In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, we sit down with Patty Wickson, a transformative leader with over 30 years of experience in health care innovation, clinical operations, and strategic systems. Patty shares her fascinating journey leading Alberta Health Services’ Innovation Office, where she and her team developed an “Innovation Pipeline” to accelerate health solutions from idea to system-wide implementation.
She reveals how her team brought groundbreaking projects to life—like a wound-healing gel that sped up recovery by 56%—and explains the fine balance between agility and evidence in large systems. Patty also shares her approach to cultivating “intrapreneurs” inside health organizations and how to foster frontline-led innovation.
From AI’s future in clinical workflows to the power of virtual care in remote communities, this episode explores the key ingredients behind meaningful health transformation—and what health innovators, clinicians, and system leaders can learn from it.
Key Topics:
About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit
This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca
In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George speaks with Dr. Kelly Lackie, Associate Professor and Associate Director of Simulation-Based Education and Inter-professional Education at Dalhousie University's School of Nursing. Dr. Lackie shares her passion for inter-professional education (IPE) and how simulation is used to build equity, psychological safety, and collaborative practice in healthcare.
From developing protected IPE time and simulation-based assessments to championing inclusive education through patient partnerships and narrative research, Dr. Lackie offers valuable insights into what it takes to prepare learners—and educators—for meaningful, team-based care.
Whether you’re an educator, clinician, policymaker, or student, this conversation will deepen your understanding of how simulation can transform education, safety, and culture in health care.
Learn more about Dalhousie’s School of Nursing: nursing.dal.ca
About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit
This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca
Advancing Health Care Through Simulation – Episode with Dr. Martin Ferguson-Pell
In this episode, host Lisa George welcomes Dr. Martin Ferguson-Pell, Professor in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta. A trailblazer in simulation-based healthcare innovation, Dr. Ferguson-Pell shares how his team leverages XR (Extended Reality) and AI tools to revolutionize clinical training, expand access to education, and reduce barriers for patients and learners alike.
From founding the nonprofit Elixir Simulations to building virtual Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCEs), Dr. Ferguson-Pell walks us through how immersive technology, thoughtful design, and collaborative models are reshaping the way we train the next generation of healthcare professionals.
He also reflects on his former role as CEO of the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute, where he led efforts to integrate patient data into system-wide strategy for improving outcomes.
Whether you're in healthcare, education, innovation, or policy—this episode offers a powerful glimpse into what's possible when simulation meets systems thinking.
About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit
This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca
In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, Stacie Wood and Alex Martins of Elevate Healthcare share how cutting-edge simulation tools, smart curriculum design, and interdisciplinary collaboration are transforming clinical training across Canada.
We explore:
Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7
About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit
This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca
In this episode, we’re joined by Robert Sikora of Edmonton Global to explore the intersection of simulation-based healthcare training and economic development. Robert shares how Edmonton’s growing reputation in health and life sciences is driving international interest—and how simulation is becoming a vital pillar in attracting investment and accelerating innovation.
We explore:
Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7
About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit
This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca
In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, Dr. Tim Willett, a national leader in simulation-based education, discusses the best practices shaping the future of healthcare training in Canada. As the President and CEO of Simulation Canada, Dr. Willett shares insights on how simulation improves workforce development, patient safety, and medical innovation.
We discuss:
Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7
About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit
This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca
In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, Dr. Michael Kallos shares how simulation is revolutionizing biomedical engineering, medical device innovation, and healthcare training. With extensive experience in research and medical technology, Dr. Kallos explores the evolving role of human factors engineering, patient-centered design, and AI in shaping healthcare solutions.
We discuss:
Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7
About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit
This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca
In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, Dr. John Gilbert, a pioneer in interprofessional education, discusses how simulation-based training is transforming collaboration in healthcare.
We explore:
Dr. Gilbert shares his insights from decades of experience in workforce development, healthcare education, and policy implementation—offering a global perspective on how interprofessional collaboration can reduce medical errors and enhance patient outcomes.
Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7
About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit
This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca
In this episode of Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, we explore how virtual reality (VR) is reshaping nursing education and healthcare training. Roger Crowe, a leader in healthcare simulation at Bow Valley College, shares insights on how VR enhances medical education, improves competency, and prepares students for real-world patient care.
We discuss:
Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7
About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit
This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca
In this pilot episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George sits down with John Sutherland, Director of CAMS at NAIT, to unpack how simulation-based education is reshaping the future of health care training in Alberta and beyond.
John shares insights into the strategic restructuring of CAMS, outlining the five core areas now driving their mission: operations, simulation-based education, interprofessional education, applied research, and health innovation services.
Key highlights include:
Learn more at “Advancing Healthcare through Simulation: A Provincial Summit” hosted by CAMS at NAIT on May 7
About:
NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit
This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca
Welcome to the intro conversation for Advancing Healthcare Through Simulation, a series exploring the critical role of simulation in shaping the future of healthcare. This series highlights NAIT's Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation (CAMS) as a hub for healthcare simulation, workforce development, and innovation.
Through conversations with experts, industry leaders, and educators, we’ll explore how simulation is transforming patient care, medical training, and healthcare innovation. Each episode is designed to enhance awareness and understanding of CAMS while positioning it as a leader in this rapidly evolving field.
Join us as we share strategic insights, compelling stories, and forward-thinking perspectives on the power of simulation in advancing healthcare.
