SimVET, a $43 million, 53,000‑square‑foot Veterans Affairs simulation hospital near Orlando International Airport looks and functions like a real medical center but treats only mannequins and actors, giving VA clinicians a realistic, risk‑free environment to test new procedures and technologies, including AI tools, before using them on patients. Opened in 2016 and staffed by about 60 employees, SimVET is the VA’s largest simulation center and hosts operating rooms, ICUs and outpatient spaces equipped with real hospital machinery, plus dozens of diverse mannequins that can talk, move, develop complications and even give birth, all designed to mirror the veteran and broader U.S. populations.
Teams from VA medical centers nationwide come to “fail safely” by repeatedly running high‑risk scenarios, such as opioid overdose responses or complex surgical emergencies, refining protocols until they are safe and effective for real‑world use. The article highlights one Lexington, Kentucky team that used SimVET to design and practice a new “code SET” surgical emergency protocol, which is now being tested across their hospital and is on track to become a national VA program, illustrating how advanced simulation is reshaping patient safety and innovation across the health system.
