The theme of the 2-day event was “Simulation & Community”. During the SIM Expo, participants were encouraged to have a great time and—most importantly—network and expand their sense of community.

“The SIM Expo is a unique opportunity for simulation leaders in education and research from all health professions in Ontario, industry and the healthcare service sector to come together under one roof,” said Dr. Dimitri Anastakis, SIM-one’s President and CEO. “The SIM Expo accelerates collaborations and knowledge transfer, and stimulates future innovation. This unique opportunity cannot be found anywhere else in Canada.”

Dr. Bruce Ballon, SIM-one’s Director of Education and event emcee, said, “I am very happy to see that the theme of ‘Simulation and Community’ for the Expo was not just a simulation. I believe our community really came together to make this a really powerful networking event, forming a plethora of relationships and collaborations.”

On Day 1 of the conference, SIM-one was very happy to have informative and engaging speakers.

Dr. Samir Sinha, a seniors care advocate and Expert Lead of Ontario’s Seniors Care Strategy, delivered a passionate speech about his work and the need for transformation in Ontario’s healthcare system to reflect the Province’s aging population.

View Dr. Sinha’s presentation >

Saäd Rafi, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, followed Dr. Sinha. Mr. Rafi spoke of the Government’s commitment to SIM-one and its community, and advancing health professions simulation in the Province.

Learning was a key component of the 2013 SIM Expo and took on many forms, including a Poster Crawl and Workshops—with topics ranging from presentation skills to interprofessional education, from scenario design to simulated patients—and the new Simulation in Action, and Community of Practice Lunch.

For the inaugural Simulation in Action, participants got to rotate through many exciting simulation demonstrations. Theses exercises enabled participants to wear moulage and taste great food courtesy of George Brown College’s Personal Support Worker Program, and much more.

Here’s what participants had to say:

“It was a really great experience to see the world of simulation and the related research,” said Keira Lum, a York University Kinesiology student. “As a student, I was given the opportunity to learn numerous things, including experiential exercises, simulated injections and moulage. The speech by Dr. Sinha, in particular, was very motivating and has inspired me to become more involved.”

“The SIM Expo’s great,” said Roger Chow, Simulation Coordinator from St. Michael’s Hospital. “There was a lot more time for networking this year. I was able to connect with colleagues and meet new friends. Participants are having a lot of fun at our photo booth.”

Some of the world’s leading simulation companies and organizations were on site to demonstrate their products and services to curious participants. A bevy of activities were available to participants, which included performing a simulated colonoscopy with Simbionix, and winning prizes like a Lecat’s Ventriloscope or an iPad mini courtesy of SIM Expo Platinum Sponsor Laerdal.

“Participating in the SIM-one Expo afforded Laerdal the opportunity to meet with existing customers and potential new customers,” said Barbara Geldof, Product Marketing Manager for Laerdal. “The Expo provided a venue for us to have valuable discussions with individuals and industry leaders outside the Laerdal sphere. These discussions reinforced our presence as a global leader in healthcare education and simulation training solutions and provided the potential for future collaboration opportunities, both academic and program focused for those we met with.”

“I am very impressed with the high calibre of simulation leaders present,” said Dr. Paul Lecat, Founder and Inventor of Lecat’s Ventriloscope. “This is my first SIM Expo and I already feel as if I’m a part of the larger SIM-one simulation community. Nothing beats Ontario hospitality.”

A total of 28 vendors exhibited at the 2013 SIM Expo—an event record. The SIM Expo was sponsored by Laerdal, Georgian College, Pristine Medical, Turning Technologies Canada, CAE Healthcare, and HIROC.

The 2013 SIM Expo was punctuated by the Day 2 Awards Ceremony where the recipients of the SIM Citizenship and SIM Student Awards were announced. This year’s SIM Student Award recipients are Lucy Li from the University of Toronto, and Meghan Friesen from Niagara College. SIM-one selected six recipients for its inaugural SIM Citizenship Award: Lisa Satterthwaite, Louise Moire, Luc Simard, Dominic Giuliano, Marie McEwan and Yvonne Galbraith.

“I am extremely honoured to be recognized by SIM-one and by my peers,” said SIM Citizen Award recipient Louise Moir, a Nursing Technologist from the Nipissing/Canadore collaborative BScN program. “Much of the work I do is in collaboration with others, and for that, I am very grateful. I owe a huge thanks to my colleagues at Canadore, Nipissing and SIM-one for their dedicated hard work and unwavering support.”

Read more about the SIM Citizenship Award >