What Does a Grand Prix INDYCAR Safety Team, INDYCAR Pit Crew and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Medical Simulation Team Have in Common?The St. Petersburg Innovation District, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Racing for Kids and INDYCAR teamed up during Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to learn innovative ways to improve efficiency and teamwork.The hospital’s medical simulation team, led by Dr. Jennifer Arnold, M.D., medical director of the hospital’s expanding Simulation Center, visited the St. Petersburg Grand Prix on Friday March 9. They conducted a simulation for the INDYCAR Safety Team and discussed the similarities with their work. They then moved to the pits to watch an INDYCAR pit crew go through their on-track pit stops. The pit crew demonstrated the team work it takes to get their INDYCAR racecar in and out of the pits as fast and safe as possible.Dr. Arnold often uses a pit stop analogy in her simulation center to demonstrate the precision, speed and competency needed to successfully treat pediatric trauma emergencies.For INDYCAR teams the goal is a fast, precise and safe pit stop. For the INDYCAR Safety Team the objective is often to save the life of a racer involved in a serious crash. For Dr. Arnold’s Team the goal is to work seamlessly to save a young patient’s life with only minutes to spare. For all involved it was an unique opportunity to watch and learn from each other.“With the hospital and the Grand Prix both within St. Petersburg’s Innovation District, this is a great opportunity to bring these two organizations together to learn from each other,” says Alison Barlow, executive director of the St. Pete Innovation District. “Collaboration is what innovation is all about.”“We have supported the hospital for many years,” said J. Patrick Wright, Executive Director of Racing for Kids.” In addition to giving kids with special medical needs the opportunity to experience Indy Car racing first hand each year, this year is special because we can also help children’s medical professionals learn better ways to work together to save lives.”
