Greg Vis and the first official entrepreneurial episode. Deb and Jerrod sit down and discuss the success and journey of paramedic Greg Vis and the history of SimVS.

Greg Vis is the founder/CEO of Sim/VS and he shares his entrepreneurial journey into Simulation. As a pioneer in the industry, he shares his triumphs and struggles. Greg's passion for simulation stemmed from the famous rescue on the Hudson River. Lean in and listen as Jerrod, Deb, and Greg have a conversation about simulation and the industry.  

This episode is Proudly sponsored by William "Billy" Martin and The Think Tank Project. Unlock Human Potential... 

Innovative SimSolutions
Your turnkey solution provider for medical simulation programs, sim centers & faculty design.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Innovative SimSolutions.
Your turnkey solution provider for medical simulation programs, sim centers & faculty design.

Transcript

Disclaimer: 0:00

The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of anyone at Innovative Sim solutions or our sponsors.

Think Tank Project, LLC: 0:13

Thanks to this week's sponsor, the Think Tank Project , LLC.Think Tank Project was formed to explore how to implement tactics and strategies to increase and improve meaningful engagement in any team. Science shows increased synergy and secrecy of your team improves safety and productivity. Connecting at that level gains a competitive edge by unlocking human potential. Billy Martin offers keynote and presentations as informational sessions to get your team to think outside the box. The think tank project is dedicated to unlocking the existing higher potential within us. Discover what you are missing. Unlock human potential.

Intro: 0:53

Welcome to The Sim Cafe, a podcast produced by the team at Innovative Sim Solutions, edited by Shelly Houser. Join our host, Deb Tauber and co-host Jerrod Jeffries as they sit down with subject matter experts from across the globe to reimagine clinical education and the use of simulation. So pour yourself a cup of relaxation, sit back, tune in, and learn something new from The Sim Cafe.

Deb: 1:36

Welcome to another episode of The SimCafe. And today we are truly blessed to have Greg Vis and we will have Jerrod Jeffries as my co-host and myself interviewing. And this is gonna be little bit of a new series . We're going to do some interview , some entrepreneurs in the simulation. So welcome Greg, and why don't you tell our listeners a little bit about yourself.

Greg: 2:01

Hi Deb. Uh, hi Jerrod. Thanks for having me very much. I'm the founder of Hudson Simulation Services and uh, SimVS is our technology product, a monitoring and other solution for nursing. And so I'm, you know, also a paramedic. My background, I've been, I'm in healthcare education probably close to 30 years, so getting up there and everything and um, still love it. Still very interesting what we do and the technology and everything. And , uh, I live in New York. I live on a farm, but I don't farm because I'm too busy with uh, SimVS and other things. So I'm growing a lot of weeds, the legal kind and uh, yeah. So that's a little bit about me.

Deb: 2:49

Thank you Greg. And I wanna share with our listeners that Greg did come up with the name, The Sim Cafe . Oh . So I do continuously wanna give you credit and thank you for that. Cause it's been, it's served us well.

Greg: 3:02

<laugh> toast.

Jerrod: 3:04

There's the cheers of the mug. We love it. And Greg, one , one question as well. Can you give our listeners just a little bit more detail of how sim vs fits with the Hudson Simulation Services and vice versa?

Greg: 3:16

Sure. So actually pretty much SimVS right now is the entire business. Businesses evolve and everything. So I guess Hudson Simulation is my second business. So I started in medical education and medical publishing. So I was a publisher for Pearson Education, doing their emergency medicine tax . And I, I published a book, I published a , a college directory when I was, you know, we started a side venture and learned a lot doing that. Didn't make a lot of money, but didn't lose any, so that was okay. So that was a while ago. But my father had his own business. He had a bakery and kind of grew up in that business. Um, so I think entrepreneurial wanted to have my own business eventually. And then I founded Hudson Simulation in 2009. And our primary business back then was education for simulation and distributing and high fidelity mannequins and also being involved in research. So it was a little bit of a mixed bag of things. So then that, that was going fairly well. But then in 2017, I had the idea to do these virtual monitors. We weren't the first, you know, there was a company called DART Sim that I would say is probably the true pioneer in our field outta California, but you know, and then others came along, but I, I saw a way to do it and, and then decided, okay, well let's jump into this and try that as initially as secondary to the other things . So we still were doing a lot of research, virtual patients. We were involved in that, distributing a lot of mannequins for Nasco. We were the number one distributor pretty much at the time. We , um, I launched SimVS but then that was somebody else's product, right? So with somebody else's product, great product, great people, but you still don't have, you know, if you have a vision, can't always implement it within somebody else's organization. So that's why launching Sim VS was able to do that. And we've had six years. I'm not that great at math sometimes. So six years of, you know, continued growth and it's going really well. We're , uh, over a thousand institutions , um, across the world, like probably closer to 2000 are using our systems right now. And, you know, so we're, we're very proud of that. And we think, you know, we're making our own version of a little dent in healthcare education, the product. And that's our goal with it.

