Inova’s Advanced Surgical Technology and Education Center Named Health & Life Sciences Innovator of the Year

FALLS CHURCH, VA ― April 29, 2015 ― The Advanced Surgical Technology and Education Center (ASTEC) on the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus has been named the Health & Life Sciences Innovator of the Year by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce. Presented to a Greater Washington area organization exhibiting excellence in healthcare and life science work, this award recognizes innovative internal or external products or processes launched in 2014 that have a significant impact in the community.

ASTEC is a 6,900 square foot facility that combines a classroom and a large, centralized skills training area with a high fidelity operating room (OR) environment, including pre-operative and post anesthesia care unit bays, two functional endoscopic ORs, and state-of-the-art observation and recording capabilities. The center replicates the surgical environment and can simulate real-life, high risk situations that might occur during surgery, which allows surgical residents and medical students to practice critical scenarios, hone their skills and enhance communication before they enter the operating room.

“Innovation is inherent to our culture, particularly with the magnitude of businesses and services in Fairfax County,” said Jim Corcoran, President and CEO of the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce. “The ASTEC facility at Inova Fairfax is one of the most advanced surgical education simulation centers in the region, offering cutting-edge approaches to critical care training and education, including interactive mannequins and robotic simulators, and very deserving of the Health & Sciences Innovation Award.”

“We are very pleased that ASTEC is a recipient of this award,” said John Moynihan, MD, FACS, Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus. “Simulation is a key component in preparing all team members – surgeons, nurses, anesthesia providers and other healthcare personnel – to function safely and efficiently in the operating room, and ASTEC provides high-tech, innovative ways to recreate realistic scenarios so our teams can be fully prepared to enter an OR.”

Presented by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Washington Innovation Awards is the premier event celebrating the thought leadership, innovation and creativity of the individuals and organizations in select industries in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Media Contact: Tracy Connell, tracy.connell@inova.org

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