2026 Disaster Planning Conference

12:00 – 12:45 p.m. | Check-in, Lunch, and Exhibitor Viewing

12:45 – 1:00 p.m. | Welcome | Mary Massey

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. | General Session | Speaker details and session description are being finalized.

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. | Concurrent Breakout Sessions (choose one)

1. Seismic Readiness Beyond SPC & NPC: What Readiness Really Looks Like for California Hospitals in 2030 and Beyond
   Narsimha Irrinki, MS, P.E., CHFM, CPE, CPD, SASHE, Director of Facilities, Santa Clara Valley Healthcare, Muhsin Lihony, Healthcare Architect, LPA Studios, Ali Sumer, Supervisor Health Facilities, Department of Health Care Access and Information
   This presentation examines how seismic readiness for California hospitals is evolving beyond traditional compliance-focused approaches toward a broader operational resilience framework for 2030 and beyond. While SPC and NPC standards address important structural and nonstructural requirements, hospitals face increasing operational complexity and infrastructure dependency that extend far beyond regulatory mandates. Modern health care operations rely on interconnected systems including emergency power, HVAC, water supply, medical gas, communications, information technology, supply chains, and clinical operations that must continue functioning under highly degraded and uncertain conditions during major seismic events.
   
   Learning Objective: Analyze how infrastructure interdependencies, utility disruptions, nonstructural vulnerabilities, operational degradation, and leadership decision-making affect the ability of California hospitals to sustain patient care and emergency operations following earthquakes.
   
   
2. A Coordinated Building Assessment Process to Support Hospital Operations During Large-Scare Emergencies
   Sidney Spacher, Emergency Management Specialist, Mark Reed, MBA, CHPA, Executive Director of Campus Support Operations, Ashraf Amshaqn, Manager of Biological and Lab Safety, and Chris Martin, Manage of Business Continuity, City of Hope
   This presentation explores how City of Hope developed a coordinated, technology-enabled building assessment process to support rapid decision-making during large-scale emergency events. Attendees will learn how to create multidisciplinary strike teams, assess infrastructure damage, life safety concerns, and operational readiness across a complex health care campus. The session highlights the use of real-time reporting tools to improve situational awareness and communication with incident command. Designed for health care emergency management, facilities, and safety leaders, the approach emphasizes scalability and coordination. Participants will gain practical strategies to strengthen resilience and ensure continuity of patient care during disasters.
   
   Learning Objective: Identify practical considerations and best practices for implementing a building assessment framework that prioritizes life safety, infrastructure integrity, and continuity of patient care during disasters.
   
   
3. Medical and Public Health Decisions for Nuclear Detonation Response
   Andi Tenner, MD, MPH, FACEP, Director, San Francisco Department of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, Chad Hopponen, NARAC Operations Specialist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Juan Garcia, Emergency Preparedness Health Physicist, California Department of Public Health
   Nuclear detonation is a high impact scenario that is the least planned for and exercised for health and medical impacts. Multiagency coordination for response within the first 72 hours will have multiple unique characteristics. Readiness can save thousands of lives and protect lives of many others while ensuring the safety of responders and receivers. Attendees will learn about data and information needs for medical and health decision making, mass triage and medical surge management, and connect with experts from national, state and local response agencies. Please join us to learn how your organization or jurisdiction can access resources for training and exercising to be better prepared for nuclear and other radiological emergencies. details and session description are still being finalized.
   
   Learning Objective: Identify priority response needs to save lives and manage surge operations including staffing and responder safety.

3:00 – 3:30 p.m. | Break & Exhibitor Viewing

3:30 – 4:30 p.m. | General Session | Powder in the Mail: A Hospital’s Coordinated Response to a Suspected WMD Incident
Christopher Riccardi, CHSP, CHEP, Manager of Emergency Management and Calvin Fakkema, CHSP, CHEP, Director of Support Services, Rady Children’s Hospital Orange County and Jason To, FBI Special Agent, WMD Coordinator, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Health care facilities in California play a vital role in early recognition and coordinated responses to potential weapons of mass destruction (WMD) incidents. This session presents a real-world case in which a suspicious white powder was delivered to a hospital, prompting activation of the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) and a coordinated response with local EMS, fire/HazMat teams, public health, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Learning Objective: Evaluate coordination strategies between hospitals, EMS, HazMat, public health, and federal law enforcement during a potential WMD response.

