MSU Center for Simulation earns accreditation from prestigious international healthcare society
Contact: Marianne Todd
MERIDIAN, Miss.—Mississippi State University’s Center for Simulation is the first of its kind in the Magnolia State to earn the Human Simulation accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.
Situated on the third floor of the Rosenbaum Building at MSU-Meridian’s Riley Campus, the center was made possible by a $6 million gift from The Riley Foundation and a $1.06 million grant from AccelerateMS’s Nursing and Allied Health Grant Program.
The center received the designation and accreditation in Teaching/Education from the world’s leading society for healthcare simulation this past week. SSH accreditation is the gold standard for quality in healthcare simulation, with centers earning the distinction by meeting rigorous international standards built toward improving patient safety and learning outcomes.
MSU-Meridian Associate Professor of Nursing and Director of Simulation and Clinical Affairs Alaina Herrington said SSH accreditation places the university among an elite international group.
“This isn’t just a seal on the wall. It reflects an experience that’s measurably better for the students we train,” Herrington said. “It also reflects the experience our students already receive—and it sets the standard for everything we will build next. They’re learning in a program proven to deliver, and that’s just the beginning.”
Opened in 2024, the 7,715-square-foot facility provides experiential, outcome-driven simulations to hundreds of future physician assistants, nurses, nutritionists, social workers and other healthcare workers. Students practice clinical decision-making and patient care in realistic settings using mannequins and standardized patients.
“Students are assessed against the competencies employers actually need and refine their performance through guided debriefing until they’re genuinely practice-ready,” Herrington said.
Research indicates accredited simulation training provides stronger learning satisfaction, measurable gains in patient safety and clinical quality and program recognition and growth.
The MSU Center for Simulation hosts more than 400 simulations and skills sessions each year, amassing more than 1,000 student encounters.
Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.