The University of Vermont College of Medicine, the University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health Sciences ,and Fletcher Allen Health Care have announced the appointment of Ted James, M.D., associate professor of surgery and attending oncology surgeon, as director of clinical simulation for the Clinical Simulation Laboratory, effective July 1, 2012.
Dr. James, associate professor of Surgery at the UVM College of Medicine, and an oncology surgeon in Fletcher Allen’s UVM Medical Group, will provide administrative and academic leadership for the interprofessional, state-of-the-art Clinical Simulation Laboratory, promoting health professions simulation education throughout UVM, Fletcher Allen and the medical community.
The Clinical Simulation Laboratory is jointly supported by the UVM College of Medicine, the UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences and Fletcher Allen Health Care. It employs high-tech mannequins that allow health care providers to experience numerous clinical situations in a controlled learning environment. The mannequins can simulate heart attacks, birth, and traumatic injury, and can be used to build skills in performing surgical procedures. At a cost of just over $4 million, the Lab was supported by a generous gift from the late Thomas Sullivan, M.D., a UVM/Fletcher Allen medical alumnus from Etna, N.H., along with a $1.75 million federal grant secured by U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy.
Since joining Vermont’s academic medical center in 2005, Dr. James has participated in the development of clinical simulation activities and other innovative educational initiatives, such as the implementation of a clinical skills program to optimize patient care and reduce medical error. He has also served as the surgery clerkship director, and director of both the Surgery Senior Major and Surgery Scholarly programs. He is an Accredited Education Institute surveyor for simulation centers and for the last few years has surveyed simulation centers in the Northeast and Canada. He also serves on a number of national committees dedicated to medical student education, simulation, and patient safety.
Dr. James earned a medical degree at Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, and completed a general surgery residency at North Shore University Hospital/NYU School of Medicine, followed by a surgical oncology fellowship at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo. He also completed an educational research fellowship with the Association for Surgical Education. Currently, Dr. James is pursuing a Master of Science in Health Care Management at Harvard University.
Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont’s academic medical center. Fletcher Allen and Central Vermont Medical Center are members of Fletcher Allen Partners, established to develop a more coordinated system of care throughout the region. Fletcher Allen’s mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities it serves by integrating patient care, education and research in a caring environment. Fletcher Allen also serves as a regional referral center -- providing advanced care to approximately one million people in Vermont and northern New York -- and as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. For more information about Fletcher Allen, find us online at http://www.fletcherallen.org or on our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blog sites at www.fletcherallen.org/socialmedia.
Located in Burlington, the University of Vermont College of Medicine was founded in 1822 as the nation’s seventh medical school. One of only 137 medical schools in the US, the College and teaching hospital Fletcher Allen Health Care comprise Vermont’s academic medical center, where more than one-third of Vermont’s physicians were educated or trained. The College received $78 million in external research funding in 2011, and employs 762 full-time faculty and 415 staff, with over 1100 part-time faculty participating in medical education of students around the region. Enrollment currently includes 449 medical students, 147 graduate and post-doctoral students, and 290 residents and fellows.