MUTA education

IGMA 2021 Virtual Conference is HERE!

This December 3, 4 and 5, 2021, IGMA, the International GTA MUTA Association, is hosting its second annual virtual conference, Global Trends in GTA MUTA Education, Past, Present and Future. This association is the only professional organization solely dedicated to GTA MUTA methodology and we provide support, education and networking opportunities for those professionals working in the field. This year’s conference boasts two keynote speakers, a feature presentation, as well as a number of presenters of peer-reviewed abstracts chosen for their high quality and relevance to our work. Topics include racial inequity in health care, diversity, standards of best practice, sexual assault nurse examiner programs and GTA MUTA involvement, a presentation from instructors working in the field, panel discussions, roundtables and social events. If you work in simulation, it is an opportunity you will NOT want to miss. Early bird registration ends soon so register early. (CE hours available for attendance.)

Here are a few summaries of our presentations and speakers:

Dr. Kellie Bryant is currently the Assistant Dean of Clinical Affairs and Simulation and Associate Professor at Columbia School of Nursing’s accredited Helene Fuld Health Trust Simulation Center. Dr. Bryant has over 20 years of teaching experience and 10 years of experience as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. Throughout her career she has become an expert in the field of simulation through her experience with designing simulation centers and implementing simulation programs for two of the top-rated nursing schools in the country. In her current role she oversees the day-to-day operations and implementation of simulation-based education for all the graduate nursing and advance practice nursing students. In addition, her role includes implementing initiatives that promote diversity, equity and inclusion for both students and the community. Dr. Bryant also overseas the implementation of the GTA and MUTA labs at Columbia University School of Nursing. Her presentation discusses the impact of racism in healthcare education and strategies to promote health equity. This event is free of charge and open to the public, so register soon. Space is limited.

Dr. Jaideep Talwaker and Dr. Shefali Pathy are both from Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Talwalker is Associate Professor of Internal Medicine (General Medicine); Associate Director, Yale Cystic Fibrosis Adult Program, Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine; Associate Program Director, Yale Combined Med-Peds Residency Program; Director of Clinical Skills, Medical Education; Faculty Advisor, Yale Resident Spanish-language Initiative. He is a physician and Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine providing primary care for patients of all ages as well as specialty care for adults with cystic fibrosis. He has been involved in Yale’s administrative and educational response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as frontline care on the COVID-19 wards at Yale-New Haven Hospital. In addition to seeing patients, he teaches medical students and residents at Yale and develops curricula for medical education. As Director of Clinical Skills, he oversees the teaching of fundamental bedside skills to Yale medical students. He also edits and administers the Yale Primary Care Pediatrics Curriculum (pcpc.yale.edu), a guide for pediatric teaching used by pediatricians nationwide.

Dr. Shefali Pathy is Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences; Site Director, Women’s Health Sargent Drive; Clerkship Director, Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences and is currently the OB/GYN Director of the Women’s Center at Yale New Haven Hospital as well as Assistant Clinical Professor of OB/GYN and the OB/GYN Clerkship Director for Yale School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr Pathy received her medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY where she also completed her OB/GYN residency. Dr Pathy has spent the majority of her career working in an urban health setting, including Jacobi Hospital, Yale New Haven Hospital and Stamford Hospital. She has a strong interest in health care in the urban setting and medical education. Both Dr. Talwalker and Dr. Shefali are presenting information on a video resource on GYN techniques that they have developed and incorporated into their work with their students.

Dr. Olov Grankvist is from Sweden and conducted a research project on GTA methodology. He will be joining the esteemed roster to talk about his research. Liana Hill, is the Forensic Nurse Examiner Program Director for Crisis Services of North Alabama and the Forensic Nurse for the Cullman, Alabama Child Advocacy Center, Brooks Place. She and colleague Gail Swafford will present on using this methodology to train crisis advocates. (Ms. Hill’s organization is also a sponsor of our conference.) Erin Pollitt is the Executive Director of District of Columbia Forensic Nurse Examiners (DCFNE), a nonprofit in Washington DC that provides trauma-informed, patient-centered care to survivors of sexual, intimate partner, and domestic violence. Sarah Bristol is the Clinical Program Director at DCFNE. Both women are presenting an abstract on implementing a forensic teaching associate program at their institution. Bex MacFife is presenting a study on GTAs and the negotiation of universal standards and individual diversity. Dr. Lee Ann Miller from West Virginia University, also IGMA’s Standards of Best Practice Chair, will present on the SoBP project being conducted by IGMA in order to develop standards of best practice in the field. Kristie McVicker and Lisa Staubley, are active GTAs in the field and they will present on experiences around safety with students. There are additional panels such as an actor panel and roundtable discussions and networking opportunities. We will also be raffling off product by one of our sponsor, Ceek Women’s Health, and the reusable speculum NuSpec.

