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DHR Health Medicine Conference
MEDIA ADVISORY
DHR Health to Host Outdoor Medicine Conference Focused on Outdoor Emergency Response
Shark Attack Survivor Tabatha Sullivent to Participate in Guest Panel
WHAT:
DHR Health’s Office of Continuing Medical Education will host its Outdoor Medicine Conference which will focus on the unique challenges of responding to medical emergencies in outdoor and remote environments across the Rio Grande Valley.
The conference will bring together physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, emergency services personnel, first responders, medical residents and community members to explore specialized emergency response strategies and the importance of coordinated trauma care.
A featured presentation will include a live patient testimonial with Tabatha Sullivent, a survivor of a shark attack that occurred on South Padre Island during the Fourth of July weekend in 2024.
Sullivent will share her firsthand account of the attack, her emergency medical care and recovery, and the critical role first responders and medical teams played in saving her life.
WHO:
• Tabatha Sullivent, shark attack survivor and live patient testimonial speaker
• Dr. Noel E. Oliveira, Director of the DHR Health Wound Care Program and Chairman of the DHR Health Continuing Medical Education Committee
• Dr. Phillip Resnick, internationally known forensic psychiatrist
FEATURED PRESENTATIONS:
• “Addressing Gun Violence: Strategies for Clinicians” by Dr. Phillip Resnick
• “What the SHELL Bit Me? Marine Animal Bites and Stings” by Dr. Noel E. Oliveira
• “Live Patient Testimonial: South Padre Island Shark Bite” with Tabatha Sullivent and others
• “2nd Amendment” presentation by John Ball, Attorney at Law
WHEN and WHERE:
August 21, 2026
1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
South Padre Island Convention Center
ADDITIONAL:
From the brush country and rural communities to the Gulf Coast and South Padre Island, the Rio Grande Valley’s diverse outdoor environments present unique medical challenges. Hunting, fishing, boating, swimming and other outdoor activities can result in potentially life-threatening injuries that require rapid response, specialized knowledge and coordinated emergency care.
Sullivent’s story will provide a firsthand perspective on the importance of rapid intervention and collaboration among first responders, emergency medical personnel and trauma teams during an outdoor medical emergency.
MEDIA OPPORTUNITY:
Members of the media are invited to attend the conference and interview Tabatha Sullivent and participating DHR Health medical experts about outdoor emergency response.
REGISTRATION/CONTACT:
The conference is still open for registration. The event is free and open to the public as well as physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, emergency service personnel, first responders, medical residents and community members. CME credit will be available to eligible participants.
To register or for more information, contact the DHR Health Continuing Medical Education Department at (956) 362-3240 or email them at cme@dhrhealth.com.