In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, we sit down with Patty Wickson, a transformative leader with over 30 years of experience in health care innovation, clinical operations, and strategic systems. Patty shares her fascinating journey leading Alberta Health Services’ Innovation Office, where she and her team developed an “Innovation Pipeline” to accelerate health solutions from idea to system-wide implementation.

She reveals how her team brought groundbreaking projects to life—like a wound-healing gel that sped up recovery by 56%—and explains the fine balance between agility and evidence in large systems. Patty also shares her approach to cultivating “intrapreneurs” inside health organizations and how to foster frontline-led innovation.

From AI’s future in clinical workflows to the power of virtual care in remote communities, this episode explores the key ingredients behind meaningful health transformation—and what health innovators, clinicians, and system leaders can learn from it.

Key Topics:

• How to build a sustainable innovation framework inside large health systems
• The Innovation Pipeline process for rapid adoption
• Lessons from real-world projects with strong patient outcomes
• The role of “intrapreneurship” in driving workforce-led solutions
• Advice for early-stage health innovators
• The growing opportunities in AI, automation, and virtual care

About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit

This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca

In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George speaks with Dr. Kelly Lackie, Associate Professor and Associate Director of Simulation-Based Education and Inter-professional Education at Dalhousie University's School of Nursing. Dr. Lackie shares her passion for inter-professional education (IPE) and how simulation is used to build equity, psychological safety, and collaborative practice in healthcare.

From developing protected IPE time and simulation-based assessments to championing inclusive education through patient partnerships and narrative research, Dr. Lackie offers valuable insights into what it takes to prepare learners—and educators—for meaningful, team-based care.
Whether you’re an educator, clinician, policymaker, or student, this conversation will deepen your understanding of how simulation can transform education, safety, and culture in health care.

Learn more about Dalhousie’s School of Nursing: nursing.dal.ca

About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit

This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca

Advancing Health Care Through Simulation – Episode with Dr. Martin Ferguson-Pell

In this episode, host Lisa George welcomes Dr. Martin Ferguson-Pell, Professor in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta. A trailblazer in simulation-based healthcare innovation, Dr. Ferguson-Pell shares how his team leverages XR (Extended Reality) and AI tools to revolutionize clinical training, expand access to education, and reduce barriers for patients and learners alike.

From founding the nonprofit Elixir Simulations to building virtual Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCEs), Dr. Ferguson-Pell walks us through how immersive technology, thoughtful design, and collaborative models are reshaping the way we train the next generation of healthcare professionals.

He also reflects on his former role as CEO of the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute, where he led efforts to integrate patient data into system-wide strategy for improving outcomes.

Whether you're in healthcare, education, innovation, or policy—this episode offers a powerful glimpse into what's possible when simulation meets systems thinking.

About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit

This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca

In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, Stacie Wood and Alex Martins of Elevate Healthcare share how cutting-edge simulation tools, smart curriculum design, and interdisciplinary collaboration are transforming clinical training across Canada.

We explore:

• The biggest trends in simulation-based education, including AI, remote learning, and cloud-based tools
• How simulation is evolving to support real-world readiness, workforce retention, and patient safety
• The importance of realism, accessibility, and psychological safety in simulation design
• How to match simulation modalities with educational goals—because high tech isn’t always the best tech
• Best practices for debriefing, emotional safety, and building trust in high-stakes training
• The role of simulation in addressing the “know-do” gap in clinical learning
• What to expect from the Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation Provincial Summit on May 7

Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7

About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit

This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca

In this episode, we’re joined by Robert Sikora of Edmonton Global to explore the intersection of simulation-based healthcare training and economic development. Robert shares how Edmonton’s growing reputation in health and life sciences is driving international interest—and how simulation is becoming a vital pillar in attracting investment and accelerating innovation.

