Events
2026 General Membership Meeting
November 4, 2026 | 8:30 AM–12:30 PM
NH Fire Academy | 98 Smokey Bear Blvd., Concord, NH
Join the Granite State Health Care Coalition for the 2026 GSHCC General Membership Meeting. This free meeting brings together coalition partners for updates, practical training, and lessons learned from recent emergency response experiences.
Registration closes October 26, 2026. Space is limited, so advance registration is encouraged.
View Conference Agenda | View Registration Flyer
Meeting Overview
Attendees will receive information and participate in sessions covering:
- Updates from GSHCC and the NH DHHS Division of Public Health Services, Bureau of Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (EPRR), including current projects, upcoming trainings, exercises, and activities.
- A hands-on communication skills session focused on improving communication among cross-sector response partners.
- Lessons learned from the February 2026 fire at Greater Nashua Mental Health Center, including crisis leadership, continuity of operations, workforce wellness, recovery, and rebuilding community trust.
The meeting is free and open to all partners.
The meeting will not be recorded; however, session information will be made available when permitted by speakers. CEUs will not be offered, but contact hours will be available upon request.
Please feel free to share meeting and registration information with colleagues and partners.
Meeting Agenda
8:30–9:00 AM
GSHCC Welcome, Introductions, and Updates
Scott Nichols
GSHCC Senior Director
Stephanie Locke
Chief, NH DHHS, DPH, Bureau of Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (EPRR)
The meeting will begin with an overview of current GSHCC initiatives and activities, along with updates on EPRR projects and activities.
9:00–11:00 AM
Plenary 1: Before the Emergency: A Communications Drill for Cross-Sector Response Partners
Michael Cinquino, MFA
Founder, Communication Dynamics Lab
After-action reports consistently identify communication as an area for improvement, but rarely address how to improve it comprehensively.
This session goes beyond talking about communication. It is a drill.
Participants will learn and practice a communication method using material from disciplines outside their own. The session will explore what happens to people under pressure, why our ability to process new information narrows precisely when we need it most, and what that means for cross-sector emergency response.
Through a series of exercises, participants will examine the challenge of coordinating a coalition made up of numerous disciplines, each possessing information and expertise that becomes useful during an incident only when it can be effectively shared.
11:00–11:20 AM
Break
11:20 AM–12:20 PM
Plenary 2: When the Building Burns: Lessons in Crisis Leadership and Recovery
Dr. Cynthia Whitaker
President & CEO, Greater Nashua Mental Health Center
In February 2026, a fire destroyed one of Greater Nashua Mental Health Center’s clinical buildings, displacing staff, disrupting services for individuals and families, and requiring immediate decisions without an established playbook.
This session provides a candid and practical walkthrough of that experience, including what the organization wishes it had put in place beforehand, what mattered most during the first hours and weeks, and what recovery has looked like in the months since.
Topics will include workforce wellness, facilities strategy, rebuilding community trust, continuity planning, and operational and leadership lessons that other organizations can apply to their own emergency preparedness efforts.
12:20–12:30 PM
Closing Remarks and Adjournment
GSHCC Team
The GSHCC team will offer final remarks, and participants will be asked to complete a brief meeting evaluation survey.
Meeting Details
Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Time: 8:30 AM–12:30 PM
Location: NH Fire Academy, 98 Smokey Bear Blvd., Concord, NH
Cost: Free
Audience: All partners
Registration Deadline: October 26, 2026
Questions about the meeting? Contact [email protected].
Funding Acknowledgment
The preparation of this meeting and its materials was financed under a contract with the State of New Hampshire, Department of Health and Human Services, with funds provided in part by the State of New Hampshire and/or such other funding sources as were available or required, including the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
