VHC Health has a new training center for staff following a sizeable donation from a local couple.
The 2,200-square-foot Arlene Evans and Barry Dewberry Simulation Center, made possible through a $3 million gift from Evans and Dewberry, aims to mirror real-world clinic environments, hospital officials said on Feb. 12:
“It includes a simulation procedure room, a simulation patient room, simulation bays, a control room, a training and debrief space, storage areas, offices and additional support. These environments allow clinical teams to learn new techniques, refine existing skills and practice procedures in realistic scenarios before applying them in patient care settings.”
“Simulation provides immersive, hands-on learning with the latest equipment, allowing our staff to retrain, practice and master clinical skills in a safe environment,” said Melody Dickerson, VHC Health’s senior vice president for hospital operations and chief nursing officer.
“The center will strengthen patient safety and ensure our teams are ready to deliver high-quality care when it matters most,” Dickerson said.
Married since 1981, Evans and Dewberry are noted philanthropists across the D.C. region. Dewberry is executive chairman of a planning, design and construction company named after his father, Sid Dewberry. Evans is a former operating-department nurse at VHC Health, which began life as Arlington Hospital in the 1940s.
“A health system is stronger when we invest in our people, and we are proud to make this gift in support of VHC Health, because they truly deserve the very best,” Evans and Dewberry said in a joint statement, adding:
“VHC Health’s clinical teams are extraordinary people. We know the impact this Simulation Center will have in ensuring VHC Health’s clinical teams are equipped to meet the evolving needs of our community.”
The gift also funds the creation of the Arlene and Barry Dewberry Endowed Education Fund. The permanently endowed fund will generate annual support dedicated to simulation-based training and continuing education, ensuring the long-term sustainability of this critical program, hospital officials said.
According to VHC Health officials, a key feature of the Simulation Center is its interdisciplinary training and unique, flowing design, which mirrors the movement of patients through actual care environments.
“The space allows teams to seamlessly transition through simulated care settings, such as moving from an emergency-department scenario to an operating room, recovery area, and patient room, within a single simulation experience,” officials said. “The Simulation Center also features specialized simulation software that allows scenarios to be recorded and reviewed in real time.”
Based in Arlington, VHC Health is an independent, not-for-profit, 548-bed health system serving the metro area both at its flagship hospital on N. George Mason Drive and through a growing network of primary and specialty-care locations.
