About the USC

The Utah Simulation Coalition (USC) was conceived in early 2015 as a true union between clinicians and academicians. Initially, the clinical side of simulation was the focus and became a very popular staple in the regional communities across Utah. Sarah Minson, MSN, RN, Simulation Coordinator for Intermountain Healthcare, worked very closely with USC President, Dr. Madeline Lassche, RN, and board members to create, develop, and drive the current Simulation for Academicians course.

According to the Society for Simulation in Healthcare,

“Healthcare simulations can be said to have four main purposes: education, assessment, research and health system integration in facilitating patient safety.”

The Utah Simulation Coalition resonates with this definition and focuses primarily on educating academicians on simulation.

Our Founders

Madeline Lassche, DNP, NEA-BC, CHSE

1972 — 2023

Founding Member and First USC President

We miss Maddie’s resolve, vision and love for nursing, simulation and learning.
To honor Maddie’s legacy, the University of Utah has established the Maddie Lassche, DNP, RN, Simulation Education Scholar Award which will recognize an outstanding University of Utah Health staff, faculty or student who has demonstrated innovation and dedication to academic health through teaching and education-based scholarly activity, especially as related to simulation.

Madeline Lassche was the Executive Director of Simulation at the University of Utah. She was experienced in simulation methodologies for teaching and developing simulation programs in pre-licensure, graduate, and interprofessional education. Dr. Lassche was also a simulation consultant creating simulation virtual environments for multiple organizations. She was a PI on intermural grants resulting in virtual reality evaluation, simulation in systems, and evaluation of interprofessional learning.

Stevi Gire, MS, RN, CHSE

1973 — 2021

Founding Member and First Secretary and Treasurer

Stephanie (Stevi) Gire, MS, RN, CHSE, clinical instructor at the University of Utah College of Nursing with a primary focus on simulation-based instruction and faculty development. Stevi was a founding member of the Utah Simulation Coalition and served as USC secretary and treasurer 2015-2020. Stevi collaborated with simulation experts across Utah to develop two 3-day courses through the Utah Simulation Coalition: Simulation Operations Specialist Basics and Simulation Facilitator Course for the Academician. During the summer of 2020, Stevi assisted in developing and facilitating a 3-week online Facilitator Course for the Academician.

Pamela Anderson, MSN, RN

Pam earned a Master of Education from Weber State University in 2009 and worked for Weber State University for 10 years. She is an experienced simulation-based educator who taught at BYU-Idaho and at Ogden Weber Applied Technology College as the Simulation Educator and Clinical Instructor. Pam was a founding member of the Utah Simulation Coalition, assisting with the development and teaching of simulation courses for academicians.

Dianne McAdams-Jones, RN, CHSE, SFHEA

Dr. McAdams-Jones is a post doctorate prepared nurse educator who directed the Simulation Learning Labs at Utah Valley University for over ten years. During those years she wrote for and received over eighty thousand dollars internally for grants to promote and facilitate simulation for the students and faculty. In the face of university low budgets, she developed a Simulation in Technology Scholars (SIT Scholars) course that trained students in the management of simulation technology thereby affording technical assistance needed to manage three or four simulations simultaneously. Dianne provided guidance to the local communities through creating, directing and facilitating an integrative simulation coalition for Utah County. She is a founding member of the Utah Simulation Coalition and a key program developer and facilitator for USC’s recurring Simulation for Educators/Academicians’. She collaborated with simulationists around the world as an author for a Society for Simulators in Healthcare (SSH) ebook for simulation educators, is a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) and a Center for Medical Simulation (Harvard) certified Simulationist Instructor.

Stacie Hunsaker, DNP, RN, CEN, CPEN, CNE, CHSE

Dr. Stacie Hunsaker is a full-time teaching professor at Brigham Young University College of Nursing. With an impressive 30-year background as an emergency department nurse, and 36 years as a nurse, she continues to work as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner in Utah. Stacie maintains board certifications in emergency nursing, pediatric emergency nursing, nursing education, and healthcare simulation education. She has an extensive healthcare simulation background and functioned for several years as a simulation facilitator for Intermountain Healthcare. She has been the BYU College of Nursing’s simulation program and now serves as the simulation education and accreditation coordinator.

Stacie’s commitment to professional advancement is reflected in her continued certifications, active participation in teaching emergency-related courses, and her role on various professional committees. Overall, her multifaceted contributions underscore a passionate commitment to the nursing profession, blending clinical expertise, education, research, and advocacy.

Sarah Minson, MSN, RN

Sarah is the Simulation Consortium Director for Intermountain Health. As one of the first Simulation employees for Intermountain Healthcare more than 15 years ago, Sarah has worked to expand the simulation program across its 26-hospital system. The Intermountain Simulation Consortium is an accredited program with six primary simulation centers throughout the state of Utah. Sarah attended Simulation Facilitator training at the Center for Medical Simulation (Harvard) in 2010. She is core faculty and co-creator of the Intermountain Simulation Course, helping train and mentor over 1200 simulation facilitators. She is a founding member of the Utah Simulation Coalition and helped develop the USC Facilitator course in 2019. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and her Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education from the University of Utah and her Master of Science in Nursing from Western Governors University. Sarah has been a Registered Nurse for more than 20 years with experience in Women’s Services, Pediatrics, Education, Leadership, and Simulation.

Marlene Summers, ARNP, CNM

Marlene earned an Associate Degree from Ricks College, a Bachelor’s Degree in education from Weber State College, and a Master’s in Education from Utah State University. The majority of her work of nearly 31 years with Intermountain Healthcare was in clinical education. As the North Regional Education Consultant, she worked with educators in Ogden and Logan, Utah and Burley, Idaho to incorporate simulation exercises for clinical nurses. All of those sites were involved in the simulation certification from the Society of Simulation in Healthcare for Intermountain Healthcare in 2017. Marlene worked with the Chair of Nursing at Weber State University and the Intermountain Simulation Director in 2018 to collaborate with members from the Utah Simulation Coalition in developing academic training specifically for university facilitators. Marlene served as USC Co-President with Dr. Elizabeth Thackeray, MD, for the Utah Simulation Coalition for 2019 and then solo as President through 2021.