February 15, 2023
Accredited by both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Canada, and the American College of Surgeons
Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics (CSTAR) located at London Health Sciences Centre’s (LHSC) University Hospital has received five-year Accreditation certification from both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This dual certification is a testament to the high standards in simulation training achieved by only two centres in Canada.
Accredited by the RCPSC and ACS since 2017 and 2009 respectively, this dual recognition enables CSTAR to provide professional development credits for the training provided, including both in-house and unit-based simulation activities. Since 2017, CSTAR has facilitated the delivery of simulation education and skills-based training programs to approximately 35,270 learners accessing these state-of-the-art services. Learners are from various professions including physicians, residents, surgeons, nurses, and health disciplines.
CSTAR has hosted several national programs including the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) resident workshops, which are led by Dr. Christopher Schlachta, Medical Director of CSTAR.
“Learners are assured they’re receiving the highest level of education and state of the art equipment,” explains Dr. Schlachta. “CSTAR has a long history of excellence in service delivery, and Accreditation by both organizations is proof of this.”
CSTAR collaborates with internal and external partners to promote patient safety using simulation. Recently, the CSTAR team has worked with the Resuscitation Team to offer staff the opportunity to respond to mock Code Blue scenarios, and with the Emergency Management Team helping to prepare staff to respond to emergency situations.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the CSTAR team used simulation in the emergency departments and surgical areas to ensure safe care and work environments focusing on the proper use of PPE, potential areas of contamination, required equipment and the reconfiguration of space.
“We ended up changing both structural and process issues to optimize staff and patient safety, and care,” explains Rob Leeper, a trauma surgeon who worked with the CSTAR team to develop the training.
These activities were highlighted by the accreditors as a strength of CSTAR’s program in the patient safety and system evaluation standard which requires assessment and evaluation of health systems using simulation with process improvement being implemented.
“Looking to our future, this is an area of growth and opportunity for simulation,” explains Stephanie Ayres, Interim Director, Education. “CSTAR is looking to collaborate both internally and externally to explore new ways of using simulation to improve patient safety and quality of care, both within LHSC and beyond.”
Visit the CSTAR website for more information about simulation at LHSC and partnership opportunities.