CHIPS - Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation

09/09/2026

We’re excited to share that Michael Khanlarian has been promoted to the role of Simulation Operations Specialist at CHIPS!

Since joining our team, Michael has been instrumental in keeping our simulation events running efficiently and effectively. His technical precision, proactive problem-solving, and dedication to seamless ex*****on make him a vital asset to our daily operations. His expertise will continue to be key in maintaining the high standards of readiness and realism that our learners rely on every day.

Please join us in congratulating Michael and in supporting him as he steps into this new role!

09/04/2026

09/01/2026

The deadline for Spring and Summer 2027 (January-July) CHIPS event requests is end of business on Tuesday, September 15th. All scheduling requests for the Spring and Summer terms received by September 15th will be considered together and any conflicts will be resolved in accordance with the CHIPS scheduling policy.

Requests will continue to be accepted after September 15th and will be considered on a first come, first served basis.

All CHIPS scheduling requests should be submitted using the online form on the CHIPS website: https://www.uthsc.edu/simulation/.

In late September or early October, you should expect to receive either an email confirmation or a request for further event discussion.

08/21/2026

Congratulations to Amanda Johnson, Simulation Educationalist, who just passed her Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) exam. The CHSE is reserved for those individuals from the Simulation Education community who perform healthcare simulation in the educator role without restriction to simulation modality, setting, geographic location, learner population, function, or profession.

08/12/2026

📣 We’re hiring an SP Educator at CHIPS!

You’ll work with Simulated Participants (SPs), faculty, and our staff of simulation experts to develop cases, train SPs, design and support OSCEs and other human simulation-based activities.

As one of the first programs to earn SSH Accreditation in Human Simulation (standardized/simulated patients), CHIPS has a long history of advancing best practices.

If you have experience working with SPs, theatre education or adult education, we’d love to have you apply!
Visit the University of Tennessee Health Sciences HR website and search for “Simulation Educationalist”

07/31/2026

We are proud to announce our official Reaccreditation by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) across three key domains:
🔹 Core
🔹 Human Simulation
🔹 Teaching/Education

Earning this recognition required years of evidence collection and a rigorous self-study proving compliance with 48 individual accreditation standards.

This milestone is a direct reflection of our staff, simulated patients, and faculty who continuously raise the bar for immersive, high-quality healthcare education. Thank you for your unwavering dedication to our mission!

07/30/2026

Karl Kodweis, PharmD, from The University of Tennessee Health Sciences College of Pharmacy, was the keynote speaker at the annual conference for the Tennessee Interprofessional Practice and Education Consortium held recently at Lipscomb University campus in Nashville. His keynote presentation, Prompts to Practice: Building AI Literacy Through Interprofessional Simulation, discussed the design and implementation of a constrained AI prompting activity embedded within an interprofessional simulation. The session highlighted how the activity concurrently supports AI literacy and IPEC competency development.

07/23/2026

Farewell and best wishes to Amy Rush as she begins an exciting new chapter in Chicago with the UIC College of Nursing simulation team!

Over the past six years at CHIPS, Amy has made a lasting impact through her leadership in simulated patient training programs, supporting thousands of hours of simulation and contributing to multiple successful SSH accreditation site reviews. Her creativity and talent have also enhanced our social media presence and numerous graphic design initiatives.

Amy has represented CHIPS on the international stage as well, presenting at simulation conferences around the world and coauthoring an award-winning human simulation research poster.

We know she will be an incredible addition to UIC's M. Christine Schwartz Experiential Learning & Simulation Laboratory, and we look forward to seeing all she accomplishes in this next phase of her career.

Thank you, Amy, for your dedication, leadership, and countless contributions to CHIPS. We are grateful for the impact you've made and wish you every success in Chicago!

07/20/2026

Dr. Tara Lemoine, Executive Director of CHIPS, spoke to the incoming medical students in the UTHSC College of Medicine during orientation week. She shared how our hands-on simulation center will help them build clinical skills, practice safely, and prepare to deliver excellent patient care!

We look forward to being part of your medical journey!