Henry Ford Health System holds an enviable position in metropolitan Detroit by conducting the most educational and research based programs for health providers. This initiative focuses on both new technologies and in ongoing medical education providing for excellence in clinical care. Supporting this effort, Henry Ford Health System determined the need to develop a Medical Education Simulation Center - The Clinical Skills Institute, where areas are developed as multiple medical settings and computerized mannequins and actual people in the roles of the patients. In this highly sophisticated environment new technologies and procedures are introduced, treatment protocols are recorded and documented, general clinical efforts are monitored and daily provider/patient lessons are learned. Such teaching and communication greatly reduces the potential for medical errors.

Students at the Center are quickly placed in situations demanding rapid response: Students provide quick diagnosis including resuscitation, intubation and medication. Following they monitor the response. Full surgical testing includes giving the patient anesthesia, performing a surgical procedure and recovering the patient.

The proposed Simulation Center will consist of clinical environments including two Operating Rooms, Emergency Center Room, ICU Room, General Exam and Patient Room with Bath. One of the Operating Rooms will be robotic with an adjacent control center and featuring a DaVinci robot. The clinical suites surround a Central Control Room for monitoring purposes. All the rooms have cameras for visual observation and all of the technological support is tied to a central AV Control Center. A large open Simulation Lab provides space for the interchange of up to 18 medical simulations. Within this learning lab, a major demonstration center is provided. Student teams review the simulation with a mentor.

For larger demonstrations, two Classrooms are provided, that when combined, can accommodate up to 60 persons. A technologically equipped Debriefing Room is provided as is office space, breakout space, and are hospitality functions. A major storage facility will be provided. Anticipating support and continuing growth of this very important medical education program, space and connection is to be planned for a phase I and phase II development.

Similar to aviation simulation, the Clinical Skills Institute at Henry Ford provides a learning center for health care professionals to perfect their skills.

Image is important to the Center, as it will be a showcase for medical education not only for the Henry Ford Health System, but also for the entire geographic region. Thus, entrance, lobby, and public areas will be designed to a high design aesthetic supporting the mission of "We're Henry Ford, We Can."