In 2015, Chrystal Rutledge, M.D., an associate professor in the Division of Pediatrics, pioneered the idea for the COACHES Program—an initiative that is now transforming pediatric care in Alabama through education and simulation training. The Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement is excited to host Rutledge for this month’s American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) lecture, where she will share insights about the inception and impact of this groundbreaking program.
Chrystal Rutledge, M.D.
Associate Professor, Division of Pediatrics
Spotlight on Dr. Chrystal Rutledge
While completing her pediatric critical care medicine fellowship at UAB in 2014, Rutledge recognized a gap in access to specialized pediatric care in rural areas, sparking her to create long-term solutions.
In 2016, she launched the COACHES Program, developed in collaboration with the organization IMPACTS (Improving Pediatric Acute Care Through Simulation). COACHES, which stands for Children's of Alabama Community Healthcare Education Simulation, focuses on pediatric emergency readiness for health care providers in underserved areas.
“We really wanted to figure out how we could help our communities in caring for sick children, and that meant education,” Rutledge explained. “Transporting sick children from community hospitals can take hours. Our goal was to be able to say, not only do hospitals have the supplies, the infrastructure, the policies, the education to understand how to manage these sick kids, but are also able to provide ongoing management until we can get there.”
The COACHES program adopts a multi-pronged approach to improve pediatric emergency care, with education serving as the foundational element. Rutledge emphasized the importance of approaching underserved hospitals in a non-threatening manner, saying, “What we really want to do is help you. Helping you helps the patients, and we want to improve patient outcomes and patient safety.”
Through simulation-based training, the program assesses the current capabilities of health care providers and hospitals. “It’s a way for us to understand what’s going on in their hospital,” Rutledge noted. “We go through different scenarios that help us assess what supplies they have, and we provide them with feedback through a detailed report.” This feedback not only highlights successes but also uncovers areas for improvement, ensuring that hospitals are prepared for real-life critical situations.
In addition to improving emergency readiness, the COACHES program facilitates ongoing relationships between hospitals and specialists at Children’s of Alabama.
“We want to be a resource for them, connecting them with others who can help with specific issues, like diabetes management,” Rutledge shared.
This collaborative approach has led to successful studies, such as one focused on diabetic ketoacidosis, a critical condition that can arise from poorly controlled or undiagnosed diabetes. By providing education and formal feedback on how to manage this condition, the program has seen measurable improvements in care across multiple hospitals.
Overall, Rutledge's vision for the COACHES Program is to create a sustainable network of support that empowers health care providers to deliver high-quality care to critically ill children, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes throughout Alabama.
This program is about bridging a gap and ensuring that we can provide equitable care for all the kids of Alabama, so they don’t have to live close to Children’s to receive quality care.”
Learn more about the future of COACHES
At noon on Thursday, October 17, Rutledge will join the Heersink Office of Access & Engagement via Zoom to present her AMWA lecture, “From Vision to Reality: Developing the Children's of Alabama Community Healthcare Education Simulation (COACHES).”
Her talk will provide insights into her pediatric journey, the challenges she overcame in launching the COACHES Program, and the program’s growing impact on pediatric health care in Alabama.
To learn more, register here.