Cindy Bartman, standardized patient program coordinator, leads a group
through Finkelstein Hall May 1.
Image credit - Valerie Wojciechowski
Standardized patients tour Finkelstein Hall
May 2, 2018
People look at artwork in Finkelstein Hall; some of the third floor art
was created by students attending Coit Creative Arts Academy.
Image credit - Valerie Wojciechowski
Bartman explains features in a speech-language pathology lab.
Image credit - Valerie Wojciechowski
The people who portray patients during simulations for nursing and health professions students got an early look at Grand Valley's newest building May 1.
About 25 standardized patients (SPs) toured Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, noting locations of labs and classrooms where they will work with students and faculty members.
Cindy Bartman, standardized patient program coordinator, said SPs are people trained to portray a patient in a simulated health care setting, providing students with opportunities to practice and develop skills in a clinical setting. Bartman works with a pool of about 200 SPs.
Finkelstein Hall opens for classes May 7. The 84,000-square-foot building includes four classrooms and 16 teaching laboratories.
The tour group enjoyed the therapeutic recreation gym, which is two stories tall and includes a high ropes course and basketball court. Bartman led them into the ultrasound/sonogram room, and they stopped in the speech-language pathology classroom, which features one-way glass for monitoring simulations and an updated video system.
A specific elevator in Finkelstein Hall will take SPs to their reception area on the first floor.
Gary VanHeck has been an SP for about nine years and said his most memorable experience was portraying a military colonel who was dying from natural causes. He said he enjoys working with students.
"These kids are so good at what they do and are so grateful for the time we give them," VanHeck said.
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