This fall, the family and friends of the late Dr. Brandon Rogers and hundreds of supporters tuned in online to celebrate Dr. Rogers’ birthday and to commemorate the opening of the Huntington Ingalls Industries Education and Training Center in Dr. Rogers’ memory.
Dubbed the “Launch Party Series & Health Care Simulation Week,” the digital event brought state-of-the-art simulation manikins and training procedures into the spotlight in easy-to-understand detail. Over the course of a week, the fascinating capabilities of the Lab were broadcast over social media to a much larger audience than might have been able to attend in a pre-pandemic grand opening. Attendees participated in virtual tours and technology demonstrations and had the opportunity to engage with the presenters in a live question and answer period.
For the Rogers family, the event represented the culmination of their multi-year partnership with the Riverside Foundation to honor Dr. Rogers and his remarkable life. On the eve of what would have been his 33rd birthday, the brand-new simulation training spaces were dedicated to Dr. Rogers. Featuring music by alumni members of the University of Virginia’s acapella group REMIX, heartfelt messages from family and friends, and a special appearance from America’s Got Talent’s Simon Cowell, it was a night to remember. The Rogers family also had a surprise of their own. A donation of $20,000 from the Brandon D. Rogers Memorial Fund was presented to the Riverside Foundation’s Executive Director Kristen Witt and the Center’s Medical Director Dr. John Alex. Those funds will continue to educate future and current clinicians on leading-edge technology as health care makes technological advances.
The 8,400-square-foot Lab is designed to give medical personnel experience providing care for “once-in-a-career” medical issues. Four specialty-specific areas recreate a medical intensive care ward, a labor and delivery suite, an emergency medicine trauma bay and a procedural skills suite. Participants can practice life-saving skills on dedicated models and can “test drive” an innovative solution or approach to care in a non-urgent learning environment.
The Lab also allows entire teams to practice together or even work with other team members in an interdisciplinary environment. “The entire center is designed for anyone affiliated with the health system,” explained the Lab’s director, Dr. John Alex. “It’s not just for physicians, not just nurses, but for anybody who takes care of patients as part of our team, so that collectively we can provide the best care.” Lead partners Huntington Ingalls Industries and Newport News Shipbuilding, who use simulation modeling in their everyday business, also shared the importance of investing in education, training and technology, which has been shown to improve patient safety and improve health care competency especially for high-risk procedures. In addition, Riverside’s medical staff made significant contributions to implement the project, as did G.C. Commercial, W.M. Jordan, Spain Commercial, TowneBank and more than 400 community members.
