Media Advisory: Inova Opens Advanced Surgical Technology and Education Center (ASTEC)

***Media Advisory***

Inova Opens Advanced Surgical Technology and Education Center (ASTEC) at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus

Landmark 6900 square foot Simulation Lab in Northern, VA will promote education, patient safety

Falls Church, VA — June 2, 2014 — In an effort to provide the region with a first-of-its-kind surgical teams training and education center to promote patient safety, Inova is hosting a grand opening reception for the new Advanced Surgical Technology and Education Center (ASTEC) on Thursday, June 12.

WHAT:                       Grand Opening Reception and Tours of the Advanced Surgical Technology and Education Center (ASTEC).

WHEN:                       Thursday, June 12, 5 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Program will begin at 6:00 p.m.

WHERE:                     Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, 3300 Gallows Rd. – Gray Entrance, Falls Church, VA

After parking, take the elevator to the Ground Level. Walk down the hall until you reach the Ambulatory Surgery Center. Take the elevator on your right to the Basement Level (B). Exit the elevator and turn right. Follow Signs to ASTEC.

The Advanced Surgical Technology and Education Center (ASTEC) is designed to accommodate a comprehensive, multidisciplinary simulation and training curriculum focused on improving surgical teamwork and technical skills.

“ASTEC provides the opportunity for training that will improve quality of care and patient experience,” said John Moynihan, MD, FACS, Chairman, Department of Surgery. “What sets this simulation center apart from others is the focus on the entire multidisciplinary team – from nurses to physicians to ancillary team members – involved in the patient’s care from the point of entry through surgery to recovery. This is the most comprehensive, multidisciplinary training facility of its kind in the area.”

The new ASTEC, an approximately 6900 square foot facility, includes a large centralized skills area, pre and post operative bays, two functional operating rooms with observation and recording capability and a “Trauma Man” simulator for teams training in trauma surgery.

ASTEC was first opened within the Department of Surgery on the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus in 2001 as a teleconferencing and bench simulation center to accommodate the learning needs of General Surgery residents and perioperative nursing services. The center will be available for use by the Inova System, as well as other healthcare facilities, educational institutions and healthcare entities involved in the delivery of high quality surgical care and education.

Media Contact: Allison C. Kenty, 703-776-3365

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