Overview

The Clinical Simulation Center (LAU-CSC), inaugurated in August 2013 and located in the Chagoury Health Sciences Center in Byblos, is a state-of-the-art innovative center in line with the university’s health sciences schools’ vision of developing a curriculum modeled after the highest quality standards of international medical education. It remains the largest clinical simulation center in Lebanon.

The center is designed to support interdisciplinary education at LAU, where students from the Gilbert & Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, the Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing, and School of Pharmacy come together to exchange and learn about and from each other. These schools are among the first national and regional health sciences schools to integrate into their curricula simulation technology which has become the international standard for medical education, surgical training and professional development. LAU-CSC also serves the needs of the Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital (LAU Medical Center-RH) and acts as a resource for the larger health care community.

The LAU-CSC is accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) since 2018. This reflects the Center’s ability to provide simulation-based education activities that model the highest administrative, educational, and ethical standards.  In addition, the CSC is certified by the American Heart Association (AHA) since 2014 as International Training Center for all AHA disciplines. In December 2018, the CSC has been awarded a special Certificate of Appreciation, for its efforts to help saving lives.

The CSC outreach programs have flourished and an exponential increase in the number and the scope of courses delivered by the CSC was experienced for national and regional participants. 

New and innovative equipment was recently acquired through a competitive ASHA grant: A portable high-fidelity endovascular simulator, a neurosurgery virtual reality simulator and  units for hands-on skills training for laparoscopic surgery.  This new equipment is added to other recently acquired equipment such as the neuroradiology replicator, the first of its kind outside USA, the comprehensive neonatal and pediatric setting, and the audiovisual recording system with debriefing capabilities,  

The Clinical Simulation Diploma, the first of its kind in the MENA region, was offered for the 4^th  consecutive year in collaboration with Monash University. The multidisciplinary group of graduates currently counts 84 healthcare professionals from different Lebanese and Arab countries.

The CSC adapted very quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic era. The elaboration of a COVID-19 protocol regulated the use of the facility by students and faculty, many teaching sessions were provided in hybrid format and a virtual Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) sessions were delivered for the first time in Lebanon. The CSC also played an important role at our medical center by providing simulation training for staff to improve their preparedness to COVID-19. 

Mission

The LAU-CSC is designed to support the interdisciplinary and integrative teaching-learning process for LAU’s health science students and professionals, with the ultimate goal to benefit patient care.  It also serves as a resource to the larger health care community.

Vision

LAU-CSC will be recognized as a regionally prominent, accredited, interdisciplinary center that provides high-quality simulation education with the aims of promoting safe and effective patient care and advancing science.

Goals

• Provide learners with opportunities to develop clinical competencies and confidence in a safe setting.
• Provide a setting in which learners engage in interprofessional experiences that foster teamwork and collaboration with the aims of promoting safe and effective patient care.
• Serve as a venue to conduct research that will advance health care and health science education.

Faculty and Staff

• Vanda Abi Raad, M.D., M.H.P.E.,  Director
• Nadia Asmar, M.D., Associate Director
• Nelly Chammas, R.N., D.H.Q.M., M.B.A.,  Senior  Coordinator
• Rudy Bahri, RN, M.B.A.,  Coordinator

Contact Information

• Telephone: +961-9-547-254, ext. 2936
• Hours of operation: Weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Location: Chagoury Health Sciences Center, 4300, 4th floor, Byblos Campus
• E-mail: info.csc@lau.edu.lb
• Website