The 2014 Federal Laboratory Consortium National Award for “Excellence in Technology Transfer” award was made to Lt. Col. Shad Deering M.D, Deputy Medical Director at the Uniformed Services University Medical Simulation Center for creating the “Mobile Obstetric Emergencies Simulator” (MOES).
MOES consists of simulator technology, scenario-based training, along with performance measurement and debriefing tools to help build medical staff competencies in obstetric emergencies. The MOES includes a life size mannequin and standardized OB curriculum.
Deering using his own experiences and observations was the first to establish a training program to give his students the ability to strengthen obstetric technical skills and be able to practice emergency scenarios.
Through that effort, Deering learned that a key element needed for success was communication and teamwork. Deering found during a TeamSTEPPS training session presented at the Madigan Army Medical Center, that TeamSTEPPS is able to improve communication and teamwork skills among healthcare professionals.
At this point, he thought about developing a mobile simulator. He figured that training could then take place in the labor and delivery setting instead of in a lab. His goal was to address knowledge deficit concerns as well as system and facility-related issues which then resulted in the pilot program for MOES.
Deering then built the system around the integration of simulation and communication and combined hands-on-learning, cutting-edge technology, and teamwork. Today, MOES patented and licensed by the Army is used at every Military Health System hospital with a labor and delivery unit which now totals 54 Army, Navy, and Air Force facilities in 14 countries and in over 40 states.