4:30 – 5:30 p.m. | Reception

7:00 – 8:00 a.m. | Breakfast & Exhibitor Viewing

7:30 – 8:00 a.m. | Sunrise Session | Can You Hear Me Now? Lessons from the Palisades Fire
Anjay Parthasarathy, Homestead High School Senior, Emergency Evacuation Committee Lead, Santa Clara County Office of Education
This session delivers a blueprint for frontline facilities to overcome this systemic failure by deploying predictive spatial analytics via ArcGIS Pro. This workshop asks the question of how hospital centers can best overlay regional pediatric DHH demographic data directly against fast-moving wildfires to forecast and mitigate communication barriers before patients arrive. Attendees will receive a toolkit designed for immediate integration into the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) Operations and Logistics sections, which includes an accessible, non-audible intake matrix, visual triage checklists, and pediatric DHH family reunification protocols designed to function during emergencies.

Learning Objective: Identify strategies and tools that can be integrated into the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) to improve communication, triage, and family reunification for pediatric DHH patients during emergencies.

8:00 – 9:00 a.m. | General Session | High Tech, High Risk: Preparing for Battery-Related Incidents in Health Care
Ryan Tuchmayer, MPH, CEM, Director of Emergency Management, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
This presentation provides a practical incident review of lithium-ion battery fires in hospitals and outpatient health care settings. It highlights the coordinated response between hospital personnel, fire departments, hazardous materials teams, and regulatory agencies, while emphasizing the need to sustain patient care and hospital operations. The session translates real-world events into actionable lessons for emergency preparedness, business continuity, regulatory reporting, staff education, and safe management of battery-powered equipment. Attendees will gain insight into response priorities, operational impacts, and improvement opportunities that can strengthen organizational readiness for emerging lithium-ion battery fire risks in health care environments.

Learning Objective: Identify risks from batteries used in health care and continuity of operation interdependencies and downtime plans when battery incidents occur.

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. | Concurrent Breakout Sessions (choose one)

1. From Zero to Ready: Building a Scalable Hospital HazMat Program through Regional Collaboration
   Janet Gutierrez, CHSP, MBA(c), Manager of Environmental Health & Safety, NorthBay Health and Ruth Raisner, MPH, CEM, Manager, Emergency Management & Continuity, NorthBay Health
   Hospitals in high-risk areas must be prepared for hazardous materials incidents, yet building and sustaining a HazMat program can feel overwhelming. This session shares how one hospital went from zero certified responders to a scalable, countywide training model through Health Care Coalition partnerships and shared learning. Attendees will learn practical, low-cost tools such as QR code job aids, simplified decontamination setups, and multidisciplinary training approaches that can be implemented immediately. Presenters will also highlight how simulation enhancements and HSEEP-based improvement cycles strengthened performance year over year. Leave with real-world strategies to build, sustain, and continuously improve HazMat readiness at your facility.
   Learning Objective: Describe how to build a sustainable hospital HazMat preparedness program from the ground up using regional partnerships and Health Care Coalition support.
   
   
2. Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest Festival Massacre – Response and Lessons Learned
   Dorita Sondereker, RN, MSN, CEN, CFRN, TCRN, Hospital Administrator, San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital
   Effective disaster planning is essential for maintaining continuity of care, safeguarding infrastructure, and protecting patient and staff well‑being across all health care settings. Rural hospitals and large urban medical centers face distinct challenges during disasters, yet both require coordinated, scalable, and resilient preparedness strategies. Rural hospitals often operate with limited staff, fewer specialty services, and constrained resources, making surge capacity and external partnerships crucial components of their planning. In contrast, large hospitals manage more complex patient populations, extensive technological systems, and larger care teams, requiring comprehensive incident command structures, advanced communication networks, and integrated regional response plans. The presentation will revolve around the key differences and shared priorities in disaster preparedness across rural and large hospitals, emphasizing flexible planning frameworks, inter‑facility collaboration, and continuous training to strengthen system-wide resilience.
   
