Wednesday, March 19
8 a.m. – CHEP Sign-in/Breakfast
9 a.m. – CHEP Education
Noon – Lunch
12:30 p.m. – CHEP Education
4 p.m. – Adjournment
Thursday, March 20
7 a.m. – CHEP Breakfast
7:30 a.m. – CHEP EXAM
9 a.m. – General Conference Registration/Breakfast
10 a.m. – Welcome
10:15 a.m. – The Less Obvious MCI: Identification and Management
Overview
A mass casualty incident is easy to envision with passenger train or airplane crashes. Two minivans that collide in the evening may sound like a “motor vehicle accident” initially but suddenly the emergency department is swamped because, in addition to the three or four patients already in the small ED, EMS now is delivering four adults and six children with a variety of injuries. So what training, equipment, planning, resources, information or exercises can a hospital provide to ensure they manage those events seamlessly?
Objectives
Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:
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- provide considerations for identification of MCI at small and medium-sized hospitals to support activation of appropriate plans or requests for assistance
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- examine the physical and informational resources that will mitigate the impact of an MCI to the organization and the front-line providers
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- identify practical steps requiring realistic investment in time and money that small and medium-sized hospitals can take to prepare for events that escalate from “busy” to “MCI”
William Moorhead, J.D., MEP
President and Owner
All Clear Emergency Management Group
Raleigh, N.C.
11:15 a.m. – Aging Infrastructure – Case Studies in Water Disruption
Overview
The purpose of this presentation is to examine the critical challenges posed by aging infrastructure and water disruptions in health care facilities. By highlighting the impact on patient safety and operational efficiency, this presentation aims to underscore the urgent need for strategic investments and proactive measures. Attendees will gain insights into the current state of hospital infrastructure, the consequences of water disruptions, and effective strategies for mitigating these risks to ensure the resilience and reliability of health care facilities.
Objectives
Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:
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- identify common causes of water disruptions in hospitals, such as plumbing failures, roof leaks, HVAC system malfunctions and severe weather
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- describe the operational disruptions caused by water issues, including compromised medical equipment and disrupted patient care
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- review strategies for preventing water damage, including regular maintenance, infrastructure upgrades and emergency water supply planning
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- discuss the role of proactive infrastructure management in mitigating the risks associated with aging water systems
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- outline the key components of an effective emergency water supply plan for health care facilities
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- raise awareness about the critical need for funding and policy support to address aging water infrastructure challenges
Dave Fowler
Project Manager
Guarantee Electrical
St. Louis
Leslie Thornburg, MPH, CLSS-CHRM
St. Louis
12:45 a.m. – Lunch
1:45 p.m. – Fluid Situations: When Drug Shortages Become Incidents
Overview
Drugs are a critical component of the hospital supply chain. With consolidation in manufacturing leading to fewer redundancies in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, even a minor supply chain disruption can significantly impact patient care in Missouri hospitals.
This presentation will describe MU Health Care’s typical drug shortage management process and highlight criteria used to determine when a drug shortage warrants a more robust incident command response. In light of the 2024-2025 IV fluids shortage as a result of Hurricane Helene, this presentation will provide recent examples of managing a drug shortage using incident command structure and share lessons learned along the way.
Objectives
Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:
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- identify resources available to hospitals to stay updated on national drug shortages
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- develop criteria that health systems can utilize to inform the decision to initiate incident command structure to manage a drug shortage
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- translate incident command response principles to hospital drug shortage management
Tom Greenlee, Pharm.D.
Senior Director of Pharmacy Services
MU Health Care
Columbia, Mo.
2:30 p.m. – Case Study/Small Group Discussion
Overview
This collaborative session will feature small group discussions to help attendees explore conference presentations, share strategies with peers and guide concepts into actionable plans to bring to their own facilities. Questions and facilitators will be available to help formulate robust conversations among groups.
3:30 p.m. – Energy Break
3:45 p.m. – Health Care Supply Chain Issues in the Post-COVID Environment
Overview
This session will explore how hospitals and health care offices can right-size inventory after the supply challenges of COVID-19. Attendees will learn practical LEAN strategies to address these issues and how to apply them in a busy work environment.
Objectives
Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:
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- identify common inventory issues faced by multiple hospitals and health care offices and provide them with questions to ask themselves to help identify similar issues
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- share LEAN ideas and practical tools to address these issues and improve efficiency
Kari DiCianni
Consultant
Krisalis Performance Improvement
Branson, Mo.
4:30 p.m. – Closing/Adjournment
5 p.m. – Networking Social
Friday, March 21
7 a.m. – Registration/Breakfast
7:45 a.m. – Welcome
8 a.m. – A Trauma-informed Response to Workplace Violence in Health Care
Overview
Learn how to apply trauma-informed responses to workplace violence by engaging team members and enhancing multidisciplinary team cohesiveness. Presenters will share changes happening at their own urban-core, safety-net, teaching hospital as a result of applying trauma-informed principles and implementing trauma-informed practices.
Objectives
Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:
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- learn strategies for implementing trauma-informed care in the health care environment and engaging team members in trauma-informed practices
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- consider implementation of multidisciplinary training using trauma-informed practices to anticipate and manage violence in health care
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- apply trauma-informed support for team members after workplace violence events
Katie Adams, DNP, R.N., CTSS
Violence Prevention Manager
University Health
Kansas City, Mo.
Rev. Roxanne Pendleton, M.Div., CYT200
Senior Behavioral Health Consultant
University Health Center for Trauma Informed Innovation
Kansas City, Mo.
9 a.m. – Mitigating Physical Security Risks in Health Care Facilities
Overview
Violence in health care facilities is an increasingly concerning trend in the United States. Health care workers are facing rising incidents of physical and verbal assaults, significantly impacting hospitals, staff, visitors and patients.
Health care workers, particularly nurses, now are five times more likely to experience violence on the job than workers in other sectors. The ongoing rise in violent incidents was exacerbated by the pandemic, which led to higher stress levels among patients and their families. Safety concerns not only are affecting the mental and physical well-being of health care workers but also can compromise the quality of patient care. Fear of violence can lead to distracted care, increased burnout and higher turnover rates among staff, which in turn strains hospital resources and impacts patient outcomes.
By implementing a comprehensive strategy that combines legislative support, robust safety protocols, investments in new technology and ongoing staff education, hospitals can better protect their employees and ensure a safer environment for everyone involved. Join Jason Grellner, former executive director of Mercy Healthcare and current vice president and head of health care for Evolv Technology, in an insightful and interactive session dedicated to addressing violence in health care facilities.
Objectives
Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:
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- explore the scope of violence in health care
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- examine the associated impact of violence on health care staff and patients
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- discover best practices for recognizing future incidents of violence
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- consider best practices for a wholistic approach to violence
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- learn more about extreme violence in health care and the importance of behavioral threat assessments in management
Jason Grellner
Vice President
Evolv Technology
Waltham, Mass.
9:45 a.m. – Energy Break
10 a.m. – HTM Incident Response Preparedness: Be Ready
Overview
Cybersecurity is one of the most prevalent challenges in health care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services warns that industry cyberattacks are growing in “numbers and severity.” In response to this intensifying threat, health care technology management professionals must be confident and ready to act. When armed with a robust incident response plan that adheres to recent legislative, compliance, standards and guideline changes, biomedical equipment technicians can minimize, or prevent, the damage from an attack.
Objectives
Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:
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- learn about the critical elements required to implement and quickly execute a strong incident response plan while remaining compliant
Dennis Fridrich
Vice President, Cybersecurity
TRIMEDX
