UAB Rehabilitation Pavilion takes first steps with systems simulation

The road to recovery starts with practice, and at the new UAB Rehabilitation Pavilion, that practice began with simulation. 

Before UAB Medicine cut the ribbon on the 11-story, 78-bed, state-of-the-art rehab center, UAB Clinical Simulation gathered teams and stakeholders to put processes, spaces and collaboration to the test through a series of emergency response systems simulations. 

Working alongside Spain Rehabilitation Center leadership, including Ryan Killingsworth, senior nursing director of rehab, as well as nursing, neurology, cardiology, hospital medicine, pulmonary and critical care leaders and representatives, the event brought together a wide range of disciplines with one shared goal: ensuring patient safety from day one. 

Over the course of three days, interprofessional teams moved through a series of simulated emergencies staged throughout the Pavilion. Scenarios included Code MET drills in the second-floor discharge area and fifth-floor patient rooms, Code Blue on the fifth floor and Code Stroke in both the seventh-floor neuro-rehabilitation unit and the 10th-floor gym. Other scenarios tested Code MI and even a status epilepticus response, while the first-floor terrain park and eighth-floor spinal cord injury unit provided unique spaces to rehearse complex transfers and responses. 

At each stop, teams paused to reflect, discuss and refine their approach. The focus wasn’t just on whether responders could reach patients in time, but whether the building itself supported safe and effective care. Teams assessed logistics, such as moving equipment between units, accessing resources in unfamiliar spaces and planning exit strategies for patients in crisis. These lively debriefs highlighted both strengths and opportunities, providing leadership with valuable insights to guide final preparations before opening the Pavilion’s doors. 

“The exercise exemplified UAB Clinical Simulation’s ‘Sim First’ philosophy, using simulation not only as a teaching tool, but as a strategic resource for system readiness,” said April Belle, UAB Clinical Simulation’s director of systems simulation. “By rehearsing emergency response in real spaces, before real patients arrive, teams can identify and resolve challenges in advance, strengthening both confidence and collaboration.” 

For Killingsworth and his colleagues, the day underscored the importance of preparation in a facility designed to help patients regain independence after life-changing injuries or illnesses.  

To learn more about systems simulation, visit here. How can systems simulation work for you? Email simulation@uabmc.edu to find out. 

UAB Medicine’s Clinical Simulation program offers opportunities for individuals and teams across UAB Medicine and beyond to practice before they deliver care. We encourage all who provide and support patient care to “Sim First.” Together, we can put our patients’ safety first.