Latest tool in the medical field

It was just another day in the emergency room at Staten Island Hospital, a staff of doctors and nurses rushing to the bedside of an injured man. But upon closer look, physicians found something very different about their patient: It was a manikin.

“The goal is to try to simulate what exactly happens in real life and then the purpose of it is to look for areas of improvement,” Dr. Heidi Baer said.

Manikins have become the latest tool in modern medicine. Unsuspecting doctors get called to the emergency room only to find a plastic figure on the operating table.

Doctors at Staten Island Hospital say the simulations train doctors to prepare for the worst.

"If you are going to make a mistake, this is the place to do it," said Dr. Heidi Baer. 

The manikins are so technologically advanced that they seemingly blink, breathe, talk, bleed, and even give birth. 

As a result, the simulator training is credited with reducing mistakes that can sometimes be fatal. 

According to the Institute of Medicine, 44,000 to 98,000 deaths occur annually as a result of medical mistakes. 

Research shows the simulations are improving the outcomes in numerous medical specialties.