The Office of Life Support Education was established in 1993 as an American Heart Association Community Training Center, providing ACLS courses for the Health System and the community at large. These courses are now provided by the Penn Medicine at Rittenhouse Clinical Simulation Center.

OLSE continues to expand and includes courses in the fields of both Trauma and Surgical Critical Care. Courses are taught using a cadre of instructors from Nursing, Advanced Practice Nursing, Pulmonary Critical Care, and Surgical Critical Care in addition to a variety of physicians and other clinicians with an expertise in various fields. Courses are taught using lecture, small group, and simulation techniques. The OLSE Director is José Pascual, M.D., Ph.D., FRCS(C), FRCP(C).

Our current course offerings include: ASSET, ATLS, ATCN, ATOM, FCCS, FDM, an Ultrasound course for Fellows and Residents, the Trauma Nurse Course and a variety of internal education programs. In addition, we offer 2 annual symposia, covering a wide variety of Trauma and Critical Care topics with a variety of interesting speakers and experts in their fields. We welcome both UPHS and external students to the majority of our programs. Continuing education credits are provided for most of our programs. Please feel free to contact the OLSE with any questions.