Support this organization and our speakers by registering and attending our virtual conference. The content is spectacular and this organization is comprised of volunteers who work tirelessly to support professionals in the field of GTA MUTA methodology. GTAs, Gynecologic Teaching Associates, and MUTAs, Male Urogenital Teaching Associates are lay individuals who train medical learners in safe effective invasive exam clinical skills techniques utilizing their own bodies as primary teaching tools. They are a group of dedicated individuals who make a difference in healthcare by the service they provide. This non-profit organization provides support to them and program directors in the field and provides the latest information on scholarly research in this methodology. Visit www.gtaumuta.org for more information and to register for the conference. Please email admin@gtamuta.org or if you have specific questions regarding the conference content or registration you can email igma.conference@gmail.com We look forward to having you at this event. You will not want to miss it!

The Board of Directors would like to thank the conference sponsors, Solvit providing World Class Tech Support; Clinical Skills USA; Clinical Practice Resources for Training and Education and Crisis Services of North Alabama. This conference could not occur without you. The Board would also like to thank our members. It is because of you that we can provide events like this. Thank you and Welcome everyone to the 2nd annual IGMA conference!!!!!!

Meet Our Presenters Day 1 IGMA Conference

This weekend, December 5 & 6, IGMA, the International GTA MUTA Association is hosting its first annual conference. The event is going to be held virtually and boasts a number of esteemed speakers from across the United States and internationally. Today’s blog will share some basic information about our Day 1 presentations and speakers.

Starting at 9:00am, IGMA President, Isle Polonko, will address attendees and offer information about the conference and IGMA’s first year in existence. Ms. Polonko has over 30 years in the field of GTA MUTA and has spent much of her career developing new and innovative ways to include GTA MUTA methodology in training future health care providers, including training of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, (SANEs). This conference is the culmination of a great deal of hard work for the IGMA Conference Committee and Board of Directors and Ms. Polonko is extremely proud to be a part of the exceptional work this organization is doing.

At 10:00, Eileen Allen, MSN, RN, FN-CSA, SANE-A, SANE-P, Richard Claflin and Samantha Maloney will present GTAs and FNE Students: Perfect Together. This presentation explores use of GTAs in Forensic Nurse Examiner programming. Eileen Allen has trained forensic nurse examiners internationally and has, in collaboration with Ms. Polonko, been developing protocol in the field for best practices for use of GTAs, MUTAs and simulation in forensic nurse examiner training. She has presented workshops and lectures across the United States and internationally, has co-authored several publications and is a recognized leader in the field of forensic nurse examiner training.

Richard Claflin is the Director of Clinical Practice Resources and is a recognized leader in the field of anxiety free exam training. He has developed the only Train the Trainer MUTA curriculum in existence and has set up numerous MUTA programs across the United States. Mr. Claflin recently presented a poster presentation at the 2020 ASPiH conference and has a subsequent publication. He is also lectured extensively including presentations across the United States on transgender awareness and use of GTA MUTA methodology to address health care concerns specific to this population. https://stel.bmj.com/content/6/Suppl_1/A24.2

Samantha Maloney is the Director of Curriculum Development at Clinical Practice Resources and the group’s lead out-of-state trainer. Ms. Maloney has written the latest installment of the GTA Train the Trainer curriculum and has presented at numerous conferences nationally about GTA methodology, transgender awareness and use of GTAs to meet the needs of marginalized populations.

At noon there is a lunchtime roundtable discussion that will include information on GTA MUTA methodology during the pandemic.

