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Second Annual Virginia Healthcare Workforce Summit Convenes with Innovation Focus on Strengthening and Supporting Health Care Professionals Who Care for Virginians

March 19, 2024

Workforce Summit Offers Daylong Programming Emphasizing Staff Development, Training, Recruitment, Retention, and Wellness for Current and Future Professionals

Workforce Summit Attracts Hundreds of Participants and Experts from Across the Health Care Community for Programming Focused on Investing in Efforts to Support and Strengthen the Current and Future Health Care Workforce

RICHMOND, VA – Growing and sustaining the health care workforce to meet patient needs across the continuum of care is a focus area for the hospital community as it continues to face staffing challenges and shortages in a post-pandemic world.

Today, (Tuesday, March 19), the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) and the VHHA Foundation are hosting the second annual Virginia Healthcare Workforce Summit as part of the ongoing work to support current health care professionals and strengthen the training pipeline for future practitioners. “Strengthening the Healthcare Workforce through Innovation and Purpose” is the theme of the virtual Summit that brings together hundreds of health care professionals and subject matter experts. Event programming focuses on strategies for attracting and retaining talent in the post-pandemic workplace, effective strategies for promoting employee well-being and safety, streamlining processes with rapidly advancing technologies including artificial intelligence, and upskilling and career advancement opportunities as a win-win for the workforce and employers.

Featured Summit speakers include author and Certified Speaking Professional Joe Mull who will share remarks on the topic of igniting commitment and keeping top talent in the new age of work, as well as representatives from Bon Secours, Carilion Clinic, Centra Health, Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, Encompass Health, Good Company Consulting, HCA Healthcare, Riverside Health System, Sentara Health, UVA Health, and the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority. View a full conference agenda through this link.

“The clinicians, caregivers, and support staff who work in hospitals are the lifeblood of our organizations and central to everything we do to serve communities and care for patients and families in their hour of need,” said Eric Deaton, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President for Ballad Health and Chair of the VHHA Board of Directors. “Being a health care professional is a rewarding, fulfilling, and noble calling. It helps make a real difference in people’s lives. It also has unique challenges. As public demand for medical care grows, our mandate is to remain vigilant in supporting our colleagues as well as in preparing future generations for professional roles in the health care delivery system. The Virginia Healthcare Workforce Summit is an opportunity for us to come together and learn from each other about strategies and best practices that can help us accomplish that.”

“Hospitals are always ready to respond to emerging public health needs and to deliver the high-quality, essential care Virginians deserve. Doing that is predicated on the availability of teams of talented, trained, capable, and compassionate health care providers,” added VHHA President and CEO Sean T. Connaughton. “We have successfully worked with elected leaders to enhance workforce development initiatives focused on recruiting and retaining clinicians and training the next generation of providers. In support of hospital members, VHHA also launched the On Board Virginia campaign to attract health care providers to come to Virginia to pursue their careers. The annual Virginia Healthcare Workforce Summit is a continuation of that work as we pursue the mission of making the Commonwealth the healthiest state in the nation.”

VHHA extends its gratitude to program participants and speakers as well as the following sponsors whose support helps make the Virginia Healthcare Workforce Summit 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. Its vision is through the power of collaboration to be recognized as a driving force behind making Virginia the healthiest state in the nation. Connect with VHHA through Facebook, X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.

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