New building in Northern Virginia opens to house high-tech simulation lab, uniquely designed research facility and VCU School of Medicine.

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On Monday, April 21, 2008, Inova Fairfax Hospital opened the doors of the new Claude Moore Health Education and Research Center to welcome members of the community as well as donors. The state-of-the-art, four-story, $25 million building, to be completed by the end of the year, is space dedicated for medical education, clinical training and research.

The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation provided a $5 million grant, the largest in Inova’s history, to develop the 68,590-square-foot center. “This building represents Inova’s mission to provide not only the best health care, but to contribute to the future of medicine,” said Knox Singleton, president and CEO, Inova Health System. “It brings together the future doctors of tomorrow with a sophisticated research center that has the unique ability to take medical innovations from the research bench to the bedside.”

• The ground floor consists of the main lobby, as well as a physician’s lounge, complete with a cafeteria and multiple sitting areas.
• The first floor houses the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine Inova Campus, outfitted with extensive teleconferencing capabilities, administrative offices, a self-directed learning center and classrooms.
• The second floor, designed to be a high-tech environment, will include equipment for simulation-based clinical skills training. Through the use of highly sophisticated computer-controlled mannequins, students can master and hone their skills in a safe environment equipped with cameras, microphones and two-way mirrors to allow instructors and students to watch and critique the trainings sessions.
• The third floor will house the Inova Research Center, a uniquely designed and integrated research center that is the first of its kind in the Washington, D.C., area. The IRC will include a proteomics lab, a specimen banking area, exam rooms for clinical trials, and a functional assessment lab — the second one in this area aside from the National Institutes of Health. The main areas of focus include studies in heart disease, liver disease, women’s health, cancer, neurosciences and obesity.

Inova Health System is a not-for-profit health care system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including emergency and urgent care centers, home care, nursing homes, mental health and blood donor services, and wellness classes. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research. Inova provides a healthy environment for its patients, families, visitors, staff and physicians by prohibiting tobacco use on its campuses.

Photo: VCU President Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D., president and chair of the Board of Directors, VCU Health System, celebrates the center’s opening with VCU School of Medicine Inova Campus class of 2009 students (from left): Rupali Singh, Michael Hartman, David Imbt, Jessica Caldwell and Jean-Martin Gingras. Courtesy of Inova Health System.