CECICS OFFICIALLY RECEIVED THE FULL SSH (SOCIETY FOR SIMULATION IN HEALTHCARE) ACCREDITATION

Center for Elaboration Competency and Innovation in Clinical Simulation  (CECICS), formerly known as the Clinical Skills Training Unit (Skillslab), had developed through 4 stages and was officially established on December 15^th, 2017. Since then, CECICS has always strived to fulfill the Mission and Vision and taken the lead to serve the educational mission of the Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine (PNTU). In addition to teaching and other activities in PNTU, CECICS determine that we always follow the guidelines and standards of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH).

CECICS and PNTU had spent 3 years preparing facilities, developing a training program, and the core faculties. After all, we had many achievements, and receiving the SSH Provisional Accreditation on January 26^th, 2019 was a big stepping stone for the next stage of development in efforts to contribute to transforming medical education in Vietnam.

The 2019-2021 period was challenging because CECICS had to achieve the Full SSH Accreditation before the end of 2021, and unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic had become complicated since the end of 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic made us nearly impossible to prepare documentation for the SSH Accreditation, and the experts could not go to Vietnam to interview in person. Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City were going through tough and drastic periods fighting the pandemic, so we had to change into a virtual interview.

With the instruction of Professor Hoi Ho, MD – Director of the Collaborative Educational Program, and Kim Tuyen Ho, Pharm D, BCPS – Co-Director of the Collaborative Educational Program, both from the Texas Tech University Health Science Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso) as well as the attention and support of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, the PNTU School Board of Manager, other units, faculties, and departments, CECICS had made great efforts to overcome all difficulties, completed the assigned tasks and successfully obtained the Full SSH Accreditation on December 22^nd, 2021. Due to the complicated outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the PNTU School Board of Manager and CECICS could not attend the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH 2022) held in the United States to receive the Accreditation in person. The Accreditation was then sent to Vietnam by SSH in early March 2022.

CECICS is one of the first two simulation centers in Southeast Asia to achieve the Full SSH Accreditation. With these successes, CECICS will continue to implement the strategic plan toward achieving SSH Accreditation for the Research and System Integration.