2024 Matthew Bulfin Educational Conference
Joint Conference with AAPLOG & ACPeds
Our Call to Courage: Restoring Dignity in Medicine
February 23-25, 2024 | Frisco, TX
Thank You to Our Sponsors
For sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, see details here: Booklet & Reply Form
About the Conference
Venue & Travel Information
Reservation Information
Please book your hotel room by Jan. 18, 2023. Special hotel rate ($225 + $10 resort fee) & amenities is available per night, Feb.10-12 for conference attendees, guests, and sponsors/exhibitors, with the option to add on before/after dates based on availability.
Reservation link & more details will be sent to conference registrants.
Hotel Amenities
- Free WiFi access in hotel room
- 2 complimentary bottles of water upon arrival
- Daily use of fitness facilities and wellness classes for 2 people
- 10% discount in the General Store Gift Shop
- 20% discount in SpaWell
- 1 hour use of putting green and and driving range per room per day
- Discounted golf green fees based on availability
- 2 hours of bike usage per room per day for 2 people
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Christian Medical & Dental Associations and American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG). The Christian Medical & Dental Associations is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Christian Medical & Dental Associations designates this educational activity for a maximum of 13.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits(s)TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Medical Students & Residents
Pre-Conference Events (lunch included)
Research Bootcamp
El Conquistador Tucson
Expert Witness /
Media Training
and Sunday 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM
(optional, separate registration required. Free for conference attendees or AAPLOG or ACPeds dues-paying members.)
Registration Closed
FACTS about Fertility for You and Your Patients
El Conquistador Tucson
Join us for this live event (brunch included!) to gain resources for discussing Fertility Awareness-Based Methods (FABMs) with your patients. Plus, learn more about the FACTS Medical Elective and CME Course, Student and Resident Ambassador Programs, how to become a FACTS Preceptor, and more!
Patient-Centered Care in a New Era of Medicine: Delivering Life-Affirming Care
Schedule
(Pre-Conference/Optional) Research Bootcamp
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Dr. Kerri Brackney is a board-certified OB/GYN and is a registered fellowship graduate in Maternal Fetal Medicine. She currently works as a private practice MFM physician in Memphis, Tennessee with Mid-South Maternal Fetal Medicine. Dr. Brackney received her undergraduate education at Bryan College in Dayton, TN. She completed medical school at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 2006 and her OB/GYN residency at Penn State Health in 2010. After practicing as an OB/GYN for eight years, she completed a one-year fellowship in Obstetric Ultrasound at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2019 followed by a three-year fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine at the combined MetroHealth/University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University program in 2022.
Dr. Brackney is a member of the Christian Medical and Dental Association and its outreach, the Women Physician and Dentists in Christ. She served for three years with a Christian Community Health center in Memphis, and enjoys providing high risk obstetrical care for the underserved. She serves on several committees with the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine. She volunteers for a local pregnancy resource center, reading obstetric ultrasound. She has a passion for both domestic and foreign missions and longs to see an American culture in which abortion is unthinkable.
8:15 AM Q&A @ 8:45 AM
Dr. Susan Bane is a 1987 graduate of Atlantic Christian College, now Barton College. She has practiced obstetrics and gynecology for 25 years, including in private practice at Greenville Obstetrics and Gynecology and serving as a clinical professor at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. She is currently the Medical Director at Choices Women’s Center in Wilson, where she oversees the medical aspects of the Center and sees patients with unintended pregnancies. She is also the Director of the Barton College – Area L AHEC Partnership that supports healthcare workforce development.
Dr. Bane completed a PhD in Kinesiology and her medical degree from the University of Illinois. She holds multiple certifications, including a national-board certification in health and wellness coaching, emotional intelligence coaching, and functional medicine. She recently completed the Theology, Medicine, and Culture Certification program at Duke Divinity School. She uses her love of learning in her consulting work as she writes, presents, and educates about transforming the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology with the love and wisdom of God.
