Labster Strengthens Leadership Team with Distinguished Healthcare and Education Experts

Marc Batchelor joins as VP of Sales, and Dr. Christine Heid joins as a Nursing Simulation Specialist, bringing 50+ years of combined experience to accelerate virtual reality adoption in nursing simulation

BOSTON, Jan. 22, 2025 -- Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system, yet resource constraints often prevent them from getting the hands-on education that prepares them for clinical practice and the complexities of real-world patient care. UbiSim, the leading immersive virtual reality (VR) platform for nursing simulation, and its parent company, Labster, are redefining how nurses learn. To advance this goal, the company is proud to announce the addition of two transformative leaders—Marc Batchelor and Christine Heid, PhD, MSN/Ed, RN, CNE, CHSE—to its team, each bringing a unique perspective to support the adoption of VR simulation and accelerate growth.

Batchelor joins as Vice President of Sales for UbiSim and Labster and Heid joins UbiSim as a Nursing Simulation Specialist. Together, they bring more than 50 years of combined expertise to the company with the shared goal of improving nursing education and patient outcomes worldwide.

"We're thrilled to welcome Marc and Christine to our team," said Shawn Boom, CEO of Labster. "The urgent need to prepare more skilled nurses for clinical practice has never been more critical, and I'm confident that Marc and Christine are exactly the right leaders to help us support educators in meeting this challenge. Marc's exceptional revenue leadership will strengthen our market presence, while Christine brings invaluable perspective as both a nurse educator and simulation expert who has personally experienced the challenges our customers face in preparing nurses for clinical practice. Her deep understanding of nursing education, combined with Marc's strategic expertise, will be instrumental in advancing our commitment to transforming how nurses learn."

Batchelor brings 30+ years of experience in revenue growth and customer engagement. Known for his authentic leadership style, Marc has a proven track record at Wolters Kluwer and Cengage, working with nursing leaders across North America to adopt technology that supports transition-to-practice goals and prepares students to make a meaningful impact in healthcare.

Dr. Heid has 20+ years of experience as a nurse educator, simulationist, and healthcare advocate. A recognized innovator in nursing education, she created the Heid ATE Guide for Clinical Teaching and Learning© and led a multi-site research project funded by an OADN Foundation Grant. Dr. Heid has held roles as a consultant, course developer, and faculty member, contributed to national committees, and published research on simulation and clinical judgment.

This announcement follows Labster and UbiSim's strong start to the year, including a three-year partnership with HCT, the Philippines' largest nursing curriculum provider. Supported by Meta, the partnership will bring cutting-edge VR simulations to thousands of future nurses, reinforcing the company's role as a leader in healthcare education innovation.

To request a demo and take a product tour of Labster and UbiSim, visit: https://www.labster.com/live-demo and https://www.ubisimvr.com/request-demo.

About Labster

Labster® is redefining STEM education with immersive learning platforms built for engagement, designed for equitable learning, and focused on preparing learners for success from classroom to career. Over six million learners in 3,000 institutions across 100 countries have seen breakthrough learning outcomes using the Labster interactive lab platform for science and pre-health courses and the UbiSim™ immersive virtual reality simulation platform for nursing. UbiSim was recognized as a TIME Best Invention of 2024 for helping nurses practice empathetic patient care. Visit http://www.labster.com and http://www.ubisimvr.com.

Media Contact

Abby Veach, labster@meetkickstand.com

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