St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ), a global medical device company, today celebrated the grand opening of the St. Jude Medical Advanced Technology Center Asia Pacific, located in Beijing, China. St. Jude Medical's Vice President of Asia Pacific, Sang Yi, was joined by Ministry of Health (MOH) officials, leading physicians from the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS), and regional cardiologists to inaugurate the new facility. The Advanced Technology Center demonstrates St. Jude Medical's commitment to China and the broader Asia Pacific region by adding a key center for education and learning.
Commenting on the opening, Mr. Yi said, "I am pleased to be in Beijing today to celebrate the inauguration of our St. Jude Medical Advanced Technology Center Asia Pacific. St. Jude Medical values our relationship and business with China, and believes that our Advanced Technology Center is an important part of a long and prosperous relationship working with physicians throughout China and the entire Asia Pacific region to improve the health, welfare, and quality of life of the people there."
The Advanced Technology Center was designed to provide physicians throughout China and the Asia Pacific region with practical experiences to improve the quality of therapy delivery and help enhance patient outcomes. This training includes lectures, peer-to-peer education and hands-on experience using virtual reality technology for the company's diverse product portfolio in cardiology, cardiac surgery, and arrhythmia management. The center will also be used to provide training to company employees.
Virtual Reality Experience
The Advanced Technology Center offers a unique virtual reality experience that allows physicians to simulate different procedures and develop clinical skills in a controlled environment. In this risk-free environment, physicians can bring to life previous training, experience hands-on how they would manage complications during procedures, and learn new advanced cardiac care techniques.
Using St. Jude Medical exclusive virtual reality simulators, physicians can practice several different procedures in a human-size simulation. The technology mirrors what a physician would encounter and allows them to become familiar with both the St. Jude Medical products and best practices aligned with the different techniques.
"To help treat patients using the latest advances in technology, ongoing learning and training is required," said Prof. Shu Zhang, Director of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Center and Clinical Electrophysiology Laboratory in Beijing Fu Wai Hospital. "With interactive sessions, a virtual reality experience, and curricula developed by many of Asia's most preeminent scientists specializing in arrhythmia management, I believe the training will provide physicians with a truly unique, hands-on and enjoyable learning experience that they can't find anywhere else."
Training and Learning at St. Jude Medical Advanced Technology Centers
In addition to the new Beijing facility, which was established with the kind support of the Ministry of Health and the Beijing city government, St. Jude Medical is creating a network of Advanced Technology Centers throughout the world. The company currently has one other Advanced Technology Center in Brussels, Belgium, which serves primarily physicians in Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Canada and will soon be opening new centers in the U.S., Japan, Malaysia, and Costa Rica.
When the Beijing Advanced Technology Center is running at capacity, more than 2,000 physicians are expected to visit each year from throughout Asia, with the majority visiting from hospitals in China.
Educational Partnership with APHRS
The grand opening took place during an Educational Summit which partnered St. Jude Medical with APHRS and local cardiologists to establish a compelling educational curriculum. The summit was co-chaired by Prof. Shu Zhang and included APHRS members from throughout Asia Pacific. The group of leading physicians will help the Advanced Technology Center staff to design courses that provide realistic experiences for physicians who help heal cardiac-related illness.
"With all the new developments in the medical industry it is important that corporations such as St. Jude Medical partner with societies, institutions and physicians to help drive continuous learning. APHRS is pleased to partner with St. Jude Medical to help provide a training experience that will be beneficial to clinicians throughout Asia," said Masayasu Hiraoka, President of APHRS.
APHRS is the first society organized in the Asia-Pacific region to promote excellence and advancement in the diagnosis and treatment of the patients with heart rhythm disorders.
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