Vandalia Health Mon Medical Center hosts regional emergency preparedness exercise in coordination with WVHA

Vandalia Health Mon Medical Center hosted a regional emergency preparedness exercise Thursday, April 9, as part of a statewide initiative coordinated by the West Virginia Hospital Association (WVHA), bringing together hospitals, emergency medical services, public health agencies and emergency management partners from across North Central West Virginia.

The Medical Response Surge Exercise (MRSE) was conducted through the West Virginia Healthcare Coalition (HCC), a regional network that brings together health care organizations and emergency response partners to strengthen preparedness and coordination during emergencies.

The MRSE simulates a large-scale incident, allowing participants to evaluate communication, coordination and operational response in a controlled, realistic environment. Thursday’s exercise simulated record-breaking flooding across the region following several days of heavy rainfall. The scenario projected a surge of approximately 250 to 300 patients of varying severity requiring rapid triage, transport and coordinated care across regional health care partners.

As the host site for the region, Mon Medical Center served as the location for the Simulation Cell (SIMCELL), which coordinated scenario development and communication among participating agencies. Twelve personnel supported SIMCELL operations, with additional participants engaged across a broad network of hospitals and partner organizations throughout the region, including more than 70 health care and emergency response organizations.

“Exercises like this are critical to ensuring we can respond effectively as a region when real emergencies occur,” said Christy Lyons, Safety and Emergency Management Officer at Vandalia Health and WV Healthcare Coalition Region 6/7 Coordinator. “By bringing together hospitals, EMS, public health and emergency management, we’re strengthening communication, coordination and our collective ability to care for patients during high-stress, large-scale events.”

During the exercise, Mon Medical Center activated its incident command structure and simulated the receipt and coordination of patients as part of a large-scale emergency scenario. Hospital departments worked collaboratively to practice patient tracking, resource management and internal communication, while evaluators observed operations to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement.

“In an emergency, every moment matters for our patients,” said Krystal Atkinson, DNP, RN, CNOR, Senior Vice President, Vandalia Health. “We were proud to host this exercise and partner with agencies across our region to strengthen our ability to deliver safe, timely and coordinated care when our patients need us most.”

“Preparedness extends beyond clinical care to the environment and the systems that support it. From a safety and operations standpoint, exercises like these allow us to test our systems, identify gaps, and ensure we can maintain a safe environment for patients, staff and responders during a high-pressure situation,” said Ron Cummings, Director of Nursing Operations, Vandalia Health Mon Medical Center. “It’s about making sure every detail — from communication to facility readiness — is aligned to support an effective response.”

The exercise reflects Vandalia Health’s ongoing commitment to emergency preparedness and its role as a regional health care leader, ensuring teams are ready to respond effectively when real-world emergencies occur.

No actual patients were involved, and normal hospital operations were not impacted during the exercise.