SSH President's May Message: SSH wants meeting with HHS's Robert Kennedy

Connection is defined as, “a relationship in which a person, thing, or idea is linked or associated with something else” and/or the New York Times game, where players are asked to make 4 equal groups out of 16 items, identifying commonalities between the items within the groups.

Can you make connections with the terms below? Can you figure out groups of 4 linked terms and what connects them? (The answers are in the message that follows.)

During the month of May, we not only celebrate Star Wars on May 4, and Cinco de Mayo on May 5, and a topic I’ve been passionate about since I was a lifeguard (water safety), but it also is National Nurses Week this week (May 6-12) and National EMS Week the third full week of this month as well.

This year, as a kick-off for our myriad of interprofessional members, nurses who join or renew with SSH during Nurses Week, and EMS professionals who do the same during EMS Week, will receive a $50 discount on their annual dues. It is SSH’s way of celebrating with and supporting you doing the work you love! We are thrilled to be able to offer this value, and other groups will receive a similar promotional gift over the coming months including during Healthcare Simulation Week 2025, September 15-19.

In thinking about value, did you know that silicone is one common component in the task trainers (IV arms) and simulated manikins we use on a daily basis? It’s also used in a wide array of household items, such as baby nipples, pet toys, and swimming caps. Similar to silicone is soft PVC and other polymers, which are used in creating simulation equipment. You can come learn about all of the technical sides of the simulation community at SimOps 2025, being held in Peoria, Illinois at JUMP Simulation. For the first time, the entire SSH Board will be onsite at SimOps and available to talk with attendees, so make your plans now!

Third, programs like TeamSTEPPS, Project RED, the Healthcare Simulation Dictionary, and the SHARE Approach were all developed and promulgated by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). AHRQ was a strong and valuable federal partner for SSH.

Over the past decade, AHRQ provided grants for simulation, assisted in publishing and promoting the SSH dictionary, and served as a federal partner in patient safety initiatives. Recently, in an effort to streamline operations and reduce spending, the US government realigned various functions and structures under the Department of Health and Human Services. AHRQ, like many other agencies, and many of us, felt the pressures of budgetary cuts.

While a relatively small agency (only 500 employees) with a budget of $513M (0.04% of the Health and Human Services budget), AHRQ’s work impacted countless lives. Last year, Mike Eisenberg shared his second documentary with IMSH attendees. His work looked at patient safety and the work of his father, Dr. John Eisenberg, who was the founding director of AHRQ, and how far we, in patient safety, have come over the past 25 years.

While some of the work of AHRQ may be absorbed back into HHS, the SSH Board felt it was necessary to address these concerns on behalf of the Society. Therefore, the Board unanimously approved sending a letter expressing its collective concerns and advocating for the work AHRQ does to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. (Read the letter here.) These advocacy efforts are a small sample of the work SSH does through the board and the advocacy committee to ensure that simulation education and patient safety remain a focus; locally, regionally, nationally, and globally.

Lastly, it’s with great excitement that we can announce the IMSH 2026 Plenary Speakers are already confirmed! Taking place next January 10-14, in San Antonio, Texas, and offering over 25 IPCE (Interprofessional Continuing Education) credits, IMSH will be UNBOUND! IMSH offers unparalleled opportunities for the simulation community to celebrate, network, and further its education, so keep it on the radar and plan well in advance as you are considering your budgets. Registration will open in September!

I started this message with an ode to “connections”, and, for me, that’s what makes SSH so special.

This past month, we implemented our first quarterly meeting with the chairs and vice-chairs of all of our Affinity Groups, Special Interest Groups, Sections, Committees, Commissions, and Councils. This is an effort to ensure that as many volunteer leaders as possible throughout SSH know about the strategic plan, align their work with it, and help move SSH forward.

Throughout the year, I look forward to sharing more about the connections SSH is making and hope you spend some of your time in the coming month making connections within your institutions, locally amongst simulation colleagues, and with all of us at SSH.

Sincerely,

Jared Kutzin, DNP, MS, MPH, RN, CHSOS, FSSH, FAAN
2025-26 SSH President