Jerrod: 5:49

Well that's wonderful and , and appreciate the impact cuz it, it certainly takes a large number of people to, you know, push this industry forward and , and your contributions of course appreciated.

Greg: 5:59

And that's kind of fascinating, isn't it? Like we go, you go to a show like NASCL or an I M S H and you never would've imagined that people could do those things, you know? And it, I think it's getting more and more realistic all the time. And now there's such a big need in healthcare. So pretty much Gen Z , here we come. So what is gonna get Gen Z into healthcare? I think we really need to figure that one out. And I think simulation does appeal. I think it appeals to everybody, but experiential learning, I think it, it , it fits that demographic and hopefully we can all bring them in together. Many people for sure.

Jerrod: 6:41

Yeah. And to that point though, Greg is with simulation, it is also interprofessional education, right? You don't just have nurses, you don't just have physicians, you don't just, so it's great because, I mean, even to your Gen Z point, the answer's probably AI it's always gonna be AI now <laugh> . But , but joke , jokes aside, simulation's. So it's got this cool factor because you do have the ability to start saying, you know, oh, you wanna try a little of this, this is where you can be. And oh, there's a position over here for you. Responsibilities are, are continuously evolving. And from the leading conferences that we've seen mature over that past half decade, it, it landscape's completely different. And I think that that's where Gen Z or or those younger , uh, generations at least always find a little more homage and pick up new technologies and and innovations quicker.

Greg: 7:33

I agree. And then, you know, at the end of the day a lot of it is still like the decision making and the , the knowledge has to be there, but there's also psycho motor component and the skills component, the hands-on component and that's always gonna be part of healthcare . So, you know, we need to touch that too.

Jerrod: 7:53

And , and so speaking of all this change then, what are some of the biggest challenges that you've faced with what you've seen? I mean, starting from 2009 even, what are those biggest challenges and was there anything originally that you set up to accomplish? How did it change? How did you adapt? Can you give shed a little light on that?

Greg: 8:10

Well, as you could say, you could see that we had an evolution, right? So the evolution kind of points that I guess we didn't have doing what we're doing today at the beginning, but we learned things along the way. I mean , I think the accumulation of everything we learned now goes into the product. Did I know where I was going when I set out? I knew I really liked simulation, I liked education, I wanted to be in healthcare. And so that kind of put it all together. So kind of like didn't have a map, but kind of like what Deb said at the beginning, there is no trail map for us. So in some ways we're forg , we're trailblazers, we're forging a new path, we're learning from other people in the industry, other industries that way in terms of challenges, pick 'em , <laugh> . Um , so you know, we know we have business challenges. So that's the finance part and that's, that's always there. And the sales part, we have the technology challenges, so that's a fluid environment. We mentioned AI be interesting to see. I'm sure there's some really good ways it's gonna be used in simulation and how that evolves over time. We'd like to be part of that too. We don't know exactly how, but we think it's a powerful tool cuz it leverages a lot of knowledge. So we can combine a lot of knowledge. The scary part, well yeah, there is scary part, but I think the scary part would be cookbook medicine. So that if there's anything within AI that limits people's creativity or their , their critical thinking, I don't think it, well I'm not, I'm not an expert on it, but I think that's something that we might want to be careful of, right? Because just we got off on the AI tangent, but like all those medias, it could shoehorn or funnel people in a certain direction and if it's the right direction, fine. But I still think we always need the openness and get our field what's caused our field to advance people trying and failing and trying. So hopefully everything like that will continue. So challenges, so I mentioned financial technology, operating systems are changing all the time. You gotta stay on top of that. Technology's changing and we are kind of modeling, okay, people launch something and then people innovate and find other ways to do it. So for us, the software side never stops. So we have two or three builds a week on the software side. That is a challenge. Staying on top of the technology and having a massive code base and making sure everything's working and supporting a large network of users. So those are all challenges, but we call 'em challenges but they're also, when you cement one of those, it's also big feeling of satisfaction too. So you call 'em challengers or goals, that would be another thing. Those are some of the , uh, hopefully I got that one.

Deb: 11:09

Excellent, thank you. Now Greg, as an entrepreneur, there's a lot of change that goes o n, you know, t he, the landscape consistently changes and you'll learn from successes and you'll also learn from failures. Do you fear success or failure more? Which one do you fear more?

