What about Accreditation?
As local VA medical center Simulation-Based Clinical Education (SBCE) programs evolve and local simulation centers are established, there will be increased interest in understanding VHA simulation center accreditation policy. Currently, VHA has no policy stipulating a requirement for accreditation of local programs - the decision to seek accreditation is a local decision. The SimLEARN program will periodically evaluate VHA's simulation accreditation policy position as more data becomes available on the requirements for and the value of accreditation. It is anticipated that the National Center will seek accreditation from certain recognized bodies.
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Anesthesiologists (ASA) are the primary bodies currently accrediting simulation centers. The Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) is currently piloting accreditation. Information is available on their websites:
- American College of Surgeons (ACS)
- American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)
- Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH)
Note: Some links on this page will take users to non-VA or non-federal sites. The VA and SimLEARN do not endorse the content of non-VA and non-government websites: VA or SimLEARN is not responsible for the content of those web pages.
As the use of healthcare simulation training grows, it is anticipated that additional accrediting bodies may offer simulation center accreditation as well or formal certifications for trainers and educators.