At 1:30, Juliana de Oliveira Musse Silva, PhD, MSPH, RN-BC, Rebeca Vieira and Wesley Augusto de Jesus Santo, RN will lead a presentation on the first ever GTA program in Brazil in conjunction with the country’s first Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program. They will share their experiences about bringing the first program to the region and talk about their challenges and successes. Dr. Musse is a pioneer in the field having brought both the first Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program AND the first GTA program to her country. Since that time, she has accomplished a number of wonderful successes including training additional SANEs, starting her own business to support those in the medical field and presenting at several conferences. Both the SANE and GTA programs she founded are still running successfully. There is currently an article about the project being reviewed for international publication.

Rebeca Vieira is the lead GTA trainer with Dr. Musse’s program and while still in nursing school has managed to successfully lead the Brazil GTAs at their University. She is an inspiration and is hoping to bring GTA work to a number of other facilities across Brazil. Wesley Augusto de Jesus Santo is a nurse in the region and acted as the translator for the original program. He will manage the MUTA program when it is established in Brazil and will speak about what it was like to experience the program as an observer to the grueling work the women training as GTAs experienced.

Finally, Day 1 of the conference ends with a two-part presentation addressing racism in health care and use of simulation and GTA methodology to combat it. The first part of the presentation, Strategies for Addressing Racism and Promoting Health Equity in Healthcare Education, will be presented by Kellie Bryant, DNP, WHNP, CHSE, Executive Director of Simulation and Assistant Professor at Columbia University School of Nursing’s Helene Fuld Health Trust Simulation Center. Dr. Bryant’s prolific work in the field has not only had a positive impact through raising awareness around this critical issue but has begun to make significant inroads through consistent and creative outreach. In addition to her work at Columbia University, Dr. Bryant sits on a number of simulation boards and organizes symposiums and conferences addressing racism in healthcare and use of simulation to meet the challenges inherent racism presents.

Part 2, Looking Back to Change the Future: How GTAs Use an Anti-oppression Framework to Change Medical Practice, will be co-presented by Lauren Mitchell, M.S., Ph.D, and Sopé (Show-pay) Willoughby, MLS(ASCP)^CM, MPH. Dr. Mitchell worked for over a decade in live patient simulation and GTA methodology and is now Assistant Professor of Medical Education and Director of Narrative Medicine at the TCU and UNT School of Medicine. Previously, Dr. Mitchell worked at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, where she was co-manager of NYU’s Reproductive Family Planning Service/Ryan Program, and was the founding director of The Doula Project, the country’s first formalized full-spectrum (birth, abortion, adoption, and miscarriage) doula program.

Sopé is Baltimore based GTA, with a focus on strengthening her community through personal empowerment. With a Masters Degree in Public Health, it is incredibly important to her that communities are emotionally, physically and spiritually healthy. Training is her primary mode of implementing that change. Through her work as a GTA, she is able to tangibly improve patient outcomes by equipping care providers to see their patients holistically, with respect and autonomy. Together, Dr. Mitchell and Ms. Willoughby will explore ways that the use of GTA methodology can affect positive change and address this critical issue of racism in medicine.

These are our presenters for Day 1 of the conference. IGMA is very lucky to be able to welcome this prestigious panel of speakers to its first annual conference. It is literally only $30 to attend the entire day’s events, and CE hours are provided for nurses. This is an event you will not want to miss. Check in tomorrow to meet the presenters for Day 2 of the IGMA conference. The link for conference information and registration is https://events.gtamuta.org/ See you all there!

IGMA First Annual Conference December 5 & 6, 2020

The International GTA MUTA Association (IGMA) is hosting it’s first international conference, Voices of Success: Global Partnerships Creating Excellence in Health Care Through GTA/MUTA Education. IGMA is the only organization dedicated solely to GTA MUTA methodology and while we are still in our infancy, just over a year old, we have accomplished some extraordinary things; not the least of which is the organization and planning of our first annual conference. The IGMA conference will be held virtually over the course of two days, December 5 and 6 and will host seven presentations and 22 speakers from four countries, the United States, Turkey, Brazil and Canada. Our speakers hail from active grassroots organizations and prestigious Universities like Columbia, Texas A&M, West Virginia University, Hacettepe University, Tiradentes University, Oregon Health and Science University, Central Michigan University as well as many others.

