A message from Jenny Rudolph, PhD, Executive Director of the Center for Medical Simulation:

I am writing with some exciting news about the leadership team at the Center for Medical Simulation (CMS) that represents both continuity and innovation.

First, some changes in Robert Simon’s role:  After 18 years at CMS and nearly 50 years as an educator and researcher, Robert has decided to step back from a number of his responsibilities at CMS. He will take on the CMS title of Principal Consultant. In this capacity, which he calls “semi-retirement,” he will continue to work with several of the institutions who comprise the CMS Affiliate Program, continue as a mentor in the CMS International Scholars program, continue teaching in our faculty development courses.  It is hard to overstate the impact Robert has had on shaping faculty development in healthcare simulation.  In 2003, he started and led the development of the Institute for Medical Simulation, our faculty development program under a grant from the Josiah Macy Junior Foundation.  The nearly 6000 graduates of this program are now shaping simulation education around the world.  In 2014, he then turned his attention to developing the CMS Education Leadership and International Program which works with healthcare education institutions and health systems world-wide to create transformational learning cultures using simulation as a catalyst.  Robert’s unflagging commitment to learning, his ability to help me and others at CMS do our best work is an enduring gift to our community of practice.

Next, I am delighted to announce that Chris Roussin, PhD will be joining the Center for Medical Simulation as Senior Director, Education Leadership and International Programs. Chris is an innovator in simulation program design, team debriefing and faculty development, devising new ways to use simulation to build relationships, quality, safety and meaning in healthcare work.  I have known Chris since 2000 when he and I were organizational behavior doctoral students together.

Some of you may know Chris from his work as the Director of Academics and Research with the Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) Simulator Program where he was also on the faculty at Harvard Medical School as Assistant Professor, Anaesthesia.  At CMS he will continue that appointment, and will be joining the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Chris holds a PhD and MA in Organization Studies from Boston College and a BS from Babson College.

We are delighted that Chris will be able to apply his recent experience working within the Harvard hospital system, as well as internationally, leading, designing and delivering programs to implement and integrate simulation and debriefing efforts into healthcare organizations.  As the Director of Academics and Research at BCH SimPeds, Chris and his colleagues broadened the application of simulation to serve the entire BCH enterprise in partnership with over 27 divisions and departments, supporting 1000 simulation-based learning interventions per year.

An award-winning teacher and educator, Chris was formerly on the faculty in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at Suffolk University School of Business, Boston.  He has also served as a manager and consultant at Deloitte & Touche, and at Price-Waterhouse, specializing in top executive advisory services in the area of team and organizational leadership, change and development across multiple industries.  Chris has published in high impact medical/healthcare, business management and social psychology journals on a wide array of topics including psychological safety among work teams and simulation-based learning and education innovations.  He is also an artist and performer of his own original music and performs regularly in Boston-area music clubs!

Here are three representative publications of Chris’ academic work:

●  Roussin, C. J., MacLean, T. L., & Rudolph, J. W. (2016). The safety in unsafe teams: A multilevel approach to team psychological safety. Journal of Management, 42(6), 1409-1433.

●  Roussin, C. J., & Weinstock, P. (2017). SimZones: an organizational innovation for simulation programs and centers. Academic Medicine, 92(8), 1114-1120.

●  Bae, D. S., Lynch, H., Jamieson, K., Yu-Moe, C. W., & Roussin, C. (2017). Improved safety and cost savings from reductions in cast-saw burns after simulation-based education for orthopedic surgery residents. JBJS, 99(17), e94.

With his talent, entrepreneurial spirit, and deep roots in reflective practice work and simulation-based learning, it is a joy to welcome Chris to our team!

All the best,

Jenny