Dr. Deborah Navedo is Leading the Way for Girls in Bioengineering and for Medical Simulation Education

Jamaica Plain resident Deborah Navedo, PhD, CPNP, recently became director of education at the Brigham’s Neil and Elise Wallace STRATUS Center for Medical Simulation. Navedo is a clinician educator and administrator with a pediatrics and emergency care background. As the founding director of the Master of Science in Health Professions Education degree program at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute, she brings a wealth of educational program development experience and expertise to the programs at STRATUS.

Charles Pozner, MD, Executive Director of STRATUS and Emergency Medicine Physician, is enthusiastic about Navedo’s appointment. “Deb’s clinical and academic leadership background will help STRATUS remain at the forefront of cutting-edge technology and innovative simulation curricula, which provides physicians hands-on experience to effectively enhance patient safety and improve clinical outcomes.”

Navedo and STRATUS recently hosted 13 top-achieving high school Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) students enrolled in EXPLO at Wheaton College’s Bioengineering for Girls program. EXPLO students were introduced to the challenges and opportunities of building models for simulationbased learning; participated in a surgical simulation using the da Vinci surgical system; and received an overview of high-fidelity manikins, including SimMan 3G, an intubation head, inflatable lungs and birthing manikin.

Navedo believes the STRATUS/EXPLO program opens doors for great achievement in the STEM arena. “Education is about inspiring as much as it is about teaching knowledge, skills and behaviors. This is what I love about working at STRATUS,” she said.

Pozner takes pride in the STRATUS/EXPLO partnership. “EXPLO is one of the highlights of the STRATUS calendar,” he said. “STRATUS is so proud to be part of such a productive program for young folks. Simulation is not only a great tool for health care providers, it is an amazing tool to create and foster enthusiasm in the health sciences for students.”

According to a 2018 Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation study, biotech growth is outpacing employers’ ability to fill vacancies. The life sciences sector is expanding at about twice the overall rate of the state and U.S. economies, according to the foundation’s 2018 Job Trends Forecast. The STRATUS/EXPLO partnership creates an imaginative, motivating, and meaningful learning environment for aspiring bioengineering students, while simultaneously helping to cultivate qualified candidates for the local workforce. STEM students in the EXPLO program represent the next generation of innovators and researchers of the health care world.

Brigham Health, a global leader in creating a healthier world, consists of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, the Brigham and Women’s Physicians Organization and many related facilities and programs. With more than 1,000 inpatient beds, approximately 60,000 inpatient stays and 1.7 million outpatient encounters annually, Brigham Health’s 1,200 physicians provide expert care in virtually every medical and surgical specialty to patients locally, regionally and around the world. An international leader in basic, clinical and translational research, Brigham Health has nearly 5,000 scientists, including physician-investigators, renowned biomedical researchers and faculty supported by over $700 million in funding. The Brigham’s medical preeminence dates back to 1832, and now, with 19,000 employees, that rich history is the foundation for its commitment to research, innovation, and community. Boston-based Brigham and Women’s Hospital is a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and dedicated to educating and training the next generation of health care professionals. For more information, resources, and to follow us on social media, please visit brighamandwomens.org.

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