CHA News

More Than 700 Gather in Pasadena for Disaster Preparedness Conference

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Recognizing the importance of learning from recent disasters and from one another, more than 700 hospital and disaster response officials from across California gathered in Pasadena this week at CHA’s annual Disaster Planning for California Hospitals conference.

Conference attendees discussed lessons from wildfires, mudslides, and floods, and heard a special tribute from a 9/11 first responder on the 18th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Among the conference highlights was a group of CEOs sharing their recent first-hand disaster experience — both during and after the events. In addition, keynote topics included health care resiliency, ethics and 21st century health threats, strategic response to workplace violence in hospitals, and helping first responders help themselves.

But the presentation that garnered a powerful standing ovation was given by Glen Klein, a first responder from the 9/11 attacks in New York City, who shared his story from that day and how he has since recovered, 18 years later.

The two-day event also featured 12 breakout sessions, and a tour of the Caltech Seismological Lab. Mark your calendar for next year’s conference, to be held in Pasadena Sept. 15-16.