News and Updates

State-Of-The-Art Simulation Lab Opens To Help Train Future Nurses

The news release below is courtesy of Memorial Satilla Health.

WAYCROSS, Ga. (August 20, 2024) – Nurses in South Georgia now have a new opportunity to hone their skills. South Georgia State College and Memorial Satilla Health held a grand opening for the School of Nursing’s state-of-the-art simulation lab today in Waycross. The lab opened just as nursing students arrived on campus for the new semester.

This cutting-edge facility provides students with an immersive learning environment that closely replicates real-world clinical settings with the use of AI-integrated manikins, advanced medical equipment, and realistic patient care scenarios. Students gain hands-on experience in a variety of clinical situations in a safe and controlled environment.

Memorial Satilla Health donated $100,000 to assist with build out costs for the lab. As part of HCA Healthcare – a company with more than 99,000 nurses – the hospital is actively involved in providing resources and education to equip the next generation of nurses.

"By supporting the construction of this advanced training facility, we are not only investing in the future of our nursing workforce but also ensuring our patients receive the highest quality of care,” said Dale Neely, CEO of Memorial Satilla.

“Memorial Satilla Health changes lives for the better, not only within its own hallways but also by supporting many community and educational projects throughout our region,” said Dr. Greg Tanner, SGSC interim president. “This gift will have a transformative impact on our nursing program, and I look forward to seeing our students and faculty reap the benefits of this partnership.”

The lab at SGSC is the second of its kind in the region to open in the last two years. HCA Healthcare partnered with University of North Florida in 2022 to open the HCA Healthcare Center for Clinical Advancement at UNF in Jacksonville.

“This lab is a game-changer for our future nurses," said Celeste Brizzee, CNO at Memorial Satilla. "Students will benefit from the opportunity to engage in realistic clinical simulations that enhance their critical thinking, decision-making, and procedural skills.”

“Our faculty can now provide a more realistic hospital setting for our students on campus, which complements the valuable clinical experiences they already receive at the hospital,” said Dr. Jaime Carter, dean of SGSC’s School of Nursing.

About Memorial Satilla Health: Memorial Satilla Health is a mission-driven, community-based health system with a 231-bed full-service hospital. Our tradition of care began more than 60 years ago and continues today with more than 600 employees, physicians and volunteers. The hospital serves as regional referral center for more than 185,000 residents across nine counties in Southeast Georgia. Key services include a very busy ER where we treat more than 47,000 emergencies each year; our Heart, Cancer, Surgery, Rehabilitation, Sleep and Birthing Centers with specialists trained specifically for these needs; and an extensive Mental Health program for senior adults and those suffering with memory loss.

About HCA Healthcare: Nashville-based HCA Healthcare is one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services comprising 182 hospitals and approximately 2,300 ambulatory sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers, and physician clinics, in 20 states and the United Kingdom. With its founding in 1968, HCA Healthcare created a new model for hospital care in the United States, using combined resources to strengthen hospitals, deliver patient-focused care and improve the practice of medicine. HCA Healthcare has conducted a number of clinical studies, including one that demonstrated that full-term delivery is healthier than early elective delivery of babies and another that identified a clinical protocol that can reduce bloodstream infections in ICU patients by 44 percent. HCA Healthcare is a learning health system that uses its more than 35 million annual patient encounters to advance science, improve patient care and save lives.

About South Georgia State College: South Georgia State College is a residential state college of the University System of Georgia focused on a core of strong teaching and personalized academic advising. SGSC has a long and distinguished tradition of serving the people of Georgia. Students pursue associate degrees in 20 programs of study for transfer to other institutions and select bachelor’s degrees to prepare students for careers in a variety of fields.