TITLE: You Have Completed the HVA, Now What? How to Make Data Actionable
RECORDED ON: August 19, 2026
DESCRIPTION: This presentation expands upon the Hazard Vulnerability Analysis that is conducted by a hospital to identify hazards and their impacts to the inverse relationship between mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery activities in reducing risk.
Typically, emergency managers utilize a Hazard Vulnerability Analysis tool or spreadsheet such as the Kaiser-Permanente model. A workshop comprised of respective internal stakeholders and external agencies analyze each hazard by assigning a numerical value for the probability of occurrence, human impacts, structural impacts, business impacts in comparison to planning, organizing, equipping, and response activities. Each hazard is then assigned a risk factor through the formula risk=probability x severity and prioritized from the highest to lowest risk.
Now that we have the data, how is it made actionable? Some HVAs are filed away to say that it was done to meet a CMS, Joint Commission, or other accrediting body requirement. As a rule, the top five risks are used to develop training and exercise, but this is only one way to utilize the data from the HVA. This presentation aims to provide the attendees with the ability to present the HVA data in a formal report to senior leadership for decision making by developing a facility Hazard Mitigation Plan. Attendees will explore the use of bar charts, column charts, line charts, trend graphs, and benchmarking tables to provide data as a visual indicator to make the data actionable.
The creation of a facility Hazard Mitigation Plan through supporting data provides an unbiased and objective process for increasing a hospital’s resiliency by lessening the impacts from hazards.
OBJECTIVES: By the end of this session, participants will:
- Explain how Hazard Vulnerability Analysis data can be made actionable.
- Design charts, graphs, and tables to present the HVA data as a visual representation to Senior Leadership in a Hazard Mitigation Plan.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation and preparedness activities through the use of benchmarking tables.
INSTRUCTOR:
Robert Johnson, M.S EM
Senior Emergency Preparedness Specialist
University of Rochester Environmental Health & Safety/Strong Memorial Hospital
HTC HOST: URMC FL/WRHTC