We explore:

• Why global investors and startups are looking to Alberta—and specifically Edmonton—as a rising health and life sciences hub
• How simulation tools like CAMS at NAIT help companies validate medical devices before going to market
• The role of risk mitigation, workforce development, and R&D cost savings in choosing a region for innovation
• The collaborative advantage of Edmonton’s ecosystem—where post-secondaries, industry, and government work in harmony
• How simulation is reshaping regulatory readiness, product validation, and clinical training
• What attendees can expect from the upcoming Provincial Simulation Summit on May 7

Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7

About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit

This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca

In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, Dr. Tim Willett, a national leader in simulation-based education, discusses the best practices shaping the future of healthcare training in Canada. As the President and CEO of Simulation Canada, Dr. Willett shares insights on how simulation improves workforce development, patient safety, and medical innovation.

We discuss:

• The current landscape of simulation-based education across Canada
• Why simulation has become essential in training and retraining healthcare professionals
• The key principles of effective simulation education
• Common challenges institutions face when implementing simulation-based training
• The role of AI, virtual reality, and extended reality in the future of healthcare simulation
• How Simulation Canada is driving best practices, training, and research in the field
• What to expect at the Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation Provincial Summit on May 7

Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7

About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit

This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca

In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, Dr. Michael Kallos shares how simulation is revolutionizing biomedical engineering, medical device innovation, and healthcare training. With extensive experience in research and medical technology, Dr. Kallos explores the evolving role of human factors engineering, patient-centered design, and AI in shaping healthcare solutions.

We discuss:

• How simulation accelerates medical device innovation and improves patient safety
• The importance of human factors engineering in healthcare technology development
• Real-world examples of how simulation-based testing improves medical device usability
• How AI and extended reality (XR) are transforming healthcare simulation
• The role of collaboration between academia, industry, and healthcare institutions
• Insights into the upcoming Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation Provincial Summit on May 7

Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7

About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit

This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca

In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, Dr. John Gilbert, a pioneer in interprofessional education, discusses how simulation-based training is transforming collaboration in healthcare.

We explore:

• The evolution of interprofessional education (IPE) and its role in improving patient safety
• How simulation fosters teamwork and communication across healthcare disciplines
• The impact of mannequin-based simulation and virtual reality on skill development
• How AI and digital health tools are shaping the future of healthcare training
• Key strategies for scaling interprofessional simulation programs

Dr. Gilbert shares his insights from decades of experience in workforce development, healthcare education, and policy implementation—offering a global perspective on how interprofessional collaboration can reduce medical errors and enhance patient outcomes.

Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7

About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit

This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca

In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, we explore how virtual reality (VR) is reshaping nursing education and healthcare training. Roger Crowe, a leader in healthcare simulation at Bow Valley College, shares insights on how VR enhances medical education, improves competency, and prepares students for real-world patient care.

We discuss:

• How VR is used to replace clinical hours in nursing education
• The benefits of VR for developing critical thinking and decision-making skills
• How Bow Valley College integrates VR into its healthcare programs
• The role of VR in training students for high-pressure scenarios
• Future trends in VR and simulation for workforce development

Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7

About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit

This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca

In this pilot episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George sits down with John Sutherland, Director of CAMS at NAIT, to unpack how simulation-based education is reshaping the future of health care training in Alberta and beyond.

John shares insights into the strategic restructuring of CAMS, outlining the five core areas now driving their mission: operations, simulation-based education, interprofessional education, applied research, and health innovation services.

Key highlights include:

• How CAMS is helping address health care workforce shortages through standardized and immersive training.
• Why applied research and industry collaboration are critical to CAMS' national leadership in simulation.
• What the May 7th Simulation Summit is all about—and why it's a must-attend event for anyone in health, education, or med-tech innovation.
• Real examples of simulation in action, including immersive environments, interprofessional scenarios, and support for health innovators looking to test and validate new technologies.
• Whether you’re a policymaker, post-secondary leader, health care provider, or innovator, this episode offers a compelling look into the power of simulation to drive better outcomes—for learners, professionals, and the health system as a whole.

Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7

About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit

This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca