HANDS ON EXPERIENCE–Instructor Hope Blythe assists students Azlynn John and Anaya Rodgers with visualization while repairing a “tendon” during the recent Surgical Skills Experience held at Sparta Community Hospital.
The Sparta Health and Wellness Foundation, in partnership with the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), recently hosted a one-of-a-kind Surgical Skills Experience at Sparta Community Hospital — offering local middle school students the chance to step into the world of modern medicine.
The immersive, hands-on workshop invited students to explore surgical science through interactive skill stations and laparoscopic simulation boxes equipped with endoscope setups. Participants practiced using real instruments to strengthen fine motor control, hand-eye coordination, and visualization — the same skills surgeons rely on every day in the operating room.