The cost to attend the conference is minimal and can be broken up into attendance at single workshop or all presentations one or both days. It is only $30 a day to attend all events or $20 to attend a single presentation. In addition to the presentations, (a list of all presentations and links to each of the abstracts is included below), there will be a lunchtime roundtable discussion on Saturday about GTA/MUTA education during the pandemic. On Sunday morning, attendees will hear from IGMA’s Committee Chairs and at lunchtime there will be a lifetime achievement award presentation and a video montage of a number of people who have made significant contributions to the field. Take a look at these exceptional topics:

Opening the Door to Utilizing the Transgender Population in Your Clinical Skills Labs
Liana Hill MSC, RN, RSCN, FNE, SANE-A, SANE-P, Richard Claflin BA; Mani Blunt, Nash Davidson and Charlene Moss

Strategies for Addressing Racism and Promoting Health Equity in Healthcare Education
Kellie Bryant DNP, WHNP, CHSE

Using Best Practices for Simulated Exam Training to Improve Forensic Medical Examinations
Eileen Allen MSN, RN, FN-CSA, SANE-A, SANE-P; Samantha Maloney; Richard Claflin BA

The Experience of Founding the First GTA Program in Brazil to Train Nurses Examining Victims of Sexual Violence
Juliana Musse PhD, MPH, SANE, Rebeca Vieira RN, GTA; Wesley Augusto de Jesus Santos RN

Looking Back to Change the Future: How GTAs use an anti-oppression framework to change medical practice
Mosopefoluwa (Sope’) Willoughby, MLS(ASCP)^CM, MPH, Lauren Mitchell, PhD, MS

Introducing the Association of Standardized Patient Educators (ASPE) GTA/MUTA Standards of Best Practice (SOBP)
Holly Hopkins DNP, CNM; Chelsea Weaks Med, BSN; Tim Webster MEd, Melih Elcin MD

Unconscious Bias in GTA Exams
Jennifer Lanier, Tru Chatelain AAS

Small Scale GTA/MUTA Programs: the Challenges and Triumphs
Lee Ann Miller EdD, CHSE; Rachel Older BS; Chelsea Knutson MSN, BS, RN, CNE, CA-SANE

Continuing Education hours will be offered to attend the conference. IGMA is grateful to have partnered with Crisis Services of North Alabama in order to provide the CE hours. We are also grateful to our sponsors, Clinical Practice Resources for Training and Education, Solvit LLC, Clinical Skills USA and Rori Baldari. The conference would not be able to move forward without your help, support and your belief in the work that we do.

For those of you who are not familiar, GTAs, MUTAs and FTAs are more than Standardized Patients, they are instructors. These men and women instruct medical students from the patient’s perspective in a patient empowerment methodology focused on patient centered care. Medical students and other health care learners receive standardized, step by step instruction in an anxiety free atmosphere creating an optimum learning environment so that all aspects of the exam can be best absorbed and retained long after clinical rotation. This methodology is the gold standard of training invasive exam procedures but the training includes much more than clinical exam technique instruction. Learners are taught how to to interact with their patients so there is strong focus on patient education and communication. And, GTA/MUTA education has moved beyond well patient training to include involvement in sexual assault forensic evidence instruction through participation in SANE/SAFE, (Sexual Assault Nurse/Forensic Examiner) training. These men and women provide high quality instruction on the forensic evidence collection kit and are in a unique position to provide critical information on trauma informed care from the survivor’s perspective. Additionally, inclusion of marginalized populations, such as transgender and gender non-binary persons, in both trauma and well patient care has been a growing component of this work.

Come support our organization and our esteemed speakers who are donating their time and expertise to this event. Consider becoming an IGMA member. Our membership dues are nominal and anyone that joins the organization before the conference receives founding member status and FREE entry to the conference, including all presentations and conference events. Visit www.gtamuta.org for more information or email admin@gtamuta.org. This is one event you will not want to miss. See you there!