Rural Texas Gets a Boost in Medical Training with UT Arlington’s Mobile Simulation Lab

Inside a 40-foot truck parked on the University of Texas at Arlington campus, a man lies in a hospital bed, his arm wrapped in a bandage and a swollen bruise darkening his forehead. Down the hall, a pregnant woman groans through labor, her legs propped in stirrups.

Neither patient is real: They’re both mannequins designed to replicate human physiology and simulate real-life medical scenarios. Their purpose and that of UT Arlington’s Mobile Simulation Lab is to bring hands-on, cutting-edge medical training to rural Texas areas that lack enough health care providers.

The Challenge of Rural Healthcare in Texas

The mobile unit, unveiled last month, is a collaboration between the university’s Center for Rural Health and Nursing and SMART Hospital, both part of the College of Nursing and Health Innovation.

Over the last several decades, rural Texans have faced health care challenges brought about by hospital closures and the exodus of health care professionals.

In the 1960s, Texas had more than 300 rural hospitals, according to the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals. By 2021, the number dwindled to 159. As of 2024, 32% of rural hospitals in Texas were at risk of closure, and there were primary care shortages in 159 of 168 rural counties, according to the National Rural Health Association.

UTA Center for Rural Health and Nursing’s Mobile Simulation Lab on Friday, March 28, 2025 in UT Arlington. (Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer)

The Solution: Mobile Simulation Lab

Overcoming the personnel shortage, particularly among health care workers like nurses, is a key motivation behind the Mobile Simulation Lab, said Elizabeth Merwin, executive director of the Center for Rural Health and Nursing at UT Arlington.

The lab, Merwin said, will be used strategically to meet the educational and professional development needs in a rural community.

Some of the key focus areas for training will be trauma and maternal and newborn care, said Jennifer Roye, assistant dean for simulation and technology at the University of Texas at Arlington’s College of Nursing and Health Innovation.

A 2017 study found that 30 million Americans lived more than an hour away from a high-level trauma center, a number that jumped to nearly 47 million in 2022. In Texas, nearly 60% of rural hospitals do not offer labor and delivery services, according to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform.

Specialized Training for Rural Healthcare Providers

The Mobile Simulation Lab will also offer medical training in specialties like pediatrics and psychiatric care, training that rural nursing students and health care providers often can’t access locally due to limited hands-on opportunities, Merwin said.

This effort is made possible by the mannequins that can be programmed to simulate medical scenarios such as childbirth and cardiac arrest.

Simulation technician Rosalyn Donaldson (center) demonstrates a childbirth simulation inside UTA’s Center for Rural Health and Nursing Mobile Simulation Lab on Friday, March 28, 2025 in UT Arlington. (Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer)

Advanced Technology for Realistic Simulations

Some of these mannequins can even talk to some extent through prerecorded responses and are used to teach nursing students how to interact with patients. One such mannequin has about 70,000 responses, Roye said, adding these responses are learned through a generative AI program similar to ChatGPT.

First Stop: Faith Community Hospital in Jacksboro

Aspen Drude, manager at the Center for Rural Health and Nursing, said the Mobile Simulation Lab’s first stop will be Faith Community Hospital in Jacksboro, about an hour and a half northwest of the university. The goal of the visit will be to assess the local community’s needs, customize a simulation training program, get feedback and improve the program before moving on to the next rural community.

“We started this process in 2022,” Drude said, “so it’s been a long time coming.”

Conclusion

The Mobile Simulation Lab is a vital initiative that aims to address the healthcare challenges faced by rural Texans. By providing hands-on, cutting-edge medical training, the lab hopes to improve the quality of care in these areas and reduce the shortage of healthcare professionals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the purpose of the Mobile Simulation Lab?

A: The purpose of the Mobile Simulation Lab is to bring hands-on, cutting-edge medical training to rural Texas areas that lack enough health care providers.

Q: What kind of training will the Mobile Simulation Lab provide?

A: The Mobile Simulation Lab will provide training in specialties like trauma, maternal and newborn care, pediatrics, and psychiatric care.