A state-of-the-art simulation training room focused on neuromuscular and musculoskeletal interventions will be a highlight of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s new Rehabilitation Pavilion, which opened in August.
Utilizing a $130,000 grant from the U.S. subsidiary of global biopharmaceutical company Merz Therapeutics, through its employee-driven philanthropic arm Merz Cares, the specialized training room will be located within the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) in the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine and will establish a dedicated educational space for medical students, residents, fellows, faculty, and other providers.
Adding the simulation aspect to this type of procedural training, which is usually done in a clinical setting with patients, will greatly enhance education in physical medicine and rehabilitation at UAB, allowing for training in a controlled environment, reduced patient risk, and improved patient outcomes, said Dale Colorado, D.O., vice chair of education and program director for the PM&R residency and interventional spine and musculoskeletal medicine fellowship, who will oversee the training facility.
“This provides refinement of skills and increased confidence and, ultimately, by doing the simulation training, the residents can hit the ground running when they get into the clinical setting,” said Colorado.
The simulation room, located on the sixth floor of the new UAB Rehabilitation Pavilion, will train medical students, residents, fellows, and other providers in advanced techniques for treating conditions such as spasticity, dystonia, and other disorders of the neuromusculoskeletal system.
The design and equipment plan for the training room is currently being finalized, but plans are being made to use it during the current academic year. The room will include a virtual anatomy dissection table, diagnostic ultrasound technology, injection simulation models, EMG training tools, and audiovisual systems to enable live demonstrations, tele-education, and interactive group learning.
“Physicians can create different simulations or scenarios for trainees – including rare cases that are not commonly encountered in a clinical setting – creating more comprehensive learning in a controlled environment,” said Colorado. “Trainees learn in different ways, so we want to teach in different ways. Simulation-based training has been shown to be very effective in medical education.”
As a leader in specialty neurology, Merz Therapeutics has extensive expertise in physical medicine and rehabilitation and understands the unique challenges patients face, as well as the utility and benefit of the interventions and the importance of educating providers, he said, making Merz Therapeutics an excellent partner for this specialized training room at UAB.
The grant to UAB aligns perfectly with one of the 115-year-old company’s values – persist in innovation, said Merz Therapeutics North America President Len Paolillo.
“By equipping this training facility with cutting-edge tools and resources and providing this to UAB, we are training future healthcare providers and offering patients the opportunity to have the best possible outcome,” said Paolillo. “I don’t think you could find a better alignment, and we are proud to bring world-class technology and resources to a world-class institution.”
Paolillo said Merz Therapeutics has looked to UAB clinicians for many years as a source of expertise, advice, and support on how the company can serve patients with meaningful services and products.
“This grant from Merz Therapeutics represents far more than an investment in equipment — it’s an investment in the future of rehabilitation medicine,” said Robert Brunner, M.D., PM&R vice chair of development and Spain Rehabilitation Center medical director. “By supporting a cutting-edge simulation training space, Merz Therapeutics is helping us cultivate the next generation of skilled, confident providers who are ready to deliver the highest level of care. This partnership underscores the power of aligning philanthropy with innovation to improve patient outcomes and advance our mission at UAB.”
UAB’s new 350,000-square-foot Rehabilitation Pavilion opened in mid-August, adjacent to the current 60-year-old Spain Rehabilitation Center, and will extend state of the art inpatient rehabilitation care to all of Alabama and the Southeast. The 11-story building has 78 rehabilitation beds and 28 acute care beds, with each floor treating specific patient populations, which allows patients, families, and care team members to remain on the same floor. This provides a seamless provision of care and maintains the proper support for physical, cognitive, and emotional recovery.
The Rehabilitation Pavilion will specialize in neurorehabilitation for patients following stroke, brain injury, and spinal cord injury, and includes 24/7 access to UAB specialists and seizure monitoring for patients with epilepsy.