Welcome to the CHEO SIM program!

Dr. Lobos is an Associate professor at the University of Ottawa, Department of Pediatrics and Division of Critical Care. In addition to her role as a pediatric intensivist at CHEO, she is the Pediatric Critical Care Program Director, the Medical Director of CHEO’s Medical Emergency Team and the Medical Director of Simulation at CHEO since 2014.

Along with her colleagues, Dr. Lobos has developed an inter-professional educational program, the MET Recognition Course, aimed at increasing the recognition and management of acutely ill children. This program, taught locally to over 400 nurses, respiratory therapists and allied health care providers, has been implemented on the inpatient wards at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. In addition, Dr Lobos is part of the national educational research project for TREKK (Translating Emergency Knowledge for Kids) as a simulation and content expert, to develop printed materials, simulation scenarios and interviews with experts on a variety of acute care topics for dissemination nationally and internationally.

Dr. Lobos is passionate about using simulation to improve patient safety. She has been invited to speak internationally regarding her published research in simulation focusing on using simulation to improve root cause analysis and intervention implementation after adverse events.

Christina Toppozini graduated in with her BScN from Queen’s University in 2003. Since then she has focused her career on the pediatric population having worked the full spectrum of pediatric care from new born nursery, to public health. In 2006, she began working in CHEO’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and became a member of the Rapid Response Team. After moving to South Africa in 2010 for a year to complete her capstone project on Pediatric Tuberculosis, Christina received her Masters of Public Health from the University of Waterloo. Christina is currently the Simulation Nurse Educator at CHEO.

Mary is the Director of Nursing Practice, Education and Clinical Technology, Simulation Program, Vascular Access Team and Scheduling Office. She has enjoyed a varied career at CHEO working as a front line nurse in Emergency and Intensive Care as well as in positions in quality improvement, education and research. She is driven to find ways to support nurses in their professional development, ensuring excellence in practice while also supporting work life balance through her oversight of the Scheduling Office.

Dr. Rick Gerein is an assistant professor with the Division of Emergency Medicine at CHEO. He earned his MD at the University of Saskatchewan, followed by residency training in pediatrics at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton, and a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at CHEO.

He is currently the medical director of ED simulation and PALS, as well as the lead for Faculty Development in simulation and debriefing. An avid skier, his ideal day is spent on the slopes with his family, trying to keep up with his 4 boys.