The one-year USF fellowship will allow students in health professions at the graduate or postgraduate levels to focus on leadership development in healthcare simulation education and training.

TAMPA, FL  – Simbionix, a leading global provider of medical education and simulation training, has sponsored the first fellowship at the USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS).

The one-year USF fellowship will allow students in health professions at the graduate or postgraduate levels to focus on leadership development in healthcare simulation education and training.  The fellowship, to begin July 1, 2012, will be open to students in medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health professions.

"We are proud to support this fellowship that will cultivate leaders in medical simulation education," said Gary Zamler, CEO of Simbionix USA Corporation.  "Our company is committed to patient safety and improving outcomes for complex medical procedures.

The same is true for USF.  We're a powerful combination."

"We could not be more excited about the growing relationship with Simbionix and CAMLS," said Dr.

Stephen Klasko, CEO of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine.

"Our simulation partnership will help to transform health care by making sure health professionals are competent to use advanced technology safely and most effectively."

Simbionix and USF Health have had a longstanding, warm and productive collaboration for more than four years, and will continue working together to achieve innovation in medical simulation.

Just one example: With the support of a grant from the U.S.-Israeli Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation, the Israeli subsidiary of Simbionix, USA Corp., and USF Health have developed the world's most advanced  laparoscopic hysterectomy simulation module for training GYN surgeons in minimally-invasive surgery techniques.

In addition, USF Health CAMLS is among the handful of institutions worldwide designated one of Simbionix's PROcedure Rehearsal Studio™  Centers of Excellence, which allows 3D visualization for patient-specific endovascular procedures.

About USF HealthUSF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health.

It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician's Group.

The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 34th in federal research expenditures for public universities.