Healthcare simulation is more than just technology; it is a complex organizational feat requiring vision, coordination, and a deep-rooted connection to clinical practice. In this episode of Sim Move, Fouad Marhar takes us to the heart of Simulation Marseille (SIMMAR), an imposing facility that serves as a major benchmark in the French-speaking world. Leading this operational machine is a dynamic female trio: Aurélie Daumas, the medical director, alongside Magali Delfino and Carine Garcia, who manage the pedagogical and operational soul of the center.
A SIMZINE exclusive based on SIM Moove podcast interview with Aurélie Daumas, Magali Delfino and Carine Garcia
Beyond Bureaucracy: The GIS Model Between Strategy and the Field
A facility of SimMar’s scale could not exist without robust governance. The center operates through a Scientific Interest Group (GIS), a strategic alliance between Aix-Marseille University and the Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM) . While high-level academic and hospital leaders define the broad strategy, Aurélie emphasizes that the secret to their success lies in listening to the “field” . Training programs do not emerge from a vacuum; they respond to real needs, ranging from university curriculum requirements to critical issues identified in hospital wards, such as managing adverse events or improving collaboration between nurses and nursing assistants .
The center’s philosophy is clear: quality comes before quantity, even if it means postponing a project to ensure it is built with methodological rigor .
Spreading the Simulation “Virus”: Faculty Development
One of the pillars of SimMar is the training of trainers—a mission Magali Delfino pursues with the passion of someone eager to “infect” colleagues with the simulation virus. The program offered is not a simple technical course, but a true pedagogical transformation lasting five days, focused on andragogy and reflective practice . The most compelling aspect is the heterogeneity of the participants: doctors, nurses, midwives, and even ambulance drivers learn together, breaking down professional silos to create a community of practice that brings these skills directly back to the clinical setting.
The Art of Debriefing: SCAR and the Magic of the “Film”
At SIMMAR, simulation is 80% debriefing. To guide this crucial phase, the team uses the SCAR framework (Situation, Context, Analysis, Recommendation), a tool that allows participants to compare what best practices suggest with what was actually performed . However, the true Marseille specialty lies in the use of video recording. Instead of selecting short clips of errors, the team prefers to watch the entire “film” of the session . This choice, while time-consuming, serves to strengthen the sense of self-efficacy: students don’t just see what went wrong; they observe their professional posture and recognize everything they did well, making feedback much more acceptable and transformative .
A Home for Simulation: The Three Floors of SimMar
The physical structure of SimMar reflects its scale of intervention, organized across three levels of increasing fidelity. On the top floor, the youngest students approach basic technical gestures in low fidelity . Moving down to the middle floor, one is immersed in an environment that mimics a real hospital ward, while the ground floor is dedicated to high fidelity . Here, emergency bays, operating rooms, and intensive care units are equipped with gear identical to that used in real life, allowing the center to accommodate between 400 and 500 students in a single day . This volume is made possible by a dedicated technical team, essential for ensuring the center’s “music” continues to play without a hitch.
A Continuing Legacy: A Tribute to Pierre Rostini
The episode concludes with a moment of gratitude for those who laid the foundations of simulation in Marseille. The operational trio pays tribute to Pierre Rostini, the physician whose vision and dedication transformed a small project into what SIMMAR is today . It is thanks to these pioneers, who braved early difficulties and the “DIY” (bricolage) nature of the field, that simulation has become a professional discipline capable of improving patient safety and the well-being of healthcare providers.
Full conversation available in French on SIM Moove
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