   Learning Objective: Optimize Resource Allocation and Surge Capacity by developing adaptable plans to manage sudden increases in patient volume, including strategies for staffing reassignments, rapid triage, conservation of supplies, and use of alternate care areas when standard capacity is exceeded.
   
   
3. Toto We Are Still in California – Lessons Learned from a Tornado Event
   AnnJeanette England, BSN, RN, Emergency Management Coordinator and Ashley Ave, Emergency Management Coordinator, Valley Children’s Hospital
   This presentation reviews the hospital’s response to the April 21, 2026, National Weather Service tornado warning, highlighting key strengths in rapid shelter in place actions, leadership engagement, and a strong culture of safety that resulted in no injuries and positive family feedback. It examines critical lessons learned related to communication breakdowns, including inconsistent messaging pathways, reliance on coded language, and gaps in system reliability that led to confusion across departments. The session also emphasizes the importance of early activation of the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS), clear role definition, and improved familiarity with all-hazards response plans. Finally, it outlines targeted improvements to strengthen future response efforts, including standardized plain language communication, enhanced notification processes, improved staff education, and more structured and timely command activation.
   
   Learning Objective: Recognize the impact of communication redundancy gaps and inconsistent message interpretation on staff response and operational effectiveness.

10:00 – 10:30 a.m. | Break & Exhibitor Viewing

10:30 – 11:30 a.m. | Concurrent Breakout Sessions (choose one)

1. New EM Coordinators – Navigating Your Way to Success
   Mark Shirley, MS, Director, Sutter Health
   This presentation provides an overview of the foundational elements of health care emergency management, including the role of the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) in establishing a structured, scalable response, the importance of conducting Hazard Vulnerability Analyses (HVAs) to prioritize risks and inform planning, as well as the essential components of an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) to guide coordinated action during incidents. Additionally, it underscores the critical role of training, drills, and continuous improvement in maintaining regulatory compliance and organizational readiness, Lastly, the presentation includes key resources to assist new emergency management coordinators with their professional development.
   
   Learning Objective: Understand core emergency management principles and be aware of career development resources.
   
   
2. Addressing the Little Disasters in a Disaster: Pediatric Considerations for Disaster Management
   AnnJeanette England, BSN, RN, Emergency Management Coordinator and Ashley Ave, Emergency Management Coordinator, Valley Children’s Hospital
   Pediatric populations present unique vulnerabilities during disasters that require deliberate planning, specialized resources, and targeted training strategies. This presentation examines key pediatric considerations in disaster response, with a focus on developing programs that address the functional and access needs of children, including those with medical complexity, developmental differences, and dependency on caregivers. The session will highlight practical approaches for integrating pediatric-specific functional needs into hospital and community emergency preparedness programs, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and alignment with regulatory and accreditation standards. Strategies for meaningfully involving children and pediatric stakeholders in drills and exercises will be discussed, including age-appropriate engagement methods that enhance preparedness, reduce fear, and improve system performance.
   
   Learning Objective: Apply practical approaches to integrate pediatric-specific functional and access needs into existing hospital and community emergency management plans.
   
   
3. Insight Sessions | Double your education with two shorter sessions in one.
   • 50,000 Evacuated, Zero Lost: Coordinating EMS Through the Garden Grove Hazmat Crisis | Michael Noone, NRP, CEM, Assistant Director, Orange County Emergency Medical Services Agency
     Learning Objective: Understanding the role of the MHOAC during public health emergencies versus natural disasters
   • HBEDS: Official Launch, Onboarding, and Next Steps | CDPH
     Learning Objective: Identify recent developments in California’s Hospital Bed and Emergency Medical Services Data System (HBEDS) and understand the onboarding process, implementation timeline, and upcoming milestones.