Greg: 11:30

Well, you know, Deb, that's an interesting question and I'll tell you why. Like, because I never thought about fearing success. So I would say we're moderately successful and that brings some benefits and probably some downsides, but definitely more benefits than downsides I would say to the success. But I , I would say as an entrepreneur, a lot of us fear of failure is always there, especially at the beginning, right? And then even like when you're doing something for many years, you're gonna reach a plateau and then are you gonna stay at that plateau or are you gonna push higher? Cuz then if you push higher, you're starting the cycle again, you gotta risk again. Okay, you gotta reinvest again. You gotta start thinking again, you gotta reengage again. Those are the things that keep you growing and, but that fear failure is always at your back. So I don't, I don't think it ever goes away, but I think some people isn't there a saying the paranoid survive or something like that. So I think that sentence kind of encapsulates fear of failure in a competitive industry is what I would say about that.

Deb: 12:42

Do you have any , uh, favorite stories about a success or a failure?

Greg: 12:46

So you interviewed Billy, right? Billy Martin. Billy Martin and I, we did quite a large research project in upstate New York here. We traveled to about 80 e m s agencies and we did some simulation research. So it's a rural area, so sometimes, sometimes the latest information and practices are not being used in the rural areas. All right , so we were doing this research, this was about, this was before Sim VS actually. So we were doing this research mannequin based mobile simulation and at that time the rural agencies, it was load and go, if somebody's having a heart attack, you don't treat 'em on the scene, you load and go. That's what everybody was told to do. And obviously when you load and go with a heart patient, most of them died. So then we told 'em that we didn't invent anything new. We're just like, okay, well here's ACLS and a AHA is recommending that you work them on the scene before you transport them. And there was a lot of objection to that still. It was outside of their comfort zone, et cetera , et cetera. So okay, tried to make our impact like that. Then Billy and I, we loop around to this agency a couple years later for a follow up and go, Hey, we gotta tell you <laugh> , we worked , we got our first save. And then we go, really? And then we go, yeah, congrats. And they go, yep . And it was one of their members who had a heart attack and in the station, and so they performed c P R , they worked the patient on the scene and then they brought 'em into the hospital and they had to save. So as an educator, that was very satisfying. That's one thing we did. And people are making milestones like that all the time, saving lives like that. But to be able to hear it from them that, hey, yeah, we tried it and it worked and it saved somebody's life and they believed in it. And then having a change, making a change in an environment. So moving it forward in an environment. So I would say I consider that quite a big success. And during that study which we published, we are also able to show the benefit of mobile simulation over traditional didactic learning, significant improvement in learning and retention and skills through the use of simulation. So that was also part of the success too.

Deb: 15:14

Thank you for sharing

Jerrod: 15:16

Greg. Just when starting in 2009 and going through so many hoops, hurdles, challenges, fits , adjacencies, et cetera , you just meet so many different people and it's, you know, especially when you get a story back like that, I think it's all the more powerful. Is there, starting out or during your, your journey, has there been any , uh, favorites in terms of books, movies, people that you've met or anything you'd wanna share? Well,

Greg: 15:45

I'll, I'll give you a funny one. Okay. So movies so much about this business is people, even though we're talking about technology and everything, and you know, I think the really rewarding part of it is the relationships that you develop with people and you know, when you're working hard in the trenches, that's a great feeling. But I joke about it, but Jerry McGuire not to show me the money part, okay. Which is a great line and everything, but Jerry McGuire, have you seen the movie Jerrodd? It's a little bit older movie.

Jerrod: 16:15

Yeah, no, actually I , I recently rewatched it not too long ago. And I mean , of course the famous phrase show me the money, but it is such a heartfelt piece around even even relationships, right? Yeah . I mean to your , to your point here, but go ahead.

Greg: 16:26

Yeah, so he thinks he has a better way of doing it and he leaves and then he does it, but then you see the trials and tribulations, et cetera , et cetera , throughout it. But then at the end they're successful, everybody's happy, et cetera , et cetera . So I I like that movie. I like, you like to think your journey could be something like that. Um , in terms of who's

Jerrod: 16:47

That quarterback in the end? I don't know if you remember that Kidwell , you

Greg: 16:49

Know Tidwell Ron Tidwell ?

Jerrod: 16:52

Yeah. Cause cause I remember it was some cowboys, cowboys won and , and he was just like, wait, I gotta you introduce to Jerry McGuire ? And , and it is cuz it's like, you know, you just, and this is something that Devon and I talk about, you , you just treat people well and you help them. And especially in the entrepreneurial world, people want to help you if you're really gonna do right by them. And it's, it just goes back to like, you just treat people right, you know, it's what we were taught as kids you share with other children and there's so many of these basic principles that I think get lost over time and it tie that back into Jerry McGuire. But maybe that is one of the lessons we've learned from that one too.

