Wisconsin hospitals must be prepared to respond to a number of challenges, including infectious diseases, active shooters and cyber threats, to name just a few. These very real situations can happen anywhere and at any time.
On September 20, WHA is sponsoring the “WHA Emergency Preparedness Conference: Ready to Respond.” This one-day conference will feature Vincent Covello, PhD, a nationally and internationally recognized trainer, researcher, consultant and expert in crisis, conflict, change and risk communications. Covello will keynote the conference and offer a deep-dive session in the afternoon specifically for public information officers and health care public relations professionals. Peter Shult, PhD, associate director of the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, will brief the audience on infectious disease outbreaks in the past, present and those that are anticipated in the future. Shult will also share best practices and describe ways hospitals can be better prepared for these events.
Chris Sonne and William Castellano, both of HSS EM Solutions, will share best practices and lessons learned from live active shooter scenarios, as well as direct tabletop exercises and a practical, scenario-based training exercise, during a special afternoon session focused on preparing for an active shooter.
The role of state government during an emergency involves a series of steps that are not always well understood by outsiders. Stephanie Smiley, director of the bureau of communicable diseases at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, will explain the process the State follows to officially declare an emergency and what triggers the declaration that would impact hospitals.
Hospitals are encouraged to take advantage of this in-state training opportunity designed for hospital emergency preparedness directors, emergency department directors and physicians, infection prevention staff, department directors, public relations professionals and public information officers.
This conference is September 20 at the Sheraton Hotel in Madison. The registration fee is $225 per person. The agenda and registration are available at www.cvent.com/d/b5qw08.