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SUNY Westchester Community College is one of seven organizations to receive 2023 grants from The Children’s Dream Foundation (CDF), an organization working to advance pediatric emergency medicine in New York’s Hudson Valley region. 

The grant allowed the SUNY Westchester School of Health Sciences and Wellness to purchase a Laerdal SimJunior Dark simulator plus accessories to be used to train students in nursing, paramedic, radiologic technology, and respiratory care and current first responders such as emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in their education of pediatric emergency care. 

Also covered by this grant was SimJunior training for faculty from the nursing, radiologic, and paramedic programs conducted by a Laerdal simulation training specialist. 

Laerdal Medical is a provider of training, educational, and therapy products for life-saving and emergency medical care. SimJunior® is an interactive pediatric simulator, designed by Laerdal with the American Academy of Pediatrics to meet the education and training needs of healthcare providers. SimJunior represents a 6-year-old boy who simulates a wide range of conditions from a healthy, talking child to an unresponsive, critical patient with no vital signs. SimJunior allows learners to focus on a broad range of pediatric skills to gain exposure and practical experience with life-threatening pediatric problems. 

This grant will enable students to practice in a simulation setting, provide a better understanding of the basics of pediatric airway management, and support the continued education of local current and future healthcare providers. SUNY Westchester also partners with many healthcare and emergency care agencies to provide learners with access to emergency airway experts who are specifically trained to teach the basics of pediatric airway management through simulation.

“We are extremely honored to be receiving this grant for the first time,” said George W. Contreras, DrPH(c), MEP, MPH, MS, RN, EMTP, Dean of the School of Health Sciences and Wellness at SUNY Westchester. “By supporting the purchase of this innovative training technology, The Children’s Dream Foundation’s grant will help improve the quality of pediatric care for thousands of children throughout Westchester County. SUNY Westchester wholeheartedly appreciates and supports The Children’s Dream Foundation’s commitment to ensuring all children receive the best medical care possible by educating the next generation of healthcare professionals and current emergency responders.”