Greg: 17:24

We are still in a competitive field, right? And I think , uh, the competition is good because drives us to improve our products and everything like that. So there's still the competitive part of it and everything. And that's another aspect of that movie. People I've met really, you know, Deb, Haywood, Billy, you know, so many, so many people Jerrodd you that I look forward to learning more about and everything. But I think think that's one thing I gotta say. There's not too many people I don't like in the business. I'd have a hard time putting the people that I don't think are committed and doing that in our field in a handful. So I think we're really lucky in that way.

Jerrod: 18:06

Yeah, and and to that point, Greg, it's like I always find myself even, you know, there's a , there's a mix of a hundred people, 200 people or something for some reason I always find myself being socializing with nurses and I feel like there's some reason because it's like, you know, that people, you know, these healthcare professionals are giving their lives as someone else. They're literally putting their own lives and time and everything on the like at stake or on hold to literally help someone else. And I think that there's something about that that, you know, to your point of, I just enjoy most people in this industry because if you're choosing to go in healthcare , healthcare education, you know, interprofessional education, simulation, et cetera, there's so many great people that are in it else, they, they would've chosen a different industry.

Greg: 18:51

I agree. So I was thinking about our talk today and I looked back and the people that I really admire in terms of like providers, a lot of providers and it's their conscientiousness, like that stands out to me as number one because if they weren't conscientious, they wouldn't be doing it. And so that's a quality that I think a lot of people have in this industry and I think that really keeps it strong and everything.

Jerrod: 19:17

Certainly,

Deb: 19:18

You know, Greg, you shared with me how you came up with the name of your company. Why don't you share that with our listeners because I also think that that's a wonderful story and a wonderful inspiration.

Greg: 19:30

Sure. So I was working for a defense contractor and we were doing a lot of research and simulation, mobile simulation, virtual simulation research. It was good, but I had the bug to do my own thing, my own company type of thing. So, and many people have that for a long time, right? So then January, 2019 I live in Albany on the Hudson River and 150 miles away, one day Sully landed as plane on the Hudson, you know, the miracle on the Hudson. Yeah . So that was pretty cool and I thought that was also triumph of simulation because Sully is such, Sullenberg is such a, a fan and an evangelist for simulation and they've proven an aviation. So I think before simulation it was one death per 1 million miles traveled on an airplane. Still pretty good odds, but I think now it's gone to something like one death for every billion miles traveled. So they had a thousand folded improvement in in safety thanks to simulation and think we're on our way to doing that. We probably need more metrics, we need more measurement to prove that we can do that. But we know it works. You know, that was January, 2019 and then February, 2009 it's like, okay, time to start the company. Hey, you know, that event happened, I live on the Hudson Hudson Simulation Services. So that was how the name came up. And then SimVS that name was simulated virtual system doesn't have the story that Hudson does, but there you go. Yeah ,

Deb: 21:13

I love it. Thank you very much . Now what final words do you wanna leave our guests with Greg today? What do you , what do you want them to leave ?

Greg: 21:25

Well, I think what got us here as an industry innovation, openness, it has to work. So I would say if we keep doing those things and now we got new, new challenges, but maybe new tools with AI or stuff like that. So I would say keep doing what we're doing and innovate, be open, look for results, and take advantage of new technology and new opportunities.

Deb: 21:51

Thank you. Thank you very much. And Jerrod, do you have anything else you wanna add or?

Jerrod: 21:56

No, I , I love your story Greg. And I think there's always moments of reflection and pivoting and, and all sorts of things. And when it comes to where you are today, it's, it's always rewarding hearing someone else's journey cuz it, it's a difficult task and someone has to step into the arena to, to help make the change and appreciate your contributions to, to the healthcare simulation piece.

Greg: 22:19

Thank you. And I really enjoyed podcasts together and I learned a lot. And then I think Jerrod, I I loved the Dr. Jeffries's interview, I thought that was really good. Beth Mancini. So I like how you guys are bringing together a lot of the pioneers in the field and it's really an honor to be on the podcast and everything. And I wish you guys were going NASCL. Well, Deb, you are. So that'll be great.

Deb: 22:45

Yep , yep . I'll see you in two, in two weeks.

Greg: 22:48

That'd be awesome.

Deb: 22:49

Perfect. All right , thank you very much and happy simulating !

Think Tank Tag: 22:55

Thanks to Think Tank Project LLC for sponsoring this week's episode. Let the Think Tank project help your team get connected, discover what you are missing and unlock human potential.

Outro: 23:14

Thanks for joining us here at The Sim Cafe. We hope you enjoyed. Visit us at www.innovativesimsolutions.com and be sure to hit that like and subscribe button so you never miss an episode. Innovative Sim Solutions is your one stop shop for your simulation. Needs a turnkey solution.