Explore every episode of the podcast Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro to NAIT's Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation | 21 Feb 2025 | 00:01:24 | |
Welcome to the intro conversation for Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, a series exploring the critical role of simulation in shaping the future of healthcare. This series highlights NAIT's Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation (CAMS) as a hub for healthcare simulation, workforce development, and innovation. Through conversations with experts, industry leaders, and educators, we’ll explore how simulation is transforming patient care, medical training, and healthcare innovation. Each episode is designed to enhance awareness and understanding of CAMS while positioning it as a leader in this rapidly evolving field. Join us as we share strategic insights, compelling stories, and forward-thinking perspectives on the power of simulation in advancing healthcare. | |||
| How Simulation is Reshaping Healthcare Education and Patient Safety | 31 Mar 2025 | 00:21:21 | |
In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, Dr. Tim Willett, a national leader in simulation-based education, discusses the best practices shaping the future of healthcare training in Canada. As the President and CEO of Simulation Canada, Dr. Willett shares insights on how simulation improves workforce development, patient safety, and medical innovation. We discuss:
Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7 About: | |||
| From Concept to Reality: How Simulation Drives Medical Device Development | 31 Mar 2025 | 00:22:31 | |
In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, Dr. Michael Kallos shares how simulation is revolutionizing biomedical engineering, medical device innovation, and healthcare training. With extensive experience in research and medical technology, Dr. Kallos explores the evolving role of human factors engineering, patient-centered design, and AI in shaping healthcare solutions. We discuss:
Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7 About: This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca | |||
| Why Interprofessional Simulation is the Key to Workforce Development | 31 Mar 2025 | 00:21:34 | |
In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, Dr. John Gilbert, a pioneer in interprofessional education, discusses how simulation-based training is transforming collaboration in healthcare. We explore:
Dr. Gilbert shares his insights from decades of experience in workforce development, healthcare education, and policy implementation—offering a global perspective on how interprofessional collaboration can reduce medical errors and enhance patient outcomes.
About: This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca | |||
| How Bow Valley College integrates VR into its healthcare programs | 31 Mar 2025 | 00:23:19 | |
In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, we explore how virtual reality (VR) is reshaping nursing education and healthcare training. Roger Crowe, a leader in healthcare simulation at Bow Valley College, shares insights on how VR enhances medical education, improves competency, and prepares students for real-world patient care. We discuss:
Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7 About: This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca | |||
| Inside CAMS: Transforming Healthcare Education, Workforce Development & Innovation | 31 Mar 2025 | 00:16:57 | |
In this pilot episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George sits down with John Sutherland, Director of CAMS at NAIT, to unpack how simulation-based education is reshaping the future of health care training in Alberta and beyond. John shares insights into the strategic restructuring of CAMS, outlining the five core areas now driving their mission: operations, simulation-based education, interprofessional education, applied research, and health innovation services. Key highlights include:
Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7 About: This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca | |||
| Investing in Innovation: How Simulation Powers Economic Growth | 14 Apr 2025 | 00:24:32 | |
In this episode, we’re joined by Robert Sikora of Edmonton Global to explore the intersection of simulation-based healthcare training and economic development. Robert shares how Edmonton’s growing reputation in health and life sciences is driving international interest—and how simulation is becoming a vital pillar in attracting investment and accelerating innovation. We explore:
Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7 About: This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca | |||
| High-Tech, High-Trust: Building Safer Healthcare Outcomes Through Simulation | 05 May 2025 | 00:29:57 | |
In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, Stacie Wood and Alex Martins of Elevate Healthcare share how cutting-edge simulation tools, smart curriculum design, and interdisciplinary collaboration are transforming clinical training across Canada. We explore:
Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7 About: This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca | |||
| Reimagining Rehab: XR and Innovation in Health Education | 24 Jun 2025 | 00:31:40 | |
Advancing Health Care Through Simulation – Episode with Dr. Martin Ferguson-Pell In this episode, host Lisa George welcomes Dr. Martin Ferguson-Pell, Professor in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta. A trailblazer in simulation-based healthcare innovation, Dr. Ferguson-Pell shares how his team leverages XR (Extended Reality) and AI tools to revolutionize clinical training, expand access to education, and reduce barriers for patients and learners alike. From founding the nonprofit Elixir Simulations to building virtual Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCEs), Dr. Ferguson-Pell walks us through how immersive technology, thoughtful design, and collaborative models are reshaping the way we train the next generation of healthcare professionals. He also reflects on his former role as CEO of the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute, where he led efforts to integrate patient data into system-wide strategy for improving outcomes. Whether you're in healthcare, education, innovation, or policy—this episode offers a powerful glimpse into what's possible when simulation meets systems thinking. About: This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca | |||
