Chicago — (January 31, 2011) 

ASA member and Veterans Health Administration employee David M. Gaba, M.D., was recently named one of the first two recipients to earn the Under Secretary for Health’s Award for Excellence in Clinical Simulation Training, Education and Research.

Dr. Gaba was recognized for his numerous contributions to the field of clinical simulation over the past two decades including creating the first modern mannequin-based fully interactive simulator, which has since been commercialized and, along with his curricula, is in use in thousands of simulation training and education programs around the world. He has also conducted ground-breaking research in Crisis Resource Management (CRM) in clinical care settings and has designed CRM-oriented simulation instructor training designed to improve patient safety outcomes.

“This award honors an individual who has made a national impact through the direct provision of clinical simulation training, education and research in VHA ,” said Dr. Robert Petzel, the VHA employee who presented the award on January 24 in New Orleans. “Dr. Gaba’s influence on the skills of clinical staff throughout VHA has benefited the millions of Veterans cared for in our health care system.”

Dr. Gaba is a staff Anesthesiologist at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System in California and associate dean for Immersive and Simulation-based Learning and director of the Center for Immersive and Simulation based Learning (CISL) at Stanford University School of Medicine in California.  He is also editor-in-chief of Simulation in Healthcare, the official journal of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. To learn more about the VHA SimLEARN program, visit www.simlearn.va.gov.

For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists Web site at www.asahq.org. For patient information, visit LifeLineToModernMedicine.com

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