Designing Healthcare Simulation Centers: The Underrated Decisions That Define Success

A Practical, Business‑Minded Guide to Building Simulation Centers That Actually Work

Most healthcare simulation centers don’t fail at launch; they struggle after the ribbon-cutting.

They run out of storage. Technology underperforms. Staffing models don’t scale. Operational costs surprise leadership. And spaces designed with the best intentions quietly underdeliver.

This eBook was written to prevent that outcome.

Designed for simulation leaders, educators, executives, and planners, Designing Healthcare Simulation Centers: The Underrated Decisions That Define Success focuses on the design and operational decisions that are most often overlooked and most expensive to fix later.

Who This Book Is For

This guide is written for professionals who are:

• Planning a new healthcare simulation center
• Expanding or renovating an existing simulation program
• Leading simulation operations, education, or strategy
• Responsible for capital planning, utilization, or ROI
• Working with architects, engineers, or design firms
• Seeking long‑term sustainability, not just a beautiful build

Who This Book Is Not For

This book may not be the right fit if you are:

• Looking for a vendor catalog or technology comparison guide
• Interested only in high‑level theory without practical application
• Designing simulation spaces without responsibility for long‑term operations

This is a hands‑on, real‑world guide written by someone who has built, operated, and scaled simulation centers — not just studied them.

What You’ll Learn Inside

This eBook walks you through the Top 10 Most Underrated Design Decisions that define whether a simulation center thrives or struggles:

• Why learning objectives must drive design — not floor plans
• How to conduct an actual gap & SWOT analysis before building
• How to right‑size your center for growth and sustainability
• Why a 10–12% storage allocation can make or break operations
• How operational flow impacts staffing, utilization, and ROI
• Who to involve — and how — when gathering stakeholder input
• Why infrastructure matters more than technology purchases
• How staffing models should shape space design
• How to plan for maintenance, lifecycle costs, and sustainability
• How to design for flexibility instead of today’s trends

Each chapter includes:

• Clear explanations
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Proven best practices
• Executive‑level framing
• End‑of‑chapter checklists you can immediately use

Included Bonuses (Free With Purchase)

📎 Bonus 1: Simulation Center Design Readiness Checklist

A structured, executive‑ready checklist that mirrors all 10 chapters of the book.

Use it to:

• Assess organizational readiness
• Guide planning meetings
• Support architectural reviews
• Inform capital requests and board discussions

This checklist alone can save months of rework and thousands in avoidable costs.

📎 Bonus 2: Stakeholder Input Interview Framework

A ready‑to‑use framework with structured interview questions for:

• Learners and students
• Simulation operations specialists
• Simulation educators and faculty
• Clinical and executive leadership
• Patients and community representatives

Used early, this framework improves buy‑in, reduces redesign, and aligns space with real needs.

About the Author

Phillip Wortham, MBA, FSSH, is a healthcare simulation leader with over 15 years of experience designing, operating, and scaling simulation programs across academic, health system, and regional environments.

He is a Fellow of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (FSSH) and has led simulation initiatives focused on patient safety, workforce development, and operational excellence.

This book reflects lessons learned not only from successful builds but from solving the problems that appear years later when early decisions fall short.

Ready to Design a Simulation Center That Lasts?

If you want to:

• Avoid costly design mistakes
• Build spaces your team can actually operate in
• Protect long‑term investment
• Align simulation with strategy, staffing, and sustainability