The country’s leading business expansion publication featured HSC in an article about “fast-growing” Fort Worth. The simulation center and the Techstars initiative were mentioned in a section of the story about healthcare innovation:
When it comes to innovation, the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth (HSC) is at the forefront of testing new technology and cultivating collaborative relationships that strengthen the future of healthcare.
HSC opened its new regional simulation center in July 2022, integrating virtual reality technology — the first of its kind in Texas — for students and healthcare workers in the community to have a low-stakes environment to practice their skills. “They can practice in the SIM lab in a safe place, where it’s okay to make a mistake. It’s not our clinical environment, yet it feels like it,” says HSC Simulation Center Director Karen Meadows.
The new 16,000-sq.-ft. space allows for greater capacity with more rooms to practice skills one-on-one or in a collaborative environment. These capabilities allow the lab to stimulate more than just medicine, impacting the future of healthcare and training. “I think there are lots of synergies between testing out things that you want to take to market in a healthcare setting, but having a place to do that in a safe spot where you aren’t harming patients. That’s a great opportunity to attract people to the center, to the area and the research possibilities,” says Meadows.
Beyond a collaborative workspace, HSC and the city provided funding for Techstars, a global investment business, to launch Techstars Physical Health Fort Worth Accelerator led by Managing Director Trey Bowles. “It’s amazing to see not only the financial commitment, but the strategic priority that the city, the county and Health Science Center are putting around making sure people see the innovation that’s happening here,” says Bowles. “They want Fort Worth to continue to grow as a leading hub for innovation and entrepreneurship across the world.” With over 1,500 applicants relating to physical health startups, Techstars will invest and provide mentorship to 10 early-stage entrepreneurs.