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Hosted Lunch

12:30 – 1:30 p.m. | General Session | Protecting the Caregiver: Emergency Management on the Aftermath of an Attack on Staff
Andi Tenner, MD, MPH, FACEP, Director, San Francisco Department of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, and Sabrina Robinson, FACHE, MBA, Chief Operating Officer, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital
Violence against health care workers has been increasing worldwide in recent years. Health care facilities must balance worker safety and create welcoming environments for patients, and this has become increasingly more difficult. If those safety measures fail and tragedy happens, how would your facility handle the response? In this presentation, speakers will discuss a real-world example and how emergency management, hospital, and clinic operations joined forces to rapidly support staff in need, shore up safety procedures, and start to rebuild trust. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the challenges and potential solutions to better prepare their respective workplaces in the event tragedy strikes.

Learning Objective: Learn from a real-world case about the challenges faced in the aftermath of an attack of a staff member including staff response, the grieving process, and team support.

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. | General Session | Strengthening Health Care Cyber Resilience Through Large-Scale Simulation Exercises
Mitchell Saruwatari, Director of National EM Management and Sola Adesida, Executive Director of Resiliency & Recovery Services, Kaiser Permanente
This presentation explores how large-scale health care cyber exercises are designed and used to strengthen organizational resilience during IT outages and cyberattacks. It highlights key components of scenario-based simulations, including cross-functional coordination, leadership decision-making, and business continuity planning. Attendees will gain insights from real exercise outcomes and learn practical approaches to building, facilitating, and evaluating cyber preparedness activities, enabling them to enhance response capabilities and apply lessons learned to improve resilience within their own organizations.

Learning Objective: Analyze the impact of cyber incidents on health care operations and decision-making by examining communication effectiveness, leadership actions, and inter-organizational collaboration during simulated crisis scenarios.

Speakers bios will continue to be added as they are received.

Ashley Ave, MA
Emergency Management Coordinator
Valley Children’s Healthcare
Ashley Ave began her career at Valley Children’s Healthcare in 2000 focusing on Clinical and Patient/Family Education. In 2014, she transitioned into the role of Emergency Management Coordinator where she provides oversight, coordination, and continuous evaluation of Emergency Management Program activities for the health care network. She is dedicated to equipping leaders and their teams to participate in all phases of the emergency management process. Mrs. Ave is an active member of the Central California Healthcare Coalition and the Madera County Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee.

AnnJeanette England, RN, BSN
Emergency Management Coordinator
Valley Children’s Hospital
AnnJeanette England, BSN, RN, is an Emergency Management Coordinator at Valley Children’s Hospital in California’s Central Valley. With nearly two decades of health care leadership experience, she brings a strong background in emergency nursing, trauma services, case management, nursing leadership, quality improvement, and emergency preparedness. Her career has included a range of clinical and leadership roles, including Interim Director of Nursing, Trauma Performance Improvement Coordinator, Emergency Department Educator, and School Nurse. In her current role, she has led initiatives to improve situational awareness, communication, and coordination through a digital hospital command structure, while also fostering community partnerships.

Janet Gutierrez, CHSP, MBA(c)
Manager of Environmental Health and Safety
NorthBay Health
Janet Gutierrez is the Manager of Environmental Health and Safety at NorthBay Health, where she oversees environmental health and safety programs supporting multiple healthcare facilities. Prior to joining NorthBay Health, Janet led the Emergency Management and Environment of Care programs at Sutter Delta Medical Center, where she coordinated multidisciplinary emergency preparedness initiatives, regulatory readiness, health care coalition activities, regional exercises, and partnerships with local, regional, and state agencies. Earlier in her career, she supported emergency preparedness efforts with Contra Costa County and Tehama County Public Health, experiences that shaped her collaborative approach to healthcare emergency management.

