A new $8 million grant from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust will help the University of Iowa educate health care providers and first responders in rural parts of the state on procedures they don’t often have the opportunity to perform. The Simulation in Motion-Iowa (SIM-IA) program will provide hands-on experience for health care professionals using a truck full of state-of-the art equipment and patient simulators. The declining number of patients in rural areas means that first responders and health care providers have fewer opportunities to practice certain procedures, so they may not be fully comfortable when called upon. Simulation-based education, meanwhile, is expensive and often requires lengthy travel. The college will use a portion of the grant money to purchase three vehicles, each about the size of a semitrailer truck and equipped with a simulated ambulance cab, a simulated emergency room and a control room. University health care professionals will take the education on the road so first responders and health care professionals can sharpen their skills without the expense and hassle of travel. More information about the program can be found in this IowaNow article.