Dr. Bane is involved in a variety of community activities, including her church, St. Therese Catholic Church, and participates in autism advocacy work, as her youngest son, Maxwell, has autism. She has been married for 35 years to her husband, Art, and has three children: Archer, married to Virginia, and they have one daughter, Townshend, Riley, married to Titus, and Maxwell, who won’t be getting married, but will be keeping Dr. Bane and her husband company for years to come.
She considers her family her greatest accomplishment.
Peer Review Basics: How and Why to Become a Peer Reviewer
9:00 AM Q&A @ 9:45 AM
ACADEMIC DATA
Bachelor of Pharmacy Analytical-Clinical Orientation by the University of Valencia, Pharmacist Specialist in Clinical Analysis, Master in Bioethics and Doctor by the Catholic University of Valencia San Vicente Mártir.
Professor Accredited by ANECA, with a six-year research period.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Community pharmacist since 1982.
Head of the Julio Tudela Pharmacy Office since 1997.
Pharmacist Specialist in Clinical Analysis, Head of Clinical Analysis Laboratory Julio Tudela since 1994.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Associate Professor at the Catholic University of Valencia, Spain (UCV) from 2008 to present, teaching the subjects School Health (Bachelor’s Degree in Children), Anthropology of Gender (Degree in Anthropology) and Bioethics (Degree in Medicine, Degree in Philosophy, Degree in Anthropology, Master’s Degree in Bioethics, Master’s Degree in Anthropology Personalist, Master in Management of Health Centers, Master in Marriage and Family Sciences from the Juan Pablo II Institute ).
Professor at the Catholic University of Ávila (Spain), Anáhuac (México) and USAT (Perú).
I have been a Professor at the Distance University of Madrid (UDIMA) and the International University of Valencia (VIU) (Spain).
I have given teaching sessions at the University of Navarra (Spain).
Professor Accredited by ANECA.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Research in Bioethics, Institute of Life Sciences of the Catholic University of Valencia, with more than 30 scientific articles published and twelve book chapters.
I have participated in 22 Congresses with presentations and communications. I have directed more than 80 Projects End of Degree and End of Master.
I am currently the Director of Life Sciences Institute, Bioethics Observatory and the Master in Bioethics at the Catholic University of Valencia.
I have participated as a teacher in different training courses for non-university teachers in the areas of neuropedagogy, sexual education and prevention of addictive behaviors.
Member of the Scientific Committee of the Tomás Moro Chair of the UCV.
Member of the Research Ethics Committee of the UCV.
Member of the Research Ethics Committee with Medicines of the Valencian Institute of Oncology (IVO)
Vicepresident of de Spanish Association of Social Pharmacy (AEFAS)
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Member of different Professional Associations in the field of Pharmacy and Bioethics: AEFA, AEBC, AEFAS, AEFC, AEBI, SVB, APLAC.
*virtual – Turnaway Cohort: How to understand Published Studies
10:00 AM Q&A @ 10:45 AM
Patrick Yeung Jr. MD is a Board-Certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology (FACOG). He is an Adjunct Professor at Saint Louis University, and is Founder and Director of the SLUCare Center for Endometriosis and SLUCare Restorative Fertility Clinic.
Dr. Yeung has always felt called to pursue academic medicine, and believes that changing paradigms requires research, publication and teaching. He is a member of the World Endometriosis Research Foundation (WERF), the American Academy of FertilityCare Professionals (AAFCP), and the International Institute for Restorative Reproductive Medicine (IIRRM). Dr. Yeung has authored multiple original, peer-reviewed publications and been invited to speak nationally and internationally, and has been voted one of Best Doctors annually since 2013.
Dr. Yeung has a true heart for women with endometriosis-associated infertility and pain, and tells patients that we are ‘all in this together’. He and his wife Dorothy struggled with infertility and endometriosis for 4 years. Dr. Yeung tries to combine the best of optimal excision of endometriosis and adhesion prevention for patients he serves. He believes good ethics is good medicine, and has a passion for restorative surgery and cooperative medicine.
