Learn By Doing
Housed in a 50,000 sq. ft. space that replicates real hospital wings, long-term care facilities, and in-home living, students will gain confidence and practice with the best in-class simulation labs and technologies at The College of Health Sciences. From delivering babies with our SimMom, to simulating Laparoscopic Surgeries and hooking up ventilators, we truly believe healthcare students learn best by doing.
Mission
Provide students with innovative simulated and inter-professional experiences that reflect real-life clinical situations with an emphasis on safe and diverse patient/client-centered evidence-based quality care. Prepare students to become competent health care professionals working with diverse populations throughout the continuum of care.
Vision
The College of Health Sciences Simulation and Innovation Center serves as a core component for educational activity in the College of Health Sciences programs. The Simulation and Innovation Center serves as a resource for our students to provide safe quality care to improve patient/client outcomes. Inter-professional experiences occur in the Simulation and Innovation Center, as well as with external partners, at various sites, to educate their health care professionals.
Objectives
The Simulation and Innovation Center experience will:
- Provide an environment for student learners that reflect diverse real life clinical situations that reinforce critical thinking and decision making utilizing clinical application experiences.
- Enhance student’s ability to promote safe evidence-based patient/client quality health care.
- Promote clinical competence through selected hands-on case scenarios.
- Encourage professional, effective communication skills within a healthcare team.
- Facilitate the debriefing process to enhance student learning.
Department Collaboration
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Frank Raposa, MS, NRP | Simulation Center Operations Lead
Frank Raposa is the Simulation Center Operations Lead at the NEIT College of Health Sciences. Frank attended the University of Rhode Island and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He started his career at American Power Conversion where he worked on the IT helpdesk and moved on to event marketing. After that, he spent several years as a paramedic in South Kingstown, RI, before coming to NEIT in 2014. Frank was selected to speak at the 2022 Laerdal Simulation Users Network conference in Houston, TX where he presented “Building Simulation Into Your Students Clinical Schedule”. He is actively working to bring technology into the simulation labs to help improve student clinical performance in all College of Health Sciences programs. He is a candidate for a Master of Science in Information Technology degree, with an expected completion date of May 2023. -
Stacie Nunziato, DNP, RN | Nursing
Stacie Nunziato, DNP, RN is the assistant director for the AS nursing program, and also teaches in the RN-BSN nursing program at NEIT’s College of Health Sciences. Stacie has earned an ADN from Raritan Valley Community College (2004), BS from Salve Regina University (2012), MSN from Chamberlain University (2018), and DNP from Chamberlain University (2020). Stacie joined NEIT in 2017 as an RN tutor before joining the Nursing Department as a full-time faculty member in the ASN and RN-BSN programs. Prior to joining NEIT in 2017, Stacie had worked at Rhode Island Hospital where she was employed in the Emergency Department, Interventional Radiology, and currently as a Nursing Supervisor. Stacie’s nursing experience includes Level 1 Trauma, critical care, leadership, and management. She has also worked at the Lifespan Alternate Hospital in Providence during the COVID pandemic.
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Robbin Neill, MSN-Ed, RN, CHSE, ESMHL, Simulation Center Lead Faculty | Nursing
Robbin Neill MSN-Ed, RN, CHSE, ESMHL is the Lead Faculty in the NEIT Simulation
Center. Robbin has earned an ADN from Community College of RI (1990), Legal Nurse Consulting and BSN from Kaplan University (2012), and MSN-Ed from Grand Canyon University (2014). Prior to joining NEIT in 2015, Robbin had worked for over 25 years at Rhode Island Hospital where she was employed as a board-certified vascular access nurse with the IV Therapy Department. Robbin’s nursing experience there included a diverse background in IV Therapy/ PICC line insertion, Level I trauma, infertility, orthopedics, ENT, GU, and specialty clinics. She also worked at The Miriam Hospital as an RN with Community Health Services. Robbin is presently a Board member of Dare to Dream Ranch, and holds a certification as an Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning assisting our Veteran population. -
Patricia McGee, MS, OTR/L, Assistant Professor | Occupational Therapy
On campus, Patricia (Trish) McGee serves as the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Coordinator and faculty advisor for the Student Occupational Therapy Association. Trish was awarded the Dr. Robert Shapiro Teaching Excellence Award in 2018.Clinically, Trish remains an active occupational therapy practitioner, working primarily in adult rehabilitation at Southern New England Rehabilitation Center at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital. Her specialty area is neurorehabilitation. Trish also worked as a consultant for the State of Rhode Island, Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals, delivering occupational therapy services to adult forensic, Geri-psychiatric, and complex medical patients in a long-term care setting.
