A vision to give simulation training a bigger role in educating local health care providers became more tangible Sept. 19 when Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) President Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D., joined officials from the Amarillo campus to break ground on the new Panhandle Clinical Simulation Center.

The groundbreaking ceremony featured a code demonstration conducted by current TTUHSC students and LIFESTAR helicopter flight crews. A reception at the School of Pharmacy courtyard followed the ceremony.

The facility will be the new home of SiMCentral, a collaborative initiative between TTUHSC, West Texas A&M University and Amarillo College to help improve patient safety and save lives in West Texas by taking simulation training to a new level.

The 20,485-square-foot facility will provide space for teaching clinical simulations using high-tech, state-of-the-art mannequins and computer software. It will also include observation rooms, a large classroom that can be divided into two smaller classrooms and requisite space for support staff and equipment.

The project has a $9.75 million budget primarily supported through tuition revenue bonds. The Amarillo Economic Development Corporation also contributed $500,000 for specialized simulation equipment that will be used by students inside the new facility.