Across the nation, May 6-12, 2018 is National Hospital Week. In Virginia, this week provides an opportunity to celebrate the great work done by Virginia’s local hospitals and health systems each day. Virginia is home to a high-quality network of health care providers that support public access to health care, achieve medical breakthroughs and advancements, employ thousands of Virginians in good-paying jobs, and generate billions in positive economic contributions to the state. As legislation approved by the 2015 Virginia General Assembly formalizing state recognition of Hospital Week put it, “Hospitals and health systems in the Commonwealth play an integral role in providing vital health care services to all Virginians, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.”
“The Commonwealth is fortunate to have a network of world class hospitals that prioritize health care quality, safety, and service,” said Mark H. Merrill, President and Chief Executive Officer of Valley Health System and Chair of the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association’s (VHHA) Board of Directors. “Virginia’s hospital community is committed to improving health care and ensuring Virginians have access to essential health services when needed. Hospitals are always open, no matter the time or day, to provide medical treatment to meet patient needs when they arise. Figures from 2016 demonstrate that: Virginia hospitals that year accommodated more than 3.6 million emergency department visits, handled nearly 800,000 inpatient admissions, accounted for more than 4 million patient days, and delivered more than 94,000 babies. Community hospitals and health systems are also deeply involved in emergency preparedness to be ready to respond in those unfortunate moments when catastrophic events such as natural disasters, viral outbreaks, or manmade episodes impact Virginia. For all these reasons and more, hospitals are true community cornerstones in the Commonwealth.”
VHHA is celebrating Hospital Week in several ways. The Association is unveiling its new Virginia Hospital Media Dashboard, an interactive tool that charts news coverage mentioning Virginia hospitals. The volume of this news coverage is a reminder that each minute of every day, there is someone being helped by a hospital in Virginia. On social media (Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn), the Association will continue sharing good news stories happening at Virginia’s hospitals and health systems with an emphasis this week on promoting some of our favorite stories from the past year. VHHA is debuting a new episode of the Patients Come First podcast series featuring an interview with American Hospital Association President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Pollack, and releasing the latest issue of the FOCUS publication featuring positive stories from hospitals and health systems around the Commonwealth. This content underscores all the important work done by hospitals to improve health care quality and patient safety, to support the economy, to enhance patient and family experience, and much more.
“During Hospital Week, VHHA is honored to share powerful stories about the ways in which our health systems and hospitals go above and beyond to treat, educate, and help patients and the communities they serve,” said VHHA President and Chief Executive Officer Sean T. Connaughton. “Stories of compassionate, exceptional care can be found each day at community hospitals across Virginia. They may sometimes go unheralded publicly, but they matter immensely to the patients and families who experience the devotion of our many committed health care providers working in Virginia. In addition to direct care, and quality improvement efforts, Virginia hospitals support a wide array of community programs, including health screenings, immunizations, health fairs and educational programs, among other activities. Virginia hospitals directly employ more than 125,000 people, generate nearly $40 billion in positive economic activity for the state, spend more than $18 million on goods and services with local businesses, and provide $3.25 billion in community support.”
Virginia Hospital Week was formally recognized in 2015 when then-state Senator John Watkins (RPowhatan County) sponsored legislation designating the second week of May that year and each subsequent year as “Virginia Hospital Week.” ###
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