MSU Center for Simulation Earns Accreditation from Prestigious International Healthcare Society

PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL HEALTHCARE SOCIETY Mississippi State University's Center for Simulation is the first of its kind in the Magnolia State to earn the Human Simulation accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. Situated on the third floor of the Rosenbaum Building at MSU-Meridian's Riley Campus, the center was made possible by a $6 million gift from The Riley Foundation and a $1.06 million grant from AccelerateMS's Nursing and Allied Health Grant Program. The center received the designation and accreditation in Teaching/Education from the world's leading society for healthcare simulation this past week.

SSH accreditation is the gold standard for quality in healthcare simulation, with centers earning the distinction by meeting rigorous international standards built toward improving patient safety and learn- ing outcomes. MSU-Meridian Associate Professor of Nursing and Director of Simulation and Clinical Affairs Alaina Herrington said SSH accreditation places the university among an elite interna- tional group. "This isn't just a seal on the wall.

It reflects an experience that's measurably better for the students we train," Herrington said. "It also reflects the expe- rience our students already receive - and it sets the standard for everything we will build next. They're learning in a program proven to deliver, and that's just the beginning." Opened in 2024, the 7,715-square-foot facility provides experi- ential, outcome-driven simulations to hundreds of future physician assistants, nurses, nutritionists, social workers and other healthcare workers.

Students practice clini- cal decision-making and patient care in realistic settings using man- nequins and standard- ized patients. "Students are assessed against the competencies employers actually need and refine their performance through guided debrief- ing until they're gen- uinely practice-ready," Herrington said. Research indi- cates accredited simula- tion training provides stronger learning satis- faction, measurable gains in patient safety and clinical quality and program recognition and growth.

The MSU Center for Simulation hosts more than 400 simula- tions and skills sessions each year, amassing more than 1,000 student encounters. MSU--- Mississippi State Master of Science in Nursing students Latrina Sherman of Meridian and DeKendrick Rushing of Walnut Grove work with Standardized Patient Gale Dunaway on a complex tracheostomy care procedure in the MSU Center for Simulation. The center received national accreditation by the Society of Simulation in Healthcare in Teaching/Education and Human Simulation this month. (Photo by Marianne Todd)