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2025 Virginia Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Summit Attracts Hundreds of First Responders, Addresses ‘Today’s Challenges, Tomorrow’s Impact’

April 16, 2025

VHHA-Sponsored Annual Emergency Preparedness Summit Brings Together Key Stakeholders Working to Strengthen Emergency Readiness to Meet Emerging Threats Facing the Commonwealth

RICHMOND, VA – In recent months, viral concerns like bird flu and measles, natural events such as hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires, and manmade incidents including aircraft accidents have served as reminders that unexpected calamitous events unfortunately occur at an alarming frequency. When they happen, professionals from health care, emergency response, public safety, and other disciplines are mobilized to take on typically challenging and even dangerous conditions.

This week, many of the professionals called on to be first responders when such challenges arise gathered in Richmond for the 2025 Virginia Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Summit presented by the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) and the VHHA Foundation. “Today’s Challenges, Tomorrow’s Impact” is the theme for the Summit, whose programming is focused on continued efforts to strengthen the Commonwealth’s readiness for an array of public health events that will inevitably arrive. The Summit being held today (Wednesday, April 16, 2025) at The Westin – Richmond has attracted more than 200 professionals and stakeholders for a day of educational programing featuring renowned speakers and leaders. Program topics include hurricane response in health care, ethics and crisis standards of care in public health emergencies, active assailant response, special pathogen response, and more. View the Summit program brochure here.

“Circumstances continue to remind us that it is imperative to maintain a state of alert and readiness for the next public health emergency that descends upon us,” said VHHA President and CEO Sean T. Connaughton. “In Virginia, public and private sector organizations and stakeholders effectively collaborate on planning, training, and coordination so we are prepared to respond when threats to public health arise. That is affirmed through Virginia’s regular recognition among the states deemed best prepared to respond to emergencies in assessments by the National Health Security Preparedness Index and Trust for America’s Health. Events like the 2025 Virginia Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Summit are part of that work and we are proud to host it in support of protecting public health.”

Featured Summit speakers include Eric Deaton, Ballad Health Chief Operating Officer; James G. Hodge Jr., JD, LLM, Professor and Director for the Center for Public Health Law & Policy at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law; Virginia State Police First Sergeant Jeffrey Jones; Dr. Ralph Layman, Henrico Doctors’ Hospital Director of Trauma Surgery and Kidney Transplant; Kimberly Overton, Senior Risk Manager for Bon Secours Southside Medical Center and Bon Secours Southern Virginia Medical Center; Christopher James Sulmonte Jr., Administrative Director of Biocontainment at Johns Hopkins Special Pathogen Center; and Kathe Ware, Hospital Administrator and Vice President of Nursing for Bon Secours Southern Virginia Medical Center. Summit welcome remarks will be provided by VCU Health Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Elliott, the Chair of VHHA’s Board of Directors; Virginia Department of Health Chief Operating Officer R. Christopher Lindsay; and VHHA Emergency Preparedness Director Robert Hawkins.

The 2025 Virginia Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Summit is funded, in part, under a grant from the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Points of view or opinions expressed are those of the authors/presenters and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of ASPR/HPP or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

VHHA extends its gratitude to program participants and speakers, as well as the following sponsors whose support helps make this year’s event possible:

About VHHA: The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association is an alliance of 111 hospitals and 26 health delivery systems that develops and advocates for sound health care policy in the Commonwealth. Its mission is to achieve excellence in both health care and health to make Virginia the healthiest state in the nation. Its vision is through collaboration with members and stakeholders, to ensure the sustainability of Virginia health care system, transform the delivery of care to promote lower costs and high value across the continuum of care, and to improve health for all Virginians. Connect with VHHA through Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Julian Walker
Vice President of Communications
(804) 297-3193 office
(804) 304-7402 mobile
jtwalker@vhha.com