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VHHA Celebrates 100 Years of Supporting Hospitals and Public Health in the Commonwealth During the 2026 Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Leaders Summit

Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) Culminates Yearlong Centennial Celebration with ‘100 Years Strong: Honoring Our Past. Shaping The Future’ Annual Conference Focused on the Proud Legacy of the Organization and the Important Work Ahead to Fortify the Healthcare Delivery System in the Future

HOT SPRINGS, VA (November 5, 2026) – Healthcare leaders and stakeholders from across the Commonwealth are gathering this week at The Omni Homestead Resort for the 2026 Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Leaders Summit. The Summit is an annual event that this year serves as a culmination of a yearlong series of commemorative activities celebrating the 100th anniversary (1926-2026) of the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) and the work of hospitals and health systems in serving communities and keeping them healthy.

“100 Years Strong: Honoring Our Past. Shaping The Future. ” is the theme for this year’s Summit hosted by VHHA and the VHHA Foundation. Organized around the themes of legacy, purpose and future, the three-day program will bring together hospital and health system executives, clinicians, policymakers and partners for keynote presentations, collaborative learning, and recognition of the leaders who have shaped health care in Virginia. Centennial celebrations run throughout the Summit, beginning Nov. 4 with a welcome reception and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque installed in the Homestead exhibit hall honoring VHHA’s century of service and longstanding association with the venue as a site for many of its annual conferences over the years.

Summit program highlights include a keynote address from Jumpstart Health Investors Founding Partner Marcus Whitney on the forces reshaping healthcare; a panel discussion with Sentara Health Executive Vice President and President for Acute and Post-Acute Care Eric Conley, Bon Secours Mercy Health Virginia State Chief Nursing Officer Cassie Lewis, Ballad Health VP, Chief Health Disparities Officer Dr. Paula Masters, and Valley Health Chief Administrative Officer Chris Rucker on leading through transformation[KC2] [MT3] ; and keynote remarks from acclaimed speaker, artist, and burn survivor Allison Massari on the subject of courage, compassion, and the human connection at the heart of care.

Additional Summit programming includes remarks from Dr. William Lunn, President of HCA Healthcare Capital Division and Chair of the VHHA Board of Directors; reflections on a century of healthcare in Virginia from VHHA Senior Vice President and General Counsel R. Brent Rawlings; the presentation of the 2026 VHHA Outstanding Service Awards; an illuminated fireworks and drone display above the Allegheny Mountains presented with support from Dominion Energy; a screening of VHHA’s centennial documentary, Healing and Hope: Hospitals’ Legacy of Service in Virginia; a live musical performance featuring Mary Washington Healthcare President and CEO Dr. Christopher Newman, a VHHA Board of Directors member; a Rural Health Leaders Workshop; the Honoring Health Care Leaders Reception presented by VHHA Solutions; and more.

The Summit welcome reception is sponsored by RCM&D. The awards luncheon ceremony is presented with support from OnMed. Valley Health President and CEO Mark Nantz will serve as master of ceremonies for the luncheon honoring the following leaders: Juhi Vora (Meritorious Service Award), Clinical Speech-Language Pathologist with Valley Health’s Warren Memorial Hospital; Dr. Reid Adams (Meritorious Service Award), UVA Health Chief Medical Officer; Sean McMurray (Meritorious Service Award), Executive Director of the Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia (Meritorious Service Award); and Scott Niswonger, member of the Ballad Health Board of Directors (Excellence in Governance Award). View the Summit brochure here, the awards luncheon program here, and read more about the VHHA Outstanding Service Awards, including past winners, through this link. Additional Summit information can be accessed here.

“For more than a century, Virginia’s hospitals and health systems have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with communities across the Commonwealth through times of progress and challenge in support of public health and prosperity,” said Dr. William Lunn, President of HCA Healthcare Capital Division and Chair of the VHHA Board of Directors. “As VHHA marks a century of service in collaboration with the hospital community, the 2026 Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Leaders Summit offers an opportunity to reflect on the many positive contributions that have been made to improve health and to renew our commitment to the work ahead as healthcare delivery adapts to rapidly evolving times.”

Added VHHA President and CEO Sean T. Connaughton: “The past year has been an opportunity to celebrate major advancements in care delivery as we prepare for a new century of innovation and change. Over a century, Virginia has seen hospital expansion, innovations in medical treatment, and improved health outcomes. Virginia’s hospitals have been vital to each step forward, including the work to expand Medicaid eligibility. Since 2019, more than 500,000 low-income Virginians have gained health coverage thanks to financial support from hospitals that invested billions to increase care access. As we look ahead to the next century of service at this year’s Summit, hospital leaders are united in their commitment to continue serving communities and advancing health.”

VHHA extends its gratitude to program participants, attendees, and speakers as well as the following sponsors whose support helps make the 2026 Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Leaders Summit possible:

About VHHA: The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association is an alliance of 118 hospitals and 27 health delivery systems that develops and advocates for sound health care policy in the Commonwealth. Its mission is to achieve excellence in both health care and health. Its vision is through the power of collaboration to be recognized as a driving force behind making Virginia the healthiest state in the nation. Connect with VHHA through Facebook, X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.

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