This month, I’d first like to take a few moments to share some exciting news.
Over the past few years, representatives from simulation societies from around the world have been meeting to discuss how we can better address the issues we all face as a global community. The importance of inclusivity and equity consistently emerged from these conversations through questions such as, "How can we be sure that simulationists from across the planet, from different cultural, linguistic, and economic backgrounds, all have the same voice and are all heard? How can we better support each other in the face of rapid change?"
Last month, we launched what we hope is a solution to this: the World Alliance of Healthcare Simulation (WAHS).
Deliberately organized according to the United Nations model, the WAHS is meant to be a place where simulation societies can meet on equal footing, discuss successes and concerns, and pose innovative solutions that can then be brought back and implemented by member organizations. This effort has only just begun and there is much that must still be done to move it forward. We are confident, though, that our work here will prove fruitful and make a real difference across the globe.
This is very much a developing story, and I will continue to keep you all informed.
Recognizing National CPR & AED Week
June 1-7 was also National CPR and AED Awareness Week.
Many people owe their lives to these lifesaving techniques and devices, and it is important for us to remember how integral simulation-based healthcare education and simulation research is to their development, implementation, and ongoing use.
Without simulation training it would be difficult, if not impossible, to gain and maintain enough experience in these skills to be able to use them effectively when needed. Without simulation we could not prepare for these high-risk, low frequency events before they arrive. Never forget that we, as simulation professionals, are as much a part of this life-saving chain as the clinicians that provide the direct care these patients need.
I hope that each of you has a good summer, and I hope I get the chance to see many of you at SimOps 2026 in Tampa next month!
See you soon,
Aaron Calhoun, MD, FSSH
SSH President, 2026-27