Centre for Health and Wellness

Last academic year, the Simulated Patient Health Environment for Research and Education (SPHERE) area underwent both an internal review using Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations and Results Analysis (SOAR) with CTLI, and an external review using Laerdal’s Simulation Education Solutions for Nursing (SESN). Although the SESN review focuses on nursing, SPHERE supports education within simulated spaces for many health professions (i.e. Nursing Education in Southwestern Alberta, Bachelor of Nursing After Degree, Practical Nurse, Health Care Aide, Therapeutic Recreation and Gerontology, Massage Therapy, and Primary Care Paramedic students).

Here is an excerpt from the final document of the SESN review “Lethbridge College stands as one of the premier facilities that supports the education of many health professions in Canada. With strong support from Senior Administration, its exemplary staffing model, and well-equipped facilities, the SPHERE is well positioned to further increase its impact on learning outcomes and become an exemplar in simulation education within the programs it supports. This is demonstrated by an achievement of 79% to full compliance across 27 Key Simulation Program Performance Indicators. This is an exceptional result, and likely eclipses all initial Simulation Program Assessment results in North America. Since the inception of the SESN Program in 2015, average initial Assessment results ranged from 25% - 45%, further demonstrating the exemplary work that the SPHERE, its staff, and its stakeholders have undertaken to date.” Bruce Karatzoglou, Manager, Educational & Technical Services Canada with Laerdal Medical Canada.

In SPHERE, we strive for excellence, innovation, and transformational education founded on inclusivity, meaningful impact, and collective unity. We are proud of our assessment and the score; however, even more we celebrate the collaborative partnerships and initiatives many of you have participated in to help our area achieve this success. We would like to thank all programs we collaborate within the Centre for Health & Wellness (CHW), across the Lethbridge College campus, and community members. SPHERE wouldn’t be what it is today without the partnerships we have built with internal and external stakeholders, the committed SPHERE team, and our Peer Connection and Leadership Student Volunteer initiative. SPHERE, CHW leadership and instructors, and pertinent external stakeholders will put the recommendations from both reviews into action over the upcoming months.

The Centre for Health and Wellness is thrilled to be part of an exciting new applied research project called CareGiVR: Building Self-Efficacy in Dementia Care Through Immersive Education, funded through a $250,000 grant from the Alberta Innovates eXtended Reality Health Economic Acceleration and Development (xR HEAD) Program.

Lethbridge College's Spatial Technologies Applied Research and Training (START) initiative and Red Iron Labs have partnered to develop an immersive VR training platform for caregivers working with clients with dementia. Using motion and facial capture technologies, the platform will allow caregivers to interact with virtual clients and practice communication skills in a variety of highly realistic scenarios. Deb Bardock (Dean, Centre for Health and Wellness) and Mike McCready (President's Applied Research Chair in Virtual and Augmented Reality), pictured left, are lead researchers.

The Massage Therapy Program at Lethbridge College has been awarded a three-year accreditation, the highest level for first time approval. Having received preliminary accreditation status August 2018, the program received this stellar achievement after participating in the final CMTCA accreditation process March 2020. This marks an important and historic milestone in the massage therapy field, with Lethbridge College being the first in Alberta to receive both preliminary and full accreditation status. In addition, the first institution in a non-regulated province to receive a CMTCA accreditation status. The program would like to thank everyone who participated in the accreditation process over the past few years and invite you all to join in celebration of this significant institutional and program achievement.