Narsimha Irrinki, MS, P.E., CHFM, CHC, CPE, CPD, FASHE
Director, Facilities
Santa Clara Healthcare
Narsimha Irrinki, MS, P.E., CHFM, CHC, CPE, CPD, FASHE, is a seasoned health care facilities executive with more than 30 years of experience leading complex hospital operations, regulatory compliance programs, and infrastructure resilience initiatives. He currently serves as a Facilities Executive at Santa Clara Valley Healthcare, providing strategic leadership for engineering, environmental services, food services, security, life safety, environmental health and safety, planning, design and construction, and infrastructure emergency management across four hospitals and an extensive network of ambulatory clinics. Narsimha also serves as a Joint Commission Life Safety Code (LSC) Surveyor.

Muhsin Lihony, AIA
National Director of Healthcare Practice
LPA, Inc.
Muhsin Lihony is the National Director of Healthcare Practice at LPA, Inc. Muhsin Lihony has dedicated more than three decades to shaping state-of-the-art, high-performing, cost-effective health care environments that improve patient care, enhance efficiency and adapt to a rapidly evolving industry. He leads LPA’s national health care practice, working with clients to develop innovative care models that are strengthening the relationships between providers, patients and communities. His expertise spans every phase of health care project delivery, from planning and design to construction and operations.

Michael Noone, NRP, CEM
Assistant Director
Orange County Emergency Medical Services Agency
Michael Noone, NRP, CEM, is Assistant Director of the Orange County Emergency Medical Services Agency, where he oversees the medical operations of a 911 system serving three million residents. He led the agency’s response during the 2026 Garden Grove hazardous materials incident. With a career spanning EMS and emergency management roles at the Los Angeles County EMS Agency, and multiple fire departments, he has coordinated disaster response across California’s five-county Mutual Aid Region I and served as a federal paramedic with FEMA’s Disaster Medical Assistance Team. His international work includes designing emergency operations center exercises for the Ethiopian government through USAID and deploying as a medical volunteer following the Haiti earthquake, Typhoon Haiyan, and the Nepal earthquake.

Anjay Parthasarathy
Homestead High School Senior
Emergency Evacuation Committee Lead, Santa Clara County Office of Education
Anjay Parthasarathy serves as the Emergency Evacuation Committee Lead in partnership with the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) under the mentorship of School Sites Emergency Safety Lead, Michael Vallez. In this role, he spearheads a task force revamping regional emergency protocols and developing visual evacuation applications specifically engineered to preserve routing awareness for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) youth during active crises. An independent researcher in atmospheric science prediction models and a physics competitor, Anjay explores utilizing accessible models to eliminate communication issues in disasters.

Ruth Raisner, MPH, CEM
Manager, Emergency Management & Continuity
NorthBay Health
Ruth Raisner serves as the Emergency Manager for NorthBay Health System, where she leads the organization’s Emergency Management Program. Her work focuses on developing comprehensive emergency response plans, delivering training and education, and coordinating exercises that enhance readiness, improve patient care, and strengthen collaboration across agencies. With over a decade of experience, she has supported emergency activations for COVID-19, wildfires, PSPS events, and has led multi-jurisdictional full-scale exercises focused on community engagement.

Christopher Riccardi, CHSP, CHEP
Manager, Emergency Management and Business Continuity
Rady Children’s Health
Christopher Riccardi, CHSP, CHEP, is the Manager of Emergency Management and Business Continuity for Rady Children’s Health in Orange, California. His responsibilities include the development, implementation, and management of Emergency Management planning and exercises as well as the enterprise-wide Business Continuity Program. Chris has over 20 years of industry experience and leadership. He serves as Chair of the Southern California Pediatric Disaster Coalition, Chair of the Health Care Coalition of Orange County’s Hospital Advisory Committee, and co-chair of the Emergency Preparedness Interagency Collaborative’s (EPIC) Hospital Liaison Group.

Sabrina N. Robinson, FACHE, MBA
Chief Operating Officer
Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital
Sabrina N. Robinson, FACHE, MBA, serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG). In this role, she provides executive oversight for Imaging and Radiology, Capital Planning with a portfolio of over $500 million, and a broad array of Support Services, including Food and Nutrition Services, Environmental Services, and Clinical Engineering. She also maintains collaborative, matrixed relationships with SFHN Rehabilitation Services, Materials Management, and the UCSF Clinical Laboratory. Sabrina is the executive co‑sponsor of the ZSFG Workplace Safety (WPS) Divisional Committee and co‑chairs the San Francisco Department of Public Health Operational Security and Safety Committee.

