The Pritchard Simulation Centre at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) is a dynamic environment where clinicians enhance their skills in a safe and controlled space. Thanks to KGH Foundation donors to the Closer to home than you think campaign, the Centre is excited to onboard a new member to its training team. Introducing Eve, an ultra-realistic, highly-specialized patient simulator manikin. 

Eve enables KGH clinicians to simulate real human conditions and practice intricate scanning techniques, from collar bone to pelvis, with a hand-held ultrasound probe. Even more exciting is the ability to practice transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE), a delicate, life-saving diagnostic procedure that provides detailed heart assessments. 

In a TEE procedure, a small transducer, a device that converts electrical energy into sound, is guided down into the esophagus to capture clear images of the heart and its structures. “TEE gives clinicians more detailed images because the probe is closer to the heart compared to a standard echocardiogram. However, it requires specific motor skills to execute with accuracy and confidence,” explains Dr. Jared Baylis, a KGH Emergency Physician and Simulation Medical Director.

Dr. Baylis is thrilled with the newest member of the sim family. “Simulation-wise, there is nothing else like Eve out there,” he states. Eve’s realistic simulations allow clinicians to refine their skills in manipulating the TEE probe, essential for assessing the heart’s structure and function. 

“Over the past two years, KGH Foundation donors have supplied our emergency department with several new portable ultrasound machines equipped with TEE probes,” explains Dr. Baylis. “But few of us felt confident enough to use those probes. Now that we have Eve, we are able to practice the motor skills necessary to perform a TEE so we can use it more and more with excellent outcomes.” 

“It is incredibly novel for an emergency department to have this type of training. In fact, we are among the first hospitals in Western Canada to use Eve and the TEE probe in this way,” says Dr. Baylis. 

A 90-minute session with Eve equips emergency physicians with the crucial skills for heart imaging in resuscitation, which are perfected through practice. 

JoAnne Slinn, Registered Nurse and Simulation Knowledge Coordinator for the Pritchard Simulation Centre, emphasizes Eve’s value. “Innovative manikins like Eve are vital for training, leading to faster diagnoses and improved patient outcomes. Moreover, tools like Eve and the training offered in the Centre attract current and future health care professionals to our region. They help us recruit and retain some of the best and brightest in critical care medicine.” 

Established in 2012 with a generous gift from the Colin and Lois Pritchard Foundation, the Centre is accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada—the only accredited simulation centre of its kind in BC and one of only 22 in the world. 

“This is a state-of-the-art simulation facility,” says JoAnne. “Our specialized training, made possible by KGH Foundation donors, is transformative for our staff and hospital. Thank you – your gifts help save lives and optimize care, close to home.”