Trish received both her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy and her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Sacred Heart University.
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Melissa Campbell CST, MS | Surgical Technology
Melissa Campbell CST, MS is a full-time faculty member for the Surgical Technology Department at NEIT’s College of Health Sciences. Melissa has earned an Associate of Arts from the Community College of RI (2010), Bachelor of Science Degree in Healthcare Administration from Southern New Hampshire University (2018), and Master of Science Degree in Higher Education Administration from Southern New Hampshire University (2020). She is recognized as a member of the Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society, Sigma Alpha Pi Honor Society and awarded as a 2021 Distinguished Scholar from SNHU. As a 2012 graduate of NEIT’s ST program, she was selected to be the Student Representative for the 2011 Annual Technical Advisory Committee and was the 2011 National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assistant (NBSTSA) scholarship recipient. After graduating, her early career involved being a Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) at Newton-Wellesley Hospital as well as overseeing the daily operation of the Surgical Technology Lab being the lab assistant from 2012-2020. She also assisted in perioperative teaching in a clinical skills course for medical students hosted by The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Currently, Melissa is still practicing in the field as a per-diem CST at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford and pursuing her Doctor of Education in Health Professions at A.T. Still University.
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Rebbecca Silva, EdD | Biology Department & Medical Laboratory Technician
Rebbecca Silva is the Department Chair for the Biology Department and Medical Laboratory Technician program at NEIT’s College of Health Sciences. She graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a BS in Clinical Laboratory Science in 2003 and an MS in Clinical Laboratory Science with a concentration in Biotechnology in 2007. She made the transition to education in 2009 and still practices as a Medical Laboratory Scientist specializing in Hematology and Immunohematology.
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Michael Favocci, PTA, BS | Physical Therapist Assistant
Michael Favocci PTA, BS is an Assistant Professor and the Clinical Education Coordinator of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program. Michael earned a BS in Health and Physical Education from the University of RI (1977) and an AAS in Physical Therapy from Newbury College (1984). Prior to coming to NEIT in 2007, he had worked for 11 years at the Southern New England Rehabilitation Center as an outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant. His 37 years of physical therapy experience included stints in spinal cord injury rehab, acute rehab, acute care sub-acute rehab, home care and pediatric settings as well as participating in multiple continuing education programs. Michael also worked at Newbury College as the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education for their PTA program in the early 90s. He is an APTA-certified Clinical Instructor and currently supervises PTA students and treats patients/clients at the RI Free Clinic in addition to his academic responsibilities. -
Paul Mangino, Jr., EdD, RRT | Respiratory Care
Dr. Paul Mangino, Jr. is the founding department chair and program director of NEIT’s College of Health Sciences Respiratory Care program. Dr. Mangino has over 20 of experience as a registered respiratory therapist in clinical practice and education. Dr. Mangino received his Bachelor of Science Degree in the Cardiopulmonary Sciences at Northeastern University, a Master of Education in Teaching & Learning and his Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership at Johnson & Wales University. -
Nicholas Raimondi, CVT | Veterinary Technology
Nicholas has been with New England Tech since January 2014. He was hired as the Laboratory Assistant for the Vet Tech Program in 2014 and promoted to faculty in 2018. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1999 with a BS degree in Animal Science from the NEIT Vet Tech program in 2017. Nick has worked at multiple emergency and referral veterinary practices throughout New England with focuses on Anesthesia and Emergency / Critical Care. Additionally, Nick has several years of experience working as a volunteer in wildlife medicine. Prior to working at NEIT Nick served as the Technician Training Coordinator for Ocean State Veterinary Specialists and taught in the veterinary assisting program at Asnuntuck Community College. After graduating, his early career involved computer system and marketing work for a large IT company. He is currently pursuing his master’s in public health from NEIT.
