GE Healthcare to supply technology for new nursing clinical simulation center at Marquette University

Educational grant of $440,000 to fund advanced patient monitors and infant incubators

The Marquette University College of Nursing announced today that GE Healthcare, a leading provider of health care technologies to hospitals, clinics and health care networks worldwide, will provide a $440,000 educational grant of items including patient monitors with advanced technological capabilities, a central nursing station, telemetry technology, infant incubators and ventilators for the Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare Center for Clinical Simulation at Marquette University.

“GE Healthcare’s advanced patient monitors and technological equipment will allow our nursing students and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare’s care providers to practice their clinical reasoning skills in an environment with the same equipment that they might encounter in clinical situations,” said Marquette University College of Nursing Dean Margaret Faut Callahan. “The Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare Center for Clinical Simulation, equipped with state-of-the-science technology from GE Healthcare, will significantly bolster our efforts to improve health care delivery through excellence in nursing education.”

Technology from GE Healthcare will be installed throughout the Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare Center for Clinical Simulation, and will be on display during an open house at the new facility, Friday, Oct. 19, from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Emory T. Clark Hall, 530 N. 16th St.

“While GE Healthcare may be a global company, we are also a local company and are delighted to participate and contribute to advancing nursing education at Marquette University,” said Thierry Leclercq, vice president and general manager of Life Care Solutions at GE Healthcare. “Many of our employees and families have, or will, attend Marquette University and knowing that those choosing a nursing education will work with GE Healthcare equipment is something our business, our employees and our families are proud of.”

GE Healthcare employs 6,500 employees in the state of Wisconsin, over 500 of which (nearly 8 percent) have degrees from Marquette University. This new partnership will strengthen collaboration between these two Milwaukee institutions and improve nursing education in Southeastern Wisconsin.

Opened in August 2012, the Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare Center for Clinical Simulation includes a six-bed hospital suite with two intensive care rooms, two medical surgical rooms, one pediatrics room and one labor and delivery suite. It also features two health clinic examination rooms, a home health/assisted living apartment, a clinical skills laboratory, two four-bed patient care rooms and four debrief rooms, where professors and clinical educators are able to review video recordings of simulation exercises with students.

In the future, the College of Nursing hopes to engage students and faculty members from across disciplines such as biomedical engineering to study ways to improve technology utilization and patient safety across the health care spectrum.