| Psychological Safety & Collaboration in Simulation-Based Education | 12 Aug 2025 | 00:32:49 | |
In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George speaks with Dr. Kelly Lackie, Associate Professor and Associate Director of Simulation-Based Education and Inter-professional Education at Dalhousie University's School of Nursing. Dr. Lackie shares her passion for inter-professional education (IPE) and how simulation is used to build equity, psychological safety, and collaborative practice in healthcare. From developing protected IPE time and simulation-based assessments to championing inclusive education through patient partnerships and narrative research, Dr. Lackie offers valuable insights into what it takes to prepare learners—and educators—for meaningful, team-based care. Learn more about Dalhousie’s School of Nursing: nursing.dal.ca About: This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca | |||
| From Idea to Impact: Accelerating Health Care Innovation with Patty Wickson | 09 Sep 2025 | 00:28:24 | |
In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, we sit down with Patty Wickson, a transformative leader with over 30 years of experience in health care innovation, clinical operations, and strategic systems. Patty shares her fascinating journey leading Alberta Health Services’ Innovation Office, where she and her team developed an “Innovation Pipeline” to accelerate health solutions from idea to system-wide implementation. She reveals how her team brought groundbreaking projects to life—like a wound-healing gel that sped up recovery by 56%—and explains the fine balance between agility and evidence in large systems. Patty also shares her approach to cultivating “intrapreneurs” inside health organizations and how to foster frontline-led innovation. From AI’s future in clinical workflows to the power of virtual care in remote communities, this episode explores the key ingredients behind meaningful health transformation—and what health innovators, clinicians, and system leaders can learn from it. Key Topics:
About: This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca | |||
| From Engineer to Advocate: Building Community-Driven Dementia Solutions | 13 Nov 2025 | 00:31:19 | |
In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George speaks with Andrew Karesa, Founder and CEO of blueBell Village, a community dedicated to redefining dementia and memory care through relationship‑focused services and interprofessional collaboration. Andrew shares the personal story that inspired Bluebell Village, beginning with his grandmother’s Alzheimer’s journey. He explains how his vision for a dementia village evolved into Connect, a digital platform that brings caregivers, families, and service providers together to offer coordinated and culturally appropriate care. Their conversation explores the realities of caregiving, the innovation gaps in dementia support, and the urgent need to design systems that respect personal independence and cultural context. Andrew’s work reflects the growing movement toward care models that prioritize relationships, empathy, and inclusion.
This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca | |||
| From Frontlines to Strategy: Tyler Tamayose on Building Better Systems | 11 Dec 2025 | 00:35:34 | |
In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George is joined by Tyler Tamayose, President and Principal Consultant of Banyan Strategies. A cross-sector leader with a deep background in health care, government, academia, and innovation, Tyler shares his unique journey from early experiences in crisis response to mentoring hundreds of startups. He reflects on the importance of giving leaders space to think, the value of simulation in health care, and what Alberta needs to become a global leader in health innovation. With clarity and conviction, Tyler unpacks the gaps between frontline teams and innovators, the importance of human-centered leadership, and the need to redesign systems that embrace bold ideas and collaborative execution. Whether you’re an aspiring leader, systems thinker, or changemaker in health care, this conversation offers insights, practical wisdom, and inspiration for what’s possible when we think beyond the box. About: This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca | |||
| A-MEDICO: Translating MedTech Innovation to Impact | 15 Jan 2026 | 01:07:19 | |
In this special on-location episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George brings you conversations from “Translating Innovation: A-MEDICO Meets Alberta MedTech Industry,” an event designed to spark connections between researchers, trainees, and industry partners working at the intersection of health innovation and medical device development in Alberta. Funded by the Alberta Ministry of Technology and Innovation, A-MEDICO is a major collaborative initiative led by the University of Calgary, with support from the University of Alberta, Red Deer Polytechnic, the University of Lethbridge, and NAIT’s Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation (CAMS). The goal: unite the province’s post-secondaries, industry partners, and underserved communities to accelerate Alberta’s medical technology ecosystem. Lisa speaks with five key voices from across the innovation pipeline — from early-stage student researchers to experienced entrepreneurs and innovation leaders: Ben Millen - VP of Design, Tangent Design Engineering Stephanie Dang - Graduate Student, Biomedical Engineering, University of Calgary Dr. Lindsey Westover - Associate Professor & Associate Dean, Faculty of Engineering, UCalgary Dr. John Wong - CEO & Co-Founder, Fluid Biomed Inc. Dr. Michael Kallos - Professor and Department Head, Biomedical Engineering, UCalgary From translating research into reality to empowering Alberta’s next generation of innovators, this episode is a powerful look at how simulation, collaboration, and bold ideas are reshaping what’s possible in health care.