*virtual – Database studies: Pearls and Pitfalls
11:00 AM
Conference Check-In
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Exhibitor Booths Open
1:00 PM
Conference Starts
2:00 PM
First Plenary Session
Biography
Dr. Richard Sams graduated from Boston University School of Medicine in 1995 and Waukesha Family Practice Residency Program in Waukesha, WI in 1998. He completed an MA in Bioethics at Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL in 2006, and the Faculty Development Fellowship at Madigan Army Medical Center in 2007. As a Medical Officer he completed a 22 year career in the Navy, practicing and teaching full spectrum family medicine, deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan, and engaging in healthcare ethics, retiring from active service in 2017. He is currently appointed as Professor in the Department of Family Medicine where he teaches, practices, and conducts research. He is the Medical Director of Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home, one of two academic Veterans long term care facilities. He has a total of 27 peer reviewed publications spanning the fields of clinical medicine, medical ethics and operational medicine. He’s married to his wife, Teri Sams, for 33 years, and they have five children.
Biography
Dr. Kathy Schoonover-Shoffner is National Director of Nurses Christian Fellowship, a professional and ministry organization of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA, and Editor in Chief of the Journal of Christian Nursing, a peer-reviewed professional publication since 1984. NCF and JCN serve nursing students, nurse educators, and nurses, helping them practice from a biblically based, Christian perspective.
Kathy’s research and academic interests are spiritual care and more recently, ambiguous loss following her physician husband’s severe traumatic brain injury in 2018. Kathy received her BSN from the University of Texas, Arlington, her MSN in Critical Care Nursing from Oral Roberts University, and PhD in Nursing and Communication Studies from the University of Kansas. She and her husband Richard have been married 40 years and have 3 adopted grown children.
What does it mean to love your patients: Care after Roe v. Wade
2:15 PM – 3:00 PM
Abstract
The doctor-patient and nurse-patient relationship needs to be grounded in love. Nursing ethics describes a relational-virtue based ethic that emphasizes faithful, sacrificial, tender loving care that advocates for the best interest of the patient. When physicians and nurses are asked what does it mean to love their patients, they describe a variety of hallmarks and imperatives that can and should shape our relationship to the pregnant patient. Characteristics of loving physicians and nurses include caring, clinical excellence, advocating, meeting needs, compassion, sacrifice, and tough love. Moral imperatives include the duty to act on behalf of the patient’s best interest, respect the patient’s wishes, and treat patients as you would want your family treated. As the pro-life movement seeks to cultivate a culture of life post Roe-reversal, it is imperative that healthcare professionals demonstrate love to the pregnant patient and emphasize this love in public dialogue.
Objectives
By the end of the presentation participants will understand and be able to articulate
- The core ideas of nursing-relational ethics
- The major hallmarks, characteristics and imperatives of love as described by physicians, nurses and patients
- The reason why loving the pregnant women in practical, tangible ways is the highest priority in the pro-life movement post Roe reversal.
References
- Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics Volume 11.1 (2021) 107–120 © 2021 by Johns Hopkins University Press
Second Plenary Session
Biography
Aaron Kheriaty is currently Chief of Psychiatry & Ethics at Doc1 Health and Chief of Medical Ethics at The Unity Project. He is a Fellow and Director of the Program in Bioethics and American Democracy at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, and a Senior Fellow and Director of the Health and Human Flourishing Program at the Zephyr Institute. Dr. Kheriaty holds the positions of Scholar at the Paul Ramsey Institute, Senior Scholar at the Brownstone Institute, Fellow at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, and he serves on the advisory board at the Simone Weil Center for Political Philosophy.
Dr. Kheriaty graduated from the University of Notre Dame in philosophy and pre-medical sciences, earned his MD degree from Georgetown University, and completed residency training in psychiatry at the University of California Irvine. For many years he was Professor of Psychiatry at UCI School of Medicine and Director of the Medical Ethics Program at UCI Health, where he chaired the ethics committee. He also chaired the ethics committee at the California Department of State Hospitals for several years.
Dr. Kheriaty has authored books and articles for professional and lay audiences on bioethics, social science, psychiatry, religion, and culture. His work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Arc Digital, The New Atlantis, Public Discourse, City Journal, and First Things. He has conducted print, radio, and television interviews on bioethics topics with The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, CNN, Fox, and NPR.
