The Association of Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Professionals (AHEPP) will host its first national conference Nov. 17 and 18 in Omaha at the Century Link Center.
“Anyone who attends this conference will learn about the most important disaster preparedness concerns facing all the different types of health care facilities today,” said Kristine Sanger, associate executive director of AHEPP, and hospital drill/exercise outreach specialist, biosecurity & biopreparedness, UNMC College of Public Health.
About AHEPP
The Association of Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Professionals (AHEPP), formed in 2014, is a professional organization dedicated to advancing the field of disaster preparedness and response in health care settings. The organization provides health care professionals with opportunities for networking, resource sharing, continuing education and scholarly exchange.
“Speakers with disaster stories from the field and other experts will help guide and refine planning efforts for home care and long-term facilities to outpatient clinics and small and large hospitals,” she said.
The conference will feature tours of the Nebraska Biocontainment Patient Care Unit, and breakout sessions will cover multiple topics on preparedness led by experts from UNMC and around the country.
Four disaster preparedness experts will give keynote speeches throughout the two-day conference.
Ali S. Khan, M.D., M.P.H., dean of the UNMC College of Public Health and former assistant surgeon general, will open the conference at 9 a.m. His speech, “Defragmenting Emergency Preparedness in the U.S.,” will address the critical need for disaster preparedness for all.
As dean, Dr. Khan’s goal is to help make Nebraska the healthiest state in the union by 2020. Nebraska currently ranks No. 10 in the country in rankings by the United Health Foundation. He is a member of the AHEPP Advisory Board.
Deborah Levy, Ph.D., chief, healthcare preparedness activity, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will close the first day’s session with a speech, “CDC’s Healthcare Preparedness Activity — Lessons Learned and Resources.”
David Marcozzi, M.D., senior advisor for emergency preparedness and acute care, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will open the second day of the conference with a speech titled, “Health Reform and Preparedness: Implications and Paths Forward.” He is a national expert in emergency preparedness and emergency medical systems, with strategic and operational experience.
The closing keynote speech “Boston Strong: Hospital Preparedness Efforts Before, During and Since the Marathon,” will be presented by Paul Biddinger, M.D., vice chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
For registration, credit and accreditation information, visit the AHEPP website.