This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca | |||
| Simulation, Systems and the Future of Surgical Care | 30 Apr 2026 | 00:35:51 | |
In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, Lisa George is joined by Tara Klassen, Innovation Lead for Surgical Care Alberta. With a provincial lens and a systems-level perspective, Tara works across programs, pathways, portfolios, and geographies to help clinical and operational leaders navigate what she calls “big, weird, shared, complex decisions.” Tara explains why innovation in surgical care is about much more than introducing a new device or technology. It is about understanding what that innovation makes possible across the entire continuum of care, from referral and diagnostics through the operating room, inpatient recovery, and into community and home care. Her work focuses on helping teams align around uncertainty, clarify shared goals, and move from ideas to actionable recommendations that are safe, feasible, and sustainable within a complex public health system. Throughout the conversation, Tara unpacks some of the biggest barriers to implementing innovation, including funding structures, procurement realities, workflow disruption, and the challenge of introducing change in a system designed to manage risk. She also makes a compelling case for simulation as a core tool in innovation, not just for training, but for testing, validating, and scaling new approaches across both urban and rural settings. Key themes in this episode include:
This episode offers a practical and insightful look at how innovation actually happens inside complex health systems, and what it takes to move from concept to real-world impact.
This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca | |||
| From Research to Real World: Dr. Mary Brindle on Surgical Innovation | 16 Apr 2026 | 00:28:37 | |
In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, Lisa George speaks with Dr. Mary Brindle, pediatric surgeon, health systems researcher, and internationally recognized leader in surgical quality improvement and innovation. Dr. Brindle shares how her clinical work and research have led her to focus on one of the most complex spaces in health care: the operating room. Surgical care is high risk, resource intensive, and deeply dependent on the interaction between people, processes, and technology. That makes it one of the most important places to study how innovation can improve outcomes. The conversation explores the origins of the Health Everywhere Hub, a province-wide initiative designed to bring together clinicians, engineers, digital health experts, community partners, and researchers to solve major health challenges in Alberta. Dr. Brindle reflects on what it was like to move beyond traditional research approaches and work in a faster, more iterative innovation model shaped by collaboration with industry and innovation partners. Lisa and Dr. Brindle also discuss the concept of the Living Lab in health care, and why testing innovation in real clinical and community settings matters so much. Rather than relying only on tightly controlled pilots, Living Labs allow teams to understand how technologies actually fit into workflows, how they are adopted by users, and where they need to change before they can succeed at scale. Other key themes in the episode include:
This episode is a thoughtful look at what it takes to move from good ideas to real-world impact in surgical care, and why the future of innovation depends on clinicians, researchers, industry, and patients working together.
This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca | |||
| Building Accessible Simulation for All: The SIMAI Health Model | 26 Feb 2026 | 00:22:46 | |
In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George is joined by Dr. Mohamed Benfatah, a healthcare simulation researcher and the founder of SIM AI Health, an innovative initiative based in Morocco. Dr. Benfatah is pioneering the integration of artificial intelligence with simulation to transform health care education particularly in resource-limited settings. From nurse anesthetist to simulation educator, Dr. Benfatah shares how simulation reveals the invisible forces in health care, team dynamics, decision-making and communication as well as why it's critical for improving patient safety. He outlines his three core reasons simulation works: turning knowledge into action, engaging emotional memory, and creating reflective learning. The conversation explores:
Whether you’re a simulation specialist or new to AI, Dr. Benfatah’s global perspective offers fresh insight into how technology and heart can work hand-in-hand to make simulation more equitable and impactful around the world.
This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca | |||
| Simulation at Scale: What It Really Takes Behind the Scenes | 28 May 2026 | 00:26:07 | |
In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, Lisa George is joined by Tom Waring and Bree Weyland from the NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation for a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to deliver a large-scale, high-impact simulation experience. The conversation centers on a recent Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) simulation, which brought together over 115 students from multiple health disciplines across Alberta. Designed around a realistic building collapse scenario, the simulation required learners to collaborate across the full continuum of care—from on-scene triage with paramedics and firefighters to treatment in both rural and tertiary hospital environments. Tom and Bree walk through how this complex event was built from the ground up, offering insight into the often unseen role of simulation technologists (SimTechs) in designing, coordinating, and executing immersive learning environments. Key themes explored in this episode include:
This episode highlights that simulation is not just about equipment or scenarios—it’s about people, planning, adaptability, and creating environments where learners can safely experience the complexity of real-world healthcare. About: This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca | |||