STARS and Devon, partners in emergency medical education
Devon's Canadian Division is proud to announce a recent partnership with STARS. A $350,000 contribution will be made over the next four years, and will be directed to the STARS Human Patient Simulator Program (HPS).
Stepping into the mobile simulator is like entering an emergency room cubicle – life-saving equipment and beeping monitors surround the patient. Stan, the patient in question, is a mannequin who can be programmed with an endless variety of ailments ranging from asthma attacks to strokes. In 2002, the program visited 33 communities and provided 77 days of training to more than 900 individuals.
In rural areas, quite often the biggest barrier to educational services is a lack of accessibility. The HPS tours rural areas throughout Alberta, eastern BC and the Yukon allowing health care providers the opportunity to enhance their skills in emergency medical situations. Devon’s donation will allow the number of community visits to be increased by 45%, which translates to the training of an additional 480 emergency physicians, nurses and EMS personnel each year (bringing the total to 1500 healthcare professionals annually).
“With almost half of Devon’s employees living and working in rural areas in Western Canada, we were drawn to the mobile nature of the HPS Program,” says Jan Olthof, General Manager of Production. “We believe that our partnership with STARS will provide long-lasting benefits to many of the areas in which we operate.”