Speakers

Haru Okuda MD is the National Medical Director for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Simulation Learning Education and Research Network (SimLEARN). In his role at SimLEARN, he oversees the identification and development of VHA’s simulation-based clinical training programs across the nation and helps to define the strategy for the use of simulation throughout the 152 medical facilities within the VHA. In addition, he is currently advising in the construction and deployment of VHA’s 51,000 square foot national simulation center. Dr. Okuda is also co-Director of the VHA’s Advanced Fellowship in Health Professions Education, Evaluation, and Research. He holds an academic appointment as Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine in Orlando, Florida.

Prior to joining the Veterans Health Administration, Dr. Okuda was Assist ant Vice President and founding director of the Institute for Medical Simulation and Advanced Learning (IMSAL) with the New York City Public Health System (HHC). In this role, he helped to build HHC’s 10,000 square foot simulation center focused on improving patient safety throughout t he system, developing training focused on interprofessional teamwork and clinical procedures. He wasalso the Director of Undergraduate Simulation at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Associate Residency Director of their Emergency Medicine Residency Program.

Dr. Okuda graduated from Brown University where he majored in Neuroscience. He received his MD from New York Medical College, completed his Emergency Medicine Residency at Mount Sinai Hospital, and finished a Clinical Quality Fellowship with the Greater New York Hospital Association. He is certified in Emergency Medicine by the American Board of Emergency Medicine.

He is the co-creator of SimWars, a simulation-based clinical competition, which has spread across 4 continents and is held annually at the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare. He has published multiple textbooks including SimWars Simulation Case Book: Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medicine Oral Board Review Illustrated. Dr. Okuda was recognized by Crain’s NY Business Magazine as one of 40 under 40 NY Rising Stars and by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of its 25 Rising Healthcare Leaders under 40. His has held multiple national positions including Chair of the Emergency Medicine Special Interest group for Society for Simulation in Healthcare and Vice-Chair of the Simulation Academy for the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.