NNews-Aug-2025

August 2025 13 Acenda Develops Innovative Training with Virtual Reality Technology C ompanies across all fields of business are always looking for ways to expand, broaden and enhance their training programs with new tools that will give trainees the upper hand at a lower cost point. One way that this is done is by using the latest technology to helpmake trainingsmore hands-on, for example, virtual reality (VR). It is used in industries globally to help give employees the hands-on training needed before treating patients out in the real world. Noticing this growing trendwas Brian Annett, Associate Vice President of Health Information Systems at Acenda IntegratedHealth, who, with a teamof software designers alongwith live actors that filmed scenes at Acenda’s Glassboro campus using unoccupied residential homes, created BH-CARE SIMULATOR, a first-of-its-kind virtual training tool that consists of real-life scenarios and gives behavioral healthcare workers practice with skills, such as showing empathy. Annett introduced the BH-CARE SIMULATOR at NJAMHAA’s IT Project’s conference on June 10, where attendees were able to check out the app, which can be used on any Oculus headset, while it’s still in beta testing. “This tool is actually low cost after you take care of the initial investment and it is very scalable and also groundbreaking,” Annett said. “It’s being used in other industries. So, why not ours?” The feedback that Annett and his team at Acenda are getting is two-fold, not only on the technical aspect of this new app, but also howgenuine the training scenarios are. “The virtual reality feedback is about the experience of taking a training in Oculus. The other set of feedback we’re getting is if the scripts and the questions asked of the traineesmake sense andmaking sure that we’re clinically appropriate, as well,” Annett explained. Another aspect of the BH-CARE SIMULATOR app that Annett is a fan of is that it can be updated easily. “We’ve had a lot of interest in different types of scenarios to be recorded and put into the VR app. One involves a residential situation that doesn’t have any actors. It’s really just the environmental assessment for new staff to come in and determine where things should be or shouldn’t be to get them ready for Joint Commission and other inspections,” Annett said. He added that his teamhas already received requests for uploading future scenarios, one involving a group therapy session and one involving someone on the autism disorder spectrum. Annett and his teamare hoping to get enough feedback by the end of the summer so they canmake edits and have it ready for the first quarter of 2026. Brian Annett Associate Vice President of Health Information Systems