Big benefits from Big Kev

Deirdre Newman

Students studying to become health-care professionals at Orange Coast

College now have a patient to test their expertise on.

But Stan -- short for standard man -- is far from standard. He is a

high-tech patient simulator with sophisticated computer controls.

Students say they appreciate Stan’s presence in the classroom because

it enables them to gain exposure to varying situations before they

encounter them in clinical training.

“It gets our feet wet for real-case situations in a hospital,” said

respiratory student Dominic Santiago. “It gives us a broad perspective,

other than ‘Oh no, now what do I do?”’

The simulator was obtained by Kevin Ballinger, dean of consumer and

health sciences, with $200,000 in federal funds. As a result, Stan has

endearingly been nicknamed “Big Kev” in honor of Ballinger.

Big Kev arrived on campus a week before school started and was quickly

put to use. He comes with different patient histories and scenarios that

can be mixed and matched to present a dizzying array of medical maladies.

For instance, one of Big Kev’s personas is a 60-year-old, overweight,

smoking truck driver with a bad heart. When Ballinger programs him to

experience an asthma attack, the students have to react quickly.

“It’s exciting to apply all the things we have been learning in class

in a safe environment where we’re not actually working with a real

person,” said respiratory student Amita Apte.

It takes the power of three computers to control Big Kev -- one

manipulates his scenarios and personas, one serves as an intensive care

unit monitor showing vital signs and one controls his pulmonary functions

and reactions.

The unit is also equipped with an air compressor so he can breathe and

three tanks of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen to mix the appropriate

amount of exhaled gases.

He can also absorb different medications, but they are administered

the high-tech way -- scanned in by bar code instead of injected.

Big Kev is temporarily being housed in the school’s respiratory

department, but in February he will be moved to a permanent location in

an ICU-like setting next to the emergency medical training and general

patient care lab.

Ballinger hopes that Big Kev can eventually be used by a team of

emergency medical technicians and respiratory students, which has not

been feasible in the past.

For the curious, Big Kev will be on display from 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 16

in the Lewis Center for Applied Sciences, Room 109.

-- Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .