Santander (ES)

Who we are:

Website: www.hvvaldecilla.es

Phone: + 34 942 203 894 / + 34 942 203 895

Fax: + 34 942 203 853

Email: info@hvvaldecilla.es

Address: Hospital virtual Valdecilla, Avenida de Valdecilla s/n, 39008 Santander Spain

Valdecilla virtual Hospital is constituted as a public company of the Government of Cantabria with functional autonomy and management capacity. Is the result of the junction of three centers specialized in training and simulation that existed at the Hospital Universitario Valdecilla in the medical, surgical and nursing areas.

Our mission is to improve patient safety through training and skills development of health care professionals, the development of innovative research and pioneering work in interdisciplinary and interprofessional teams and using clinical simulation in all its applications.

Our Team:

• Ignacio del Moral; Executive Director
• José Carlos Manuel Palazuelos; Surgical Area Director
• José María Maestre; Educational Director
• Maria Eugenia Bustillo; Surgical Nursing Coordinator
• Alejandro Martinez; Clinical Nursing Coordinator
• Verónica Montero; Administrative Department
• Helena Anguren; Marketing and educational activities
• Saul Garcia; Simulation Technician

The team has over 25 simulation instructors from various specialties and more than 50 health care professionals who work in different teaching activities.

What we are using:

Currently, the Valdecilla virtual Hospital consists of three areas:

• Area of training clinical teams: equipped with two high-fidelity simulator (METI ECS ® and Eagle ® MedSim) in two rooms that recreate various clinical settings.
• Area of skills training and medical surgical techniques: This area is equipped with the last generation Da Vinci robot, 5 stations for laparoscopic surgery, a room with 7 endotrainers and a room with 4 microscopes, endoscopy equipment, etc. All in one area of about 1000 m2.
• Area of Emergency: Equipped with various adult and pediatric mannequins, intubation heads and other materials for training in emergencies and CPR.

What we are doing:

VvH uses clinical simulation techniques in various applications to train undergraduates and graduate professionals worldwide in diagnostic procedures and treatment, work in high performance interdisciplinary teamwork and clinical decisions making.

In addition, the VvH promotes the development of innovative research in technology and teaching methodologies.

VvH has established a partnership with the Center for Medical Simulation, Cambridge, MA (USA) with which they perform several simulation instructors courses every year.

In 2010 there were more than 260 training activities spread over different training programs, with an approximate total of 3,000 teaching hours and with the participation of more than 1,500 students, of Spain, Europe and Latin America.

We conduct training programs for training in:

• Interdisciplinary teams and crisis resource management in surgical areas and Anesthesiology, Cardiology, Critical Care, Gastroenterology, Nursing, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Emergency. 
• Laparoscopy, microsurgery, robotics, single-port laparoscopy and natural orifice surgery. In the areas of General Surgery, Maxillofacial, Pediatric, Plastic, Thoracic, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology and Urology.
• Techniques of endoscopy in Anaesthesia, Thoracic Surgery, Gastroenterology and Pneumology.
• Undergraduated Students in collaboration with the University of Cantabria.
• Instructors in clinical simulation in collaboration with the Center of Medical Simulation, Cambridge, MA (USA).