Congressman Gerlach Provides Grant to Support Hospital’s Educational Mission

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Through the efforts of U.S. Congressman Jim Gerlach (PA-6th District), students can continue to learn effective healthcare techniques through simulated experiences at The Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences.

Congressman Gerlach will visit the School on Monday, April 7, at 1 p.m., to present grant money for the acquisition of technology that simulates healthcare conditions in preparing students for careers in nursing. A check for $189,677 will be presented to P. Michael Ehlerman, Chairman of the Hospital Board of Directors, and Scott R. Wolfe, President & CEO.

Following the presentation, Congressman Gerlach will tour the School, which opened this past January, to view the simulation equipment in action.

Among the more intriguing is SimMan®, a life-like mannequin who talks, breathes, has a heartbeat, pulse, and chest movements, and can receive injections. He even moans in pain and makes gagging noises. If students do not assess and treat SimMan appropriately, his condition deteriorates – blood pressure drops, pulses weaken, and other changes occur.

Nearby is NOELLE®, another patient mannequin who can simulate both normal and abnormal birthing processes.

A third pediatric simulator will soon join SimMan and NOELLE to help students practice assessment and treatment skills needed for children.

The Nursing Program at the School also includes seven bedside stations with computers that enable students to access skills videos and practice proper nursing procedures in the simulation laboratory.

In addition, the anatomy and physiology laboratory is equipped with 26 computers and a software program called ADAM that allows students to perform virtual dissections working with three-dimensional images of body organs.