Emily Bishop almost didn't go to IMSH 2026.
The Healthcare Simulation Technician from the University of Colorado College of Nursing had two presentations accepted to IMSH 2026 — a Hot Topic session on sustainability in simulation operations and a podium presentation on advancing the simulation operations profession. She had the work. She didn't have the funding.
"Without this scholarship," she said, "I would have struggled significantly to fund my trip to San Antonio, likely not being able to attend or present at all."
She presented both sessions, and those who attended them benefitted from it.
John DeMaio came from Stamford Health in Connecticut carrying more than two decades of clinical care. He had spent those years accumulating the kind of practical knowledge that doesn't live in textbooks — the kind that only comes from being in the room when things go wrong and figuring out what to do.
Simulation, for him, was the answer to a question he'd been working on his whole career: How do you take real-world experience and turn it into something that actually prepares the next person?
"It allows me to turn real-world experiences into safe, structured learning opportunities that build confidence and improve skills for healthcare teams," he said. His goal at IMSH was direct — connect with the people leading that work, deepen his understanding of where the field is going, and bring something concrete back to his organization.
Dr. Soheir Elbanna was selected as a 2026 scholarship recipient from Cairo, Egypt, where she works and is completing her PhD. Ultimately, she was unable to travel to San Antonio in January, but the scholarship removed the financial barrier. It also showed her that her work is valued, and her place in this field is real.
She aims to advance simulation education across Egypt and the Middle East — value-based, patient-centered, built around the systems that protect families at their most vulnerable.
"Sometimes," she said, "a single opportunity is all it takes to change your trajectory."
Supported entirely by the SSH Fund, the Beverlee Anderson Education Scholarship covers full IMSH registration, a travel stipend, one pre-conference immersive course, and a year of SSH membership. Three people received it in 2026 because someone gave and made it possible.
You can help make IMSH a reality for someone beginning in 2027. For more information on IMSH scholarships, visit: https://imsh2027.org/scholarships. For more information or to donate to the SSH Fund’s other crucial initiatives, visit sshfund.org.
And on behalf of past and future recipients, thank you!
Andrew Spain, PhD, MA, EMT-P
SSH Associate Executive Director