UCLA's medical education, clinical, and campus leaders came together to celebrate the grand opening of Rosenfeld Hall, a newly expanded facility designed to centralize state-of-the-art technology for the continuous training of both future and current physicians and healthcare professionals.
Made possible by the generous $20 million contribution from Eugene and Maxine Rosenfeld, Rosenfeld Hall is now home to the UCLA Simulation Center and the UCLA Health Center for Advanced Surgical & Interventional Technology (CASIT). In addition, the facility serves as the hub for various simulation training programs in collaboration with the UCLA School of Nursing, the UCLA Health Center for Nursing Excellence, and the UCLA Center for Prehospital Care.

Strategically located in close proximity to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UCLA's main campus, housing the David Geffen School of Medicine, the nursing school, the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, and the UCLA School of Dentistry, Rosenfeld Hall is poised to foster interprofessional collaboration and learning.

The grand opening event on October 30 welcomed faculty, staff, students, and esteemed guests to tour the impressive 30,000-square-foot facility. Attendees were treated to captivating demonstrations showcasing cutting-edge training technologies and equipment, including laparoscopic and robotic surgery simulators, fully immersive virtual reality systems, computerized manikin patients, birthing simulators, and a myriad of other innovative features.

Dr. Steven Dubinett, dean of the medical school and UCLA associate vice chancellor for research, emphasized the facility's role in advancing healthcare training through interdisciplinary strengths, cutting-edge technology, and collaborative research.

Among the approximately 200 attendees were notable figures, including Dr. Clarence Braddock III, executive vice dean and dean of education at the medical school; Lin Zhan, dean of the nursing school; Karen Grimley, chief nursing executive of UCLA Health; Dr. O. Joe Hines, chair of the Department of Surgery; Dr. Peyman Benharash, executive director of CASIT; Dr. Areti Tillou, director of CASIT's Accredited Education Institute; and Yue-Ming Huang, executive director of the simulation center.

Previously known as the Learning Resource Center, Rosenfeld Hall has expanded the UCLA Simulation Center's square footage by one-third and brought its standardized patient program under the same roof as the technology-based programs. CASIT, formerly located in the basement of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center with a research and development lab in the UCLA Center for Health Sciences, now boasts three times more space.

The facility is equipped with a modern audio-visual system on all floors, enabling live streaming of simulation training sessions and seamless connections to operating rooms at the medical center across the street. This technology promotes wireless communication across different rooms and floors, fostering an engaging environment for research and development.

Rosenfeld Hall serves as a cutting-edge facility to prepare trainees and clinicians for patient care challenges, offering pioneering simulation-based techniques in areas such as surgical interventions, extended reality (XR), and artificial intelligence (AI).

Simulation-based training, provided by the UCLA Simulation Center and CASIT, is integrated into every year of the medical school's curriculum and is a core component of the majority of residency programs, including anesthesiology, general and orthopedic surgery, pediatrics, interventional radiology, obstetrics and gynecology, as well as emergency, family, and internal medicine.

CASIT's mission includes advancing surgical and interventional technology, revolutionizing surgical training, and enhancing the precision of minimally invasive procedures. CASIT collaborates with multidisciplinary research teams across UCLA, including the Departments of Surgery, Urology, Pathology, Bioengineering, Electrical Engineering, and Radiological Sciences.

Dr. Peyman Benharash, CASIT's executive director and a cardiac surgeon, highlighted the facility's role in pushing the boundaries of healthcare technology and training, ultimately aiming to provide the highest-quality care for all patients.

Yue-Ming Huang, the simulation center's executive director, emphasized the transformative impact of bringing together clinicians, educators, engineers, and other disciplines under one roof. This interprofessional collaboration aims to shape competent, compassionate, and collaborative physician leaders, healthcare professionals, and researchers, aligning with a common goal of transforming healthcare training.