SUNY Downstate Appoints Dr. Barbara Messina as Executive Director for Simulation and Interprofessional Education in the College of Nursing
By Office of Communications & Marketing | Jul 22, 2021
MEDIA CONTACT: Dawn S.Walker | dawn.walker@downstate.edu | (917) 439-9666
Dr. Messina's expertise will prepare learners for experiential roles in healthcare through focused simulation planning
Brooklyn, NY (July 22, 2021) – SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University's College of Nursing announced Barbara Messina, Ph.D., MS/ANP, as Executive Director for Simulation and Interprofessional Education (IPE).
Dr. Messina will continue as a professor of nursing and oversee both the Center for
Healthcare Simulation and College of Nursing Simulation Center facilities. In her
new role, she will assist faculty and staff in designing clinical simulation curricula
and interprofessional educational activities.
"Dr. Messina's drive for excellence and progress through learning has shaped her successful
career, making her expertly qualified for this role as Executive Director for Simulation
and IPE" said College of Nursing dean Lori Escallier Ph.D., RN, CPNP-PC, FAAN. "Her work to enhance our curricula for health science will provide our students
with engaging, state-of-the-art learning experiences skillfully designed to prepare
them for today's healthcare challenges better"
Since 2008, Dr. Messina has developed and implemented novel IPE experiences for health
science students in several colleges and universities throughout New York State.
"I'm thrilled to take on this exciting new role in the College of Nursing," said Dr. Messina. "Simulation is an essential part of health care education. To prepare our students
to meet their educational and professional goals through innovative curricula and
state-of-the-art technology is cutting-edge 21st-century health professions education. It's an exciting time for us all, and I am
happy to be a part of it."
Dr. Messina will work with Deans, faculty, and staff across the five Downstate schools
and colleges to support curricular goals in healthcare simulation, collaborate with
faculty and staff educators on data collection, and disseminate findings through simulation
exercises. She will also ensure that SUNY Downstate students and facilities have substantial
simulation resources to support educational success.
Dr. Messina received her Ph.D. from Adelphi University after earning her MS/ANP in
Nursing and Adult Nurse Practitioner from SUNY Stony Brook. She also completed her
bachelor's degree at C.W. Post Long Island University and her AAS at SUNY Farmingdale.
Dr. Messina is a member of several organizations, including the American Nurses Association,
National League for Nursing, International Nursing Association of Clinical Simulation
and Learning, Society of Simulation in Healthcare, and the Association of Standardized
Patient Educators.
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Contact: Dawn S. Walker
917.439.9666 | 347.533.2071
dawn.walker@downstate.edu
About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is the borough's only academic medical center for health education, research, and patient care. It is a 342-bed facility serving the healthcare needs of New York City and Brooklyn's 2.6 million residents. University Hospital of Brooklyn (UHB) is Downstate's teaching hospital, backed by an outstanding medical school's expertise and world-class academic center research facilities. More than 800 physicians, representing 53 specialties and subspecialties—many of them ranked as tops in their fields—comprise Downstate's staff.
In addition to high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis (kidney diseases)—and offering the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn, among many other distinctive programs—Downstate also sponsors a major learning center for young children with developmental disorders and disabilities. In addition to UHB, Downstate comprises a College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, a School of Graduate Studies, a School of Public Health, and a multifaceted biotechnology initiative, including the Downstate Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT for early-stage and more mature companies, respectively. For more information, visit www.downstate.edu or follow us on Twitter at @sunydownstate.