South Hosts Gulf Coast Health Simulation Consortium
Posted on October 3, 2025
Dr. Jennifer Arnold, pediatrician, neonatologist, internationally recognized speaker, best-selling author and expert in healthcare simulation brought her unique perspective to the University of South Alabama as the keynote speaker for the Gulf Coast Health Simulation Consortium attended by health professionals from across the country.
Arnold gave two presentations during the Consortium, the first addressed inclusiveness in healthcare, drawing on her personal experiences pursuing a medical career. She has a rare type of dwarfism called Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Type Strudwick and required more than 30 orthopedic surgeries. She is also the mother of two children, both with skeletal dysplasia. Her husband, Bill Klein, and their children were featured on The Learning Channel鈥檚 docuseries 鈥淭he Little Couple鈥� from 2009 to 2019.
鈥淲e know that physicians and nurses and allied health professionals that have that lived experience bring increased empathy for their patients, better communications skills and often because of their lived experience have better decision-making with patients and families,鈥� Arnold said.
Arnold鈥檚 second presentation focused on the application of healthcare simulation as a tool for patient safety and quality of care.
鈥淪imulation gives us the opportunity to not just work on our technical skills, but nontechnical skills like teamwork and communication, which can improve patient safety and positive outcomes,鈥� she said.
Arnold is the founding director of the simulation centers at both Texas Children鈥檚 Hospital and Johns Hopkins All Children鈥檚 Hospital and is the executive director for the Immersive Design Systems at Boston Children鈥檚 Hospital, the primary pediatric teaching hospital for Harvard Medical School.
鈥淒r. Arnold is a valuable resource for our conference attendees,鈥� said Dr. Anjie Davis, director 吃瓜爆料 Simulation Lab. 鈥淗er value stems from her dual role as a board-certified physician and the founding director of two renowned simulation programs.鈥�
Arnold came away impressed after touring South鈥檚 39,000 square foot Health Simulation building where students and faculty from 吃瓜爆料鈥檚 colleges of nursing, allied health professions, medicine and 吃瓜爆料 Health professionals receive clinical training.
鈥淚鈥檓 a little jealous of the amount of space you have,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he setup is just incredible.鈥�
