AI in Healthcare, Moulage, Accreditation/Certification, Improv in Simulation, and an "Under the Hood" session with the Mama Anne manikin.

Many thanks to keynote speaker Beth Fentress Hallmark, PhD, RN, CHSE-A, ANEF, FAAN from Belmont University and presenters Rachell Jade from Indiana University School of Nursing, Edward Trout, Michael Everett Davis, Dylan Cooper, Julie Poore, Dave Rodgers, Dave Hanson, and Emily Webber.

During the day, we exchanged moulage ideas with the Parkview Health Simulation Team. The photos of their C-Section Birth moulage were amazing!

IU Health
Indiana University School of Medicine

Welcome to the (simulated) morgue. We are lucky to have the space to keep older mannequins that have stopped working so we can sometimes salvage parts to repair mannequins currently in use. This saves a lot of time and money - plus it's fun showing visitors the morgue.


Indiana University School of Medicine M.D./Ph.D.
Indiana University School of Nursing
IU Health

💘 SimGHOSTS Valentine Challenge! 💘 This tribute to February 14 was created by our own Chassity Mays


Indiana University School of Medicine M.D./Ph.D.
Indiana University School of Nursing
IU Health

Sharing ideas is part of the simulation culture, including budget-friendly ways to increase fidelity and efficiency. Here are three examples our Sim Center recently began using that are working well. All three are laminated so they are protected and last as we frequently change them out for different cases:
1. Patient Wristbands
Most cases were using curled, old wristbands with only partial information. Over the quiet time during the holidays, we went through all the case binders and made new wristbands that had complete information and were consistent from case to case. They’re laminated with Velcro closures.
* We built our idea on how the OSCE side here creates them for standardized patients.
2. Nurse Call Panel
When nursing students needed to simulate using the Staff Assist or Code button, facilitators had been instructing the learners to go to a blank area of the wall to pretend the Call Panel was there. To increase fidelity, we printed a photo of a Call Panel used in one of our local hospitals. Because the panel placement may vary in different units, the laminated panel can easily be moved before the sim starts.
* This idea came from an educator who filmed a best practices training video in one of our virtual hospital rooms.
3. Fluid Bag Labels
Mocking up specific fluids needed for cases had been either a simple label with the name or a photo of a label taped to a bag, however, those usually only lasted for one day of sims. So, we’ve started only using photos of real medical labels and laminating them. By using Velcro on the bags and labels, we can easily change them for each case as needed. A storage binder makes them easy to find for setup and protects for future use.
* This idea came from a Hot Topics presentation by OhioHealth's Kara Portier called "Enhancing Simulation Fidelity with a Low-Cost, Reusable IV Infusion Labeling System" at Society for Simulation in Healthcare’s IMSH 2026 in San Antonio.

Indiana University School of Nursing
Indiana University School of Medicine M.D./Ph.D.
IU Health

Faculty Development in Simulation Education Course
This free, in-person course is open to anyone wanting learn best practices about healthcare simulation. So if you're in Central Indiana, please register and come spend the day with us!

• Presenters: Dylan Cooper, Marian Gilhooly, Tiffanie Nabinger, Julie Poore, Karen Schroedle, and Chassity Mays
• Organizer: Dylan Cooper
• When: Thursday, February 5, 2026 8am - 2:30pm EST
• Where: FS4100 - Sim Center on 4th Floor of Fairbanks Hall
• Register: https://medicine.iu.edu/faculty/registration?scheduleid=f3c68759-64de-4a2b-a809-42cab6fb84a9

This interprofessional session is open to all faculty and educators interested in creating simulation educational content and will be presented by local simulation experts to include faculty from IU School of Medicine, IU School of Nursing and IU Health.

This is a 6.5 hour, in-person course offering which will focus on simulation modalities (manikins, task trainers, standardized patients), running simulation, best practices of simulation, and debriefing in simulation education.

Learning methodology will include interactive presentation, hands-on work with technology, and small group exercises in debriefing, with an opportunity for touring the Simulation Center.

Standard Joint Accreditation Statement for CME, CNE, CPE
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Indiana University Health and Indiana University School of Medicine. Indiana University Health is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Credits: AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM (5.83 hours), CME - Non-Physician (Attendance) (5.83) ANCC Contact Hours (5.83), ACPE Contact Hours (5.83) CEUs

Relevant Financial Relationships: This is a non-clinical program.

Indiana University School of Medicine M.D./Ph.D.
Indiana University School of Nursing
IU Health

Earlier this week, our Simulation Project Manager Chassity Mays presented a Peritonsillar Abscess Trainer she had designed during the SimVentor session at Society for Simulation in Healthcare's IMSH 2026 in San Antonio.

“I created this trainer because this is a high-stakes, low-frequency procedure that emergency physicians are often expected to perform confidently—sometimes with little hands-on practice,” Mays explained. Airway risk, patient discomfort, and anatomy variability make it a procedure where muscle memory and spatial awareness truly matter.

Dr. Dylan Cooper and Dr. Malia Moore requested that Mays create this trainer specifically for EM residents and practicing EM physicians to allow realistic, repeatable practice in a low-stress environment—so when it’s time to do it on a real patient, the technique is familiar, and the focus stays on safety.

“In this photo, I’m filling the tonsil to simulate the abscess prior to drainage—one of the key steps that helps learners visualize anatomy and practice proper needle placement,” Mays said. “Simulation gives us the chance to practice before it matters most, and I’m proud to play a part in creating a tool to support that goal.”

(Photo by Society for Simulation in Healthcare)

Indiana University School of Medicine M.D./Ph.D.
Indiana University School of Nursing
IU Health

It's time! Several people from our team will present at Society for Simulation in Healthcare's IMSH. We look forward to seeing everyone in San Antonio.

• PANEL PRESENTATION - "Virtual Reality Empathy Training" - 23713 San Antonio Convention Center 008B
- Dr. Dylan Cooper, Julie Poore , Karen Bridgemen Schroedle, and Chassity Mays

• Simventor Showcase- Table 45 - "Peritonsillar Abscess Trainer" - 59904- Chassity Mays, Dr. Dylan Cooper, Dr. Malia Moore

• PANEL PRESENTATION - "Developing a Medical Student Simulation-Based Communication Curriculum: Lessons Learned" - 70008 San Antonio Convention Center 210B- Adam Payne, Lauren Falvo, Sal Phadnis, Malia Moore, Mariju Baluyot, Dr. Dylan Cooper

• HANDS-ON WORKSHOP - "Customizable Tabletop Training for Emergency Crisis Resource Management Simulations" - 22804 San Antonio Convention Center 305- Adam Payne, Lauren Falvo, Sal Phadnis, Malia Moore, Mariju Baluyot, Dr. Dylan Cooper

• HOT TOPIC- Innovator Group 2- 221A "Pain Scale" - Karen Schroedle, BA, CHSE

• HANDS-ON WORKSHOP - "SimGHOSTS Presents: Increase Your Efficiency and Reliability with Planned Scenario Programming Utilizing Laerdal SimDesigner" - 10561 San Antonio Convention Center 221D- Chassity Mays with SimGHOSTS president Erica Hinjosa

Plus Julie Poore will be part of groups presenting an Accreditation Pre-Conference Workshop on Saturday and a Reviewer Training Session on Sunday morning.

IU Health
Indiana University School of Nursing
Indiana University School of Medicine M.D./Ph.D.