AHA Guides Outline Strategies for Public Emergencies, Cyber Threats

As National Blood Donor Month comes to a close, the need to give blood remains urgent following a severe shortage declared by the American Red Cross. The national blood supply has dropped by nearly 35% in recent weeks, a decline driven in part by winter weather and seasonal decreases in donations. OHA encourages you to help raise awareness and participate in lifesaving donations. Every 2 seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, and a single donation can help save multiple lives. Learn more about the importance of donating and schedule an appointment at redcrossblood.org.

OhioHealth will spotlight its global recruitment strategy during Part 5 of OHA’s Workforce Lunch & Learn series, set for 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 10. The virtual session will highlight how OhioHealth addressed critical staffing shortages through international recruitment pipelines, resulting in the hiring of 192 nurses and seven medical technologists. Presented by Davis Rutherford, senior advisor for HR transformation at OhioHealth, the webinar will explore workforce planning, ethical recruitment practices and lessons learned from in-person and virtual hiring events. The session is part of OHA’s six-part series focused on advancing workforce solutions through collaboration and shared best practices.…

Adena Health, an OHA member, and Shawnee State University will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony Feb. 3 to celebrate the launch of a new partnership that aims to expand health care workforce development and professional education in southern Ohio. The event takes place at 1:30 p.m. at the PACCAR Medical Education Center in Chillicothe. The collaboration establishes an academic campus site for Shawnee State’s College of Health & Human Services within Adena’s PACCAR Medical Education Center. The initiative is designed to strengthen career pathways, support ongoing professional development and help address regional workforce needs. Learn more

As Winter Storm Fern swept across Ohio, hospitals and health care workers across the state mobilized to ensure patients continued to receive lifesaving care despite hazardous conditions. While travel was restricted and snow blanketed communities, caregivers reported to work, emergency departments remained open and hospitals activated weather emergency plans to protect patients and staff. From snowplow escorts guiding ambulances to nurses navigating dangerous roads before dawn, Ohio hospitals demonstrated resilience, teamwork and unwavering commitment during the unprecedented public health emergency. Highlights from across the state include: Southwest Ohio: Dayton Daily News reported that hospitals like Premier Health, Kettering Health, Mercy Health and…