Frank Raposa is the Simulation Center Operations Lead at the NEIT College of Health Sciences. Frank attended the University of Rhode Island and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He started his career at American Power Conversion where he worked on the IT helpdesk and moved on to event marketing. After that, he spent several years as a paramedic in South Kingstown, RI, before coming to NEIT in 2014. Frank was selected to speak at the 2022 Laerdal Simulation Users Network conference in Houston, TX where he presented “Building Simulation Into Your Students Clinical Schedule”. He is actively working to bring technology into the simulation labs to help improve student clinical performance in all College of Health Sciences programs. He is a candidate for a Master of Science in Information Technology degree, with an expected completion date of May 2023.
Center. Robbin has earned an ADN from Community College of RI (1990), Legal Nurse Consulting and BSN from Kaplan University (2012), and MSN-Ed from Grand Canyon University (2014). Prior to joining NEIT in 2015, Robbin had worked for over 25 years at Rhode Island Hospital where she was employed as a board-certified vascular access nurse with the IV Therapy Department. Robbin’s nursing experience there included a diverse background in IV Therapy/ PICC line insertion, Level I trauma, infertility, orthopedics, ENT, GU, and specialty clinics. She also worked at The Miriam Hospital as an RN with Community Health Services. Robbin is presently a Board member of Dare to Dream Ranch, and holds a certification as an Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning assisting our Veteran population.
On campus, Patricia (Trish) McGee serves as the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Coordinator and faculty advisor for the Student Occupational Therapy Association. Trish was awarded the Dr. Robert Shapiro Teaching Excellence Award in 2018.
Melissa Campbell CST, MS is a full-time faculty member for the Surgical Technology Department at NEIT’s College of Health Sciences. Melissa has earned an Associate of Arts from the Community College of RI (2010), Bachelor of Science Degree in Healthcare Administration from Southern New Hampshire University (2018), and Master of Science Degree in Higher Education Administration from Southern New Hampshire University (2020). She is recognized as a member of the Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society, Sigma Alpha Pi Honor Society and awarded as a 2021 Distinguished Scholar from SNHU. As a 2012 graduate of NEIT’s ST program, she was selected to be the Student Representative for the 2011 Annual Technical Advisory Committee and was the 2011 National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assistant (NBSTSA) scholarship recipient. After graduating, her early career involved being a Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) at Newton-Wellesley Hospital as well as overseeing the daily operation of the Surgical Technology Lab being the lab assistant from 2012-2020. She also assisted in perioperative teaching in a clinical skills course for medical students hosted by The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Currently, Melissa is still practicing in the field as a per-diem CST at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford and pursuing her Doctor of Education in Health Professions at A.T. Still University.
Michael Favocci PTA, BS is an Assistant Professor and the Clinical Education Coordinator of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program. Michael earned a BS in Health and Physical Education from the University of RI (1977) and an AAS in Physical Therapy from Newbury College (1984). Prior to coming to NEIT in 2007, he had worked for 11 years at the Southern New England Rehabilitation Center as an outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant. His 37 years of physical therapy experience included stints in spinal cord injury rehab, acute rehab, acute care sub-acute rehab, home care and pediatric settings as well as participating in multiple continuing education programs. Michael also worked at Newbury College as the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education for their PTA program in the early 90s. He is an APTA-certified Clinical Instructor and currently supervises PTA students and treats patients/clients at the RI Free Clinic in addition to his academic responsibilities.
Dr. Paul Mangino, Jr. is the founding department chair and program director of NEIT’s College of Health Sciences Respiratory Care program. Dr. Mangino has over 20 of experience as a registered respiratory therapist in clinical practice and education. Dr. Mangino received his Bachelor of Science Degree in the Cardiopulmonary Sciences at Northeastern University, a Master of Education in Teaching & Learning and his Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership at Johnson & Wales University.
