Sim Center showcases latest medical technologies Published April 23, 2015 By Staff Sgt. Michael Ellis 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- The 59th Medical Wing Simulation Center educated staff members and patients on the latest medical simulation equipment used around the Wing during an open house at the Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, April 14, 2015. During the all-day event, simulation specialists gave tours of the facility and described the Center's capabilities. Winston Nicholson, 59th MDW medical simulation specialist, explained how some of the manikins have very realistic characteristics and respond in ways that parallel the sometimes high-stress medical environment. "Some of the manikins make realistic sounds and noises, and a few even talk," said Nicholson. "By screaming, 'Oh, I'm bleeding. It hurts!' It gets the medical personnel to actually talk to the manikin during training, just like they would do in a real-world situation when interacting with a patient". There was even a dog manikin with an injured leg on display during the open house. Simulation Specialist Stacy Kincy explained how that particular manikin was created to enhance security forces training, who sometimes may have to treat a military working dog for a broken bone or give them an IV. The Center is constantly working on adding more training scenarios to better equip the various medical professionals around the Force. A current ongoing project is to recreate a sterile operating room. Kincy explained how the manikins will actually be able to put under with anesthesia, and all the equipment will mimic an actual OR. The Simulation Center trains more than 3,000 Air Force, Army and Navy providers and technicians annually; their goal to provide the best training possible by diminishing the gap between the simulated training environment and real-world scenarios.