Featured Speakers

Karen S. Donnahie, RN, MHA

Karen Donnahie is the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at Desert Springs Hospital, a 293-bed progressive acute-care facility and medical center, as well as Henderson Hospital, a 142-bed facility which is the newest hospital in the Valley Health System.

Karen has been an Emergency Department nurse for more than 25 years and has been involved with Emergency Preparedness for 15 years. She has had the opportunity to provide care in a multitude of settings, from a frontier clinic in Yellowstone National Park to Level 1 Trauma Centers and prehospital services both on the ground and in the air.

Prior to returning to the Las Vegas Valley, Karen was in western Colorado for 12 years. During that time she was appointed to the Mesa County EMS Council and the Northwest Regional Emergency and Trauma Council, working to enhance collaboration and coordination among rural hospitals.

Karen earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Emergency Medical Services and her Master of Healthcare Administration from Independence University.

Karen is the mother of a deployed Air Force Master Sargent and has two teenaged grandchildren. She spends her free time enjoying the desert trails with her horse and dog, and competing in various equine events.

Jeff Quinn

Jeff Quinn is the Public Health Preparedness Manager with Southern Nevada Health District in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Office of Public Health Preparedness is responsible for managing program and multiple federal grants. Federal Cooperative agreements include the CDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP), Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI), Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Ebola and Zika Preparedness Grants. Funds from these grants support preparedness efforts to build and sustain public health capabilities preparing communities to respond to local emergencies and disasters.

Mr Quinn is an advocate for public health, emergency management, Homeland Security and healthcare system preparedness initiatives. Mr. Quinn currently serves as the Chair for the Southern Nevada Healthcare Preparedness Coalition. During a public health disaster or emergency, Jeff may serve as SNHD’s Department Operation Center Manager in support of Health District and ESF-8 Operations, Section Chief for the Health District’s Continuity of Operations Branch or may serve as a liaison to the Clark County Office of Emergency Management’s activated Medical Surge Area Command.

He is a member of Southern Nevada’s Type 3 Incident Management Team and Nevada Emergency Preparedness Association. He received a Master’s of Public Health degree from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.

Mick Cote and Murad Raheem

Capt. Mick Cote and Murad Raheem are Regional Administrators for the Office of Emergency Management, under the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They lead regional efforts to coordinate the use of Federal emergency medical assets supporting State and local disaster response. They also provide operational oversight for those deployed Federal emergency medical teams ensuring mission objectives are met.