Mitchell W. Saruwatari
Director of National Emergency Management
Kaiser Permanente
Mitchell W. Saruwatari is the Director of National Emergency Management for Kaiser Permanente, where he leads enterprise‑wide emergency preparedness, response, and resilience operations across regional and national command centers. He has nearly three decades of experience in health care, public health, and emergency management, with expertise in incident management, business continuity, regulatory compliance, and large‑scale disaster response. Mitch is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Master of Science in Emergency Management program at the University of Southern California and an instructor and curriculum developer with FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness.

Mark Shirley, MS, CSP, CHMM
Senior Director of Emergency Management and Environmental Health & Safety
Sutter Health
Over the past 30+ years, Mark Shirley has advanced emergency management and environmental health and safety across Sutter Health, providing systemwide leadership for preparedness, regulatory compliance, safety operations, and risk reduction. As Senior Director of Emergency Management and Environmental Health & Safety, he leads enterprise-level strategy and provides guidance for EM and EH&S operations across the organization. An accomplished health care safety and emergency management leader, Mark has contributed to several influential national and statewide committees.

Ryan Tuchmayer, MPH, CEM
Director, Emergency Management
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Ryan Tuchmayer is the Director of Emergency Management at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He organizes the medical center’s emergency preparedness and response efforts, including as a Co-PI for the Region 9 Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center. Ryan also co-leads the Westend Disaster Resource Center, which coordinates preparedness efforts among umbrella hospitals, clinics, and pre-hospital providers in the Western region of LA County. 

Early Bird Members: $399*
Early Bird Associate Members and Government Entities: $399*
Early Bird Nonmembers: $1000*
*Early bird pricing expires on August 24, 2026.

Members: $499
Associate Members and Government Entities: $499
Nonmembers: $1100

Members are CHA member hospitals. Nonmembers are non-hospital health care providers, clinics, and post-acute facilities that serve hospitals. Education programs and publications are a membership benefit and are not available to eligible non-member California hospitals.

Cancellation Policy

A $75 non-refundable processing fee will be retained for each cancellation. Cancellations must be made in writing seven or more days prior to the scheduled event and emailed to education@calhospital.org. No refunds will be given after these dates. Substitutions are encouraged. Cancellation and substitution notification may be emailed to education@calhospital.org. In the unlikely event that the program is cancelled, refunds will be issued to paid registrants within 30 days.

Riverside Convention Center
3637 Fifth Street
Riverside, California 92501
(951) 346-4700

Marriott Riverside at the Convention Center
3400 Market Street
Riverside, CA 92501
Book online

The Marriott Riverside at the Convention Center has rooms available at a discounted rate of $159. For reservations, call (951) 784-8000 and mention code “CHA Disaster Planning Conference” or book online. Don’t delay; the deadline for discounted sleeping rooms is August 21, 2026.

Full attendance at the educational event is a prerequisite for receiving professional continuing education (CE) credit. Attendees must sign in at the conference, complete post-event survey and, when required, include state bar or professional license number. CE certificates will be emailed approximately three weeks after the conference. Lunch and breaks are not included for continuing education credit. (Amount of CE offered subject to change.)

Healthcare Executives — CHA is authorized to award 8.0 hours of pre-approved ACHE Qualified Education credit for this program toward advancement, or recertification, in the American College of Healthcare Executives. Participants in this program who wish to have the continuing education hours applied toward ACHE Qualified Education credit must self-report their participation. To self-report, participants must log into their MyACHE account and select ACHE Qualified Education Credit.

Nursing — Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 11924 for 8.0 contact hours.

If you would like to sponsor or exhibit at the Disaster Planning conference, contact Lisa Hartzell at lhartzell@calhospital.org.