Join the ITA fam as we talk with Dr. Daniel Lollar, an associate professor of surgery at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, about his work in optimizing the trauma bay through simulation and human factors engineering. The discussion explores the impact of structural constraints on trauma care and how Dr. Lollar, along with a multidisciplinary team, used engineering and simulation to optimize a new trauma bay. Key points include the importance of space and equipment placement in trauma bays, the iterative design process using simulations, and the methodologies like link analysis, bump analysis, and crossover analysis to enhance efficiency and safety. The episode also touches on the substantial cost savings achieved and the broader implications of this approach in healthcare facility design. 

Manuscript Citation: Scarboro DB, Jones NA, Wolf LD, Collier BR, Lollar DI. Using Human Factors Engineering to Enhance New Trauma Bay Effectiveness. J Surg Res. 2025 Sep 10;315:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2025.08.003. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40934853.