Faculty members Gee Mei Tan, MD, and Erin Stewart, MD, MS, from the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine developed, practiced and delivered the first MOCA Simulation Course in the new Center for Advancing Professional Excellence (CAPE) at the new Anschutz Health Sciences Building on March 26.
The Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology (MOCA) provides a full day of immersive simulation education in a replicated peri-anesthesia environment. The course offers realistic critical care events that test participants’ crisis decision-making, communication and teamwork skills in anesthesiology. Limited to six physicians, the hands-on training and peer discussion after every simulated event offers anesthesiologists an opportunity to test their proficiencies and implement higher levels of patient care.
During the final preparations to open the Anschutz Health Sciences Building, six anesthesiology faculty members attended MOCA and managed responses to simulations across five distinct anesthesia-inspired critical events. The high-fidelity simulators, realistic mannequins and ability to offer a completely immersive experience in a simulated operating room sets this training apart.
MOCA participants in a case simulation in the new CAPE facility at the Anschutz Health Sciences Building. |
“The new CAPE facility is impressive, and it was exciting to offer the first MOCA training there and test everything,” said Tan. “We ran a simulation session there while it was still in transition and cannot wait for it to be fully up and running.”
For each case, physicians are assigned to either manage a simulated critical care event or observe the team managing the case via state-of-the-art audiovisual system. At the end of each situation, participants immediately review how decisions were made, team communications and the actions available to improve patient outcomes.
The CAPE educational environment allows learners to gain real-world experience working with patients, handling difficult situations and collaborating with fellow professionals.
“CAPE brings the latest in cutting-edge medical training, and the new facility has taken it to the next level,” Devra Keyes, CAPE clinical simulation coordinator said. “We were grateful to have MOCA for our first training in the new Health Sciences building. We’ve just begun to scratch the surface of all that is possible with the expanded space and latest technology for conducting these trainings.”
About MOCA
MOCA is a full-day course of immersive simulation education. It has been designed to accommodate between four and six participants who are facilitated by a minimum of two faculty members. MOCA has been designed to fulfill one requirement of the American Board of Anesthesiology's (ABA) Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology. Participation in the course, along with completion of the ASA online evaluation and follow-up survey, will satisfy the MOCA 2.0 Part IV-Improvement in Medical Practice.
About the Department of Anesthesiology
The Department of Anesthesiology is a nationally recognized leader in anesthesiology and perioperative medical education. It is an independent department of the University of Colorado located at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. Our affiliate hospitals are the UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, Children's Hospital Colorado, Denver Health, VA Medical Center, Highlands Ranch Hospital, Cherry Creek Medical Center and Inverness Surgery Center. The department has several clinical specialties including multidisciplinary anesthesia, obstetric anesthesia, critical care, cardiothoracic, transplant anesthesia, neuroanesthesia, regional and orthopedics, chronic pain, pre-procedure services as well as quality improvement.
