Amid Labor Challenges, VHHA Hosts Inaugural Healthcare Workforce Summit Focused on Efforts to Strengthen the Workforce to Meet Patient Needs, Serve Public Health, and Support Health Care Professionals in their Work

March 21, 2023

Summit Brings Together Hundreds of Participants from Across the Health Care Community to Learn New Strategies and Address Shared Challenges Facing Virginia Hospitals, Which Currently Have More Than 11,000 Job Openings

RICHMOND, VA – As labor challenges ripple across the U.S. economy and acutely impact the health care sector, the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) is hosting its first-ever Virginia Healthcare Workforce Summit on Wednesday, March 22 to bring together health care professionals and subject matter experts for an educational virtual event focused on identifying innovative approaches to support and strengthen the health care workforce.

“A Path Forward: Strategies for Supporting the Workforce of Today and Tomorrow” is the theme of the Summit whose programming will focus on the state of the health care workforce in Virginia, leadership in a multigenerational workplace, innovative approaches reflecting changing workforce trends, flexible staffing models, redefining the employee value proposition, developing workforce pipeline programs, supporting wellness programs for clinicians, and a panel discussion featuring four generations of nurses.

Featured speakers during the event include welcome remarks from Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, observations on leading a multigenerational workplace from New York Times bestselling author Lindsey Pollak, and representatives from Mercer, Aya Healthcare, George Mason University, Forvis Healthcare Consulting, the Virginia Community College System, the Virginia Ready Initiative, the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, Envision Physician Services, UVA Health, Carilion Clinic, Valley Health, Riverside Health System, VCU Health, Sentara Healthcare, and the Daisy Foundation.

“When it comes to public health, Virginia has much to be proud of: a health care delivery system that is second to none, as well as top ratings for patient safety, emergency preparedness, and clinical excellence,” said Centra Health President and CEO Amy Carrier, a member of the VHHA Board of Directors and Co-Chair of the VHHA Workforce Steering Committee. “Yet, we also know that challenges lie ahead to cultivate and sustain the workforce at a time when the health care community faces rising labor costs, a concerning level of clinical vacancies, and future projected shortages of doctors, nurses, and other essential health care professionals. The Virginia Healthcare Workforce Summit is one of the many collaborative action steps we are taking to plan for and address the challenges we face to ensure people have access to care and health care professionals have the support they need to do their jobs.”

“Health care workforce shortages were a looming concern before the COVID-19 pandemic due to projected increasing demand for health care services as the Baby Boomer generation ages into retirement. Pandemic-related conditions including workforce burnout and surging labor costs have only accelerated those challenges” added Peter Mulkey, CEO of Clinch Valley Health and Chair of the VHHA Board of Directors. “In response, VHHA established the Workforce Steering Committee and launched the On Board Virginia campaign to attract health care professionals to pursue their careers in Virginia. Our hospitals and health systems also continue to work with elected officials and other stakeholders to strengthen the workforce development pipeline. This Summit is one component of that continuing work.”

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:

• Elite Industry Partner: Qualivis.
• Gold Sponsors: Adams Strategy Group, Evolv Technology, Kinometrix, SafeHaven (a well-being program from the Medical Society of Virginia), SteraMist by TOMI, the Language Group, and US Acute Care Solutions.
• Bronze Sponsor: Odgers Berndtson.

About VHHA: The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association is an alliance of 110 hospitals and 25 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 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, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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