923: Revolutionizing Healthcare Education - with Matt Merino, CEO, Education Management Solutions

Welcome back everybody. It's your time to EdUp on the EdUp Experience podcast where we make education your business. This is your special guest host, Dr. Lori Shanderson, host of EdUp Accreditation. I'm taking some time off today to speak to Matthew Marino, the CEO of EMS, which is Education Management Solutions. Welcome Matt.

Matt: Thank you for having me. Excited to be with you today.

Lori: I'm late to the game relative to learning about EMS, but as a faculty member, program director, assistant dean, associate dean, founding dean, chancellor, all of health-related programs, what you do is so incredibly important to training individuals in the healthcare space. Can you tell us a little about EMS and what you actually do?

Matt: Certainly. EMS has been the pioneer in software solutions for healthcare education and training. Our roots go back to 1994. We introduced the first automated skills assessment solution in 1997. In the past six years, we have rapidly evolved into a solutions platform. Our focus now is offering the most configurable and comprehensive solutions platform for healthcare education and training, not only for higher education but also for healthcare providers and government agencies in the healthcare arena.

Our goal is to build a platform that is flexible and configurable so that our partner institutions can create the solution that works best for them. We're agnostic when it comes to task trainers, hardware, and devices used in simulation and competency-based education. We aim to integrate all these elements into our system.

Lori: To break it down, you mentioned automated skills assessment. What do you mean by that? Were you testing online back in 1994 and 1997?

Matt: It was about taking the paperwork out of things. Before, people used skills checklists with paper and pen for evaluation. We introduced an actual platform that could be done through a computer where you could store and upload data, centralizing it and removing the old pen and paper approach. 

This quickly evolved into simulation solutions. We built software environments to mimic what a doctor or nurse would experience in a care setting, creating patient rooms with cameras, mannequins, and paging systems. We could capture all these activities, evaluate individuals, record sessions, debrief, and create bookmarks for instructors to dig deep in helping learners understand specific areas and key points.

Lori: So if a student is in a practice setting room with a high-fidelity mannequin and other programmed elements, you take all that data and provide a comprehensive report on the student's performance?

Matt: Correct. We bring in the mannequin feed, video recordings, and audio of every discussion into our system. We centralize all this information for evaluation. It allows for a debrief session where students or healthcare providers can review what they just experienced in the simulation, discussing what went well and identifying opportunities for improvement.

This is why I'm so passionate about simulation. It creates an environment where it's safe to make mistakes, which is crucial in high-stakes healthcare settings. Simulation provides not only a safe learning environment but also the opportunity for repetition, which is essential for skill development.

Lori: Tell me how this facilitates a better experience for the student, especially in an environment where they can make mistakes without fear.

Matt: You're exactly correct that there's initial anxiety, even in a simulated environment. But what alleviates it is the knowledge that if a mistake is made, it's not with a real person. We can pause the simulation, discuss options, and reflect on decisions.

I believe a certain amount of anxiety is actually good - it shows you care and adds focus. In this environment, we want enough realism to generate some anxiety, but not at levels that would be crippling if it were an actual patient.

Simulation is that middle phase between classroom learning and hands-on patient care. It became especially crucial during the pandemic when hands-on clinical environments were limited.

Lori: I can see why the government and other institutions outside of Higher Ed would be particularly interested. Which types of programs utilize the platform more than others?

Matt: Our roots were originally in medical schools, which still make up a large portion of our client base, along with nursing schools. We're now seeing adoption in therapy programs, allied health, and pharmacy. In the provider space, it's applicable to anyone who interacts with patients or their loved ones. The government side is even broader, including VA hospitals and military applications.

Lori: What do you envision as the next big leap in simulation-based training for healthcare, and how are you preparing for it?

Matt: The next big step will be enhanced virtual environments fully incorporated using mixed reality and AI. We're looking at ways to create dynamic learning environments that can change based on the learner's actions. On the other side, AI observing actual simulations could enhance our data collection and analysis capabilities.

Lori: How do you measure success in improving education and training outcomes?

Matt: In the provider space, we look at whether we're allowing more rapid onboarding of new clinicians and giving tools to maintain clinical standards. Ultimately, everything we do should be measured by patient outcomes. We're not there yet, but that's where we need to get to.

Lori: Can you share some insights from your career journey that influenced your approach to leading EMS and advancing healthcare education through technology?

Matt: First, having a shared vision you can communicate is essential. Second, it's crucial to recognize your own gaps and surround yourself with experts who complement your skills. Lastly, we focus on breaking down our bigger vision into specific, measurable, actionable outcomes. 

It's also important to create an environment where people feel their work has impact. As a leader, it's our job to connect the dots for everyone, showing how each individual contributes to the bigger goal.

Lori: Matt, this has been such an interesting conversation. Is there anything else you'd like to share about EMS?

Matt: I think it's important for all of us committed to healthcare to embrace partnerships and work together on the big issues. Healthcare is one of those few things that affects us all, and we need to come together to improve outcomes and quality of life for everyone.

Lori: That's a perfect note to end on. Thank you so much for joining me today, Matt.

Matt: Thanks so much.