As environments that prepare students for healthcare careers and facilitate the development of new medical procedures and techniques, simulation spaces are critical to the future of care. These spaces must be patient- and student-centric, staff-friendly, welcoming and comfortable, and empowering and intuitive. Not only that, but they often must replicate real-world environments as closely as possible while integrating modalities that support teaching and learning.
While that may seem like a lot of boxes to check, our extensive experience creating spaces for teaching and research joins our thought leadership in healthcare design—enabling us to help institutions bring to life facilities that feature innovative processes and drive improved outcomes.
Let’s take a look at some project examples showcasing the unique needs simulation spaces can support:
Advancing Skills for Complex Care Scenarios
Center for Procedural Skills Mastery, Mayo Clinic
Available for use by students in Mayo Clinic schools and programs as well as healthcare teams, the Center for Procedural Skills Mastery is easily configurable and designed to simulate real clinical environments. The project transformed underutilized space located directly below surgery suites, allowing staff and learners to easily move between spaces.
With technology seamlessly integrated, the center makes it possible to collaborate with teams while practicing advanced procedures using robotics, augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and 3D printing. Each area is equipped with sophisticated audio/visual technology and medical equipment, supporting innovative teaching modalities to develop complex procedural skills in an accessible location.
Real-World Acute Care Environment
Simulation Center Relocation, HealthPartners Institute/Regions Hospital
HealthPartners is one of the largest health systems in Minnesota, with two simulation centers in the Twin Cities metro; Regions is a premier teaching hospital and one of only five Level I Trauma Centers in the state. Creating a training facility for HealthPartners care teams, community EMS teams, and local first responders required high-fidelity design for spaces including ICU, med-surg, and trauma simulation rooms.
Both live patient actors and manikins are utilized for training that closely simulates real medical scenarios, and sophisticated video-equipped control rooms and training/debriefing create an environment where teams can effectively practice and enhance their skills in a controlled environment.
Empowering the Next Generation of Professionals
Morrison Family College of Health and Nursing Simulation, University of St. Thomas
BWBR partnered with the University of St. Thomas to help build a brand-new nursing program that brings a fresh approach to healthcare education. The program, housed in the Morrison Family College of Health, aims to attract a more diverse generation of healthcare professionals by supporting students in learning to care for the whole person—mentally, physically, socially, and spiritually—while honoring each individual’s traditions and cultural background.
Through strategic programming, the team identified space needs that support both current educational goals and future program growth. The facility features simulation labs with state-of-the-art robotic patient manikins and other specialty environments like a birthing room, pediatric ICU, hospice suite, active learning classrooms, and skills labs. These spaces are designed to help meet the diverse learning needs of students, addressing a range of potential healthcare scenarios and career interests.
Healthcare and Academic Planning Coverage
Simulation and Surgical Tech Expansions, Madison College
In order to provide students with cutting-edge facilities and training to meet the urgent workforce demands in the healthcare field, Madison College sought to reorganize their Health Education Building to maximize existing assets. By relocating the Surgical Tech program, it was able to expand to meet current accreditation requirements while also allowing Health Simulation to expand into the area previously occupied by Surgical Tech.
The Health Simulation suite includes medical care and trauma rooms with a shared control room, debrief rooms, and accommodations for locker rooms for standardized patients. The Surgical Tech suite features four simulated ORs with a gowning room and control room, along with a student study area. Together, the two programs recreate real-life workplace scenarios, enhancing job preparedness for critical healthcare careers.
The Future of Healthcare Education
Advances in technology are reshaping how healthcare professionals are trained to meet the demands of real-world care. At the intersection of healthcare and education design, simulation spaces not only replicate clinical settings but also support teaching, collaboration, and hands-on learning.
As institutions work to meet growing demands for skilled, adaptable healthcare professionals, the need for dynamic spaces has never been greater. By aligning academic goals with healthcare best practices, we can deliver environments that empower students and providers to advance patient care and drive the future of healthcare.
