VHHA Celebrates National Hospital Week (May 11-17, 2025) in the Commonwealth of Virginia

May 12, 2025

Virginia Hospitals Provide Essential Health Services to Patients 24/7/365 and Contribute Billions to the Economy through Jobs and Community Investments

RICHMOND, VA – This week (May 11-17, 2025), Virginia joins the nation in celebrating National Hospital Week, which is a time to honor the dedication, compassion, and care provided by hospitals and their teams to support and strengthen communities.

Hospitals are pillars in our society that offer essential medical care to people in need, drive clinical research leading to advances in care and patient outcomes, help form the first responder safety net in emergencies, and support the economy. The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) counts among its members 26 health systems that represent 113 community, children’s, psychiatric, rehabilitation, and specialty hospitals. Each of those organizations is home to physicians, nurses, technicians, caregivers, and other professionals with a passion for improving health and an unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality care to patients.

In recognition of Hospital Week 2025, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has issued a formal proclamation honoring the work and contributions of Virginia hospitals. VHHA is also celebrating the week with an online contest awarding gift cards to select Virginia hospital employees who are nominated by others. The contest enables social media users to spotlight exceptional team members working in Virginia hospitals to register them for a chance to win a gift card.

“People who choose to serve others in health care are inspired by a sense of selfless purpose and a belief in the power of healing,” said Valley Health System President and CEO Mark Nantz, the Chair of the VHHA Board of Directors. “During National Hospital Week, we have an opportunity to recognize our colleagues who have devoted their careers to the important work of sustaining and improving life and comforting people in their time of need. I invite all Virginians to join me in expressing appreciation for that extraordinary service.”

Added VHHA President and CEO Sean T. Connaughton: “Hospitals are essential places of healing, hope, and innovation. They provide emergency care and specialized treatments, are hubs for groundbreaking research, and community cornerstones. Hospitals make a profound difference in people’s lives each day and deserve our gratitude and recognition during National Hospital Week and beyond.”

National Hospital Week dates to 1921 and is celebrated each year in May to coincide with the birthday of famed nurse Florence Nightingale. In Virginia, the General Assembly formalized state recognition of Hospital Week in 2015 when then-state Senator John Watkins (R-Powhatan County) sponsored legislation designating the second week of May that year and each subsequent year as “Virginia Hospital Week.”

In Virginia, these are a few examples of how hospitals and their teams work to make the Commonwealth healthy and prosperous:

• Virginia hospitals provide significant community benefit to the Commonwealth each year. In 2023, hospitals contributed $3.7 billion in community benefit, directly employed more than 140,000 people in good jobs, provided $62.2 billion in positive economic impact, helped deliver more than 86,000 babies, accommodated more than 3.4 million annual emergency department visits, and handled more than 4.4 million patient days.
• Virginia hospitals have consistently been recognized for patient safety excellence. Virginia is ranked fifth overall in the recently released Spring 2025 Leapfrog Group Hospital Safety Grade state rankings that are based on the share of hospitals in each state that earned “A” grades. Prior to the current Spring 2025 rankings, Virginia ranked second in the Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022, and the Spring 2022 periods. The Commonwealth has regularly been a high-achieving state in the bi-annual Leapfrog ratings: Virginia was first overall in the Fall 2021 rankings, fourth in Spring 2021, sixth in Fall 2020, third in Fall 2019, second in Spring 2019, third in Fall 2018, and fifth in Spring 2018.
• Each year, Virginia’s hospitals accommodate the overwhelming majority of voluntary and involuntary behavioral health inpatient admissions to care for individuals with mental health and substance use treatment needs. Hospitals have also invested in adding adult and pediatric psychiatric beds to accommodate growing demand for behavioral health care.
• Virginia hospitals helped successfully advocate for the expansion of Medicaid coverage in the Commonwealth and, as part of the 2018 legislative compromise to achieve that, agreed to cover the state share of program costs. Since then, private hospitals have contributed more than $3 billion to fund the Medicaid expansion that has enabled more than 629,000 Virginians to enroll in health coverage since 2019. This year, Virginia hospitals are contributing more than $570 million to cover the state share of expansion costs.

About VHHA: The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association is an alliance of 113 hospitals and 26 health delivery systems that develops and advocates for sound health care policy in the Commonwealth. Its vision is to achieve excellence in both health care and health to make Virginia the healthiest state in the nation. Its mission is through collaboration with members and stakeholders, to ensure the sustainability of Virginia’s 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