INDIANA HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION
October 7, 2025 (Bloomington, Ind.) – Health care leaders, emergency responders, and public health officials from across Indiana gathered last week at the Monroe Convention Center for the Indiana Hospital Association’s (IHA) 2nd Annual Indiana Trauma and Emergency Medicine Symposium.
This year’s event, themed “Mass Casualty Incidents — Are You Prepared?” brought together national and state experts to share lessons learned from real-world crises and to strengthen Indiana’s readiness for responding to large-scale emergencies. The program was funded by an Indiana Department of Health Division of Trauma and Injury Prevention educational grant and presented by the Indiana Hospital Association.
Madeline Wilson, IHA Trauma System Development Manager, emphasized the urgency of the issue:
“Although Indiana excels in many areas of trauma care, the reality today is that mass casualty events are no longer rare — and we have more work to do to be ready. National and state subject matter experts with real-world experience presented to teams from EMS, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, health care coalitions, and community decision-makers. Together, attendees began working as teams to troubleshoot, identify areas of opportunity, and strengthen our system so we can deliver the best possible care to Hoosiers who experience these tragic events.”
The symposium also featured remarks from Dr. Lindsay Weaver, Indiana State Health Commissioner, and a breakout session with former United States Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams. The second day focused on hands-on education with a variety of facilitators.
Symposium sessions covered a wide range of preparedness topics, including:
-
Hospital and EMS response to mass shootings and natural disasters
-
Mental health and resiliency for frontline providers
-
Innovations in trauma system development
-
Best practices for multi-agency coordination
The symposium’s focus on mass casualty preparedness was particularly timely, following incidents in 2025 across Indiana and the country that have highlighted the urgent need for comprehensive trauma response planning.