On matters of public policy and healthcare he has addressed the California Medical Association and has testified before the California Senate Health Committee. Dr. Kheriaty has consulted on Covid related ethical issues during the pandemic, such as ventilator triage and vaccine allocation, for the UC Office of the President, the County of Orange Healthcare Agency, and the California Department of Public Health.
Mental Health Consequences of Abortion
3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
Objectives
- Cite the research literature and key review articles and meta-analyses on the mental health consequences of abortion.
- Respond to critics who minimize the mental health harms of abortion.
- Identify approaches to treating post-abortive women with mental health disorders where abortion has contributed to the symptoms.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Third Plenary Session
Biography
Steve Calvin is board-certified in OB/GYN and Maternal-Fetal Medicine. He has 35 years of experience in caring for mothers and babies in normal and complicated pregnancies. As medical director/founder of www.theminnesotabirthcenter.com
he supports pregnancy care for low-risk mothers that is provided by nurse midwives in birth centers and hospitals. He believes that health care reform should start where we all did – with pregnancy and birth – and that all mothers deserve comprehensive team-based care for a single package price. To that end he developed the BirthBundle®. He blogs at www.pregnant-pauses.org
Biography
Ildiko Baugus has been a Virginia Certifed Professional Midwife since 2020 although she has been working in maternity care and related services for much longer. She was inspired to become a midwife most directly following her trip to Africa in 2016 where she saw the need for maternity care services in Africa, although as a native of The Netherlands, where midwives were more prominent, she was familiar with midwives and their services all of her life.
Her original plan was to learn how to be a midwife and serve mothers and train African midwives. But during her three year training program she saw the great need for such services right here at home which also initiated her interest in maternity care deserts and underserved areas and populations. As a result, she decided to get licensed and practice in Virginia but she has managed to also honor her original plan and return to Africa and work in a birth clinic in the slums of Kampala, Uganda
and she will be returning again.
She has quickly established herself as a provider of high quality midwifery services in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area, becoming a partner in one of the area’s leading midwifery practices. She has served as the Secretary of the Virginia Midwife’s Association and has been its President since February 2022. She was appointed to the Virginia State Midwifery Advisory Board by Governor Ralph Northam in 2021. Ildiko has a B.S. in Business Administration from Indiana University (South Bend), is married to Dr. Brian Baugus, a university professor, with whom she has four children.
Addressing Maternity Care Deserts: The Role of Community Birth
3:45 PM – 4:30 PM
Abstract
This presentation by a community midwife and a maternal-fetal medicine physician will document the strengths and weaknesses of the current US maternity care delivery system. It will describe the important role of midwives in the provision of primary maternity care for low- risk mothers: especially when it is integrated with hospital care by physicians. The option of home and birth center delivery will be reviewed and discussed as an increasingly chosen component of community birth.
Objectives
Attendees will:
- Have an understanding of the various components of the current US maternity care system.
- Understand the importance of maternal autonomy and agency in the care they receive during pregnancy.
- Understand that excessive intervention is as harmful as inadequate intervention (with a goal of finding the ideal between “too much, too soon and too little, too late”).
- Be aware of the increasing role that midwives play in the maternity care team as the OB MD workforce shrinks and mothers choose midwifery care.
- Be aware of the outcome and safety data available for community birth options.
References
- Kamal R, Hudman J, McDermott D. What do we know about infant mortality in the U.S. and comparable countries? https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/infant-mortality-u-s-compare-countries/#item-. Updated 2019.
- Neggers YH. Trends in maternal mortality in the united states. Reprod Toxicol. 2016;64:72-76. doi: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2016.04.001 [doi].
- Minnesota Department of Health, Child and Family Health Division. Maternal morbidity and mortality. . 2019.
- The Economist Data Team. A typical American birth costs as much as delivering a royal baby. https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2018/04/23/a-typical-american-birth-costs-as-much-as-delivering-a-royal-baby. Updated 2019.
- Truven Health Analytics. The cost of having a baby in the united states. . 2013.
- Jolivet RR, Corry MP, Sakala C. Transforming maternity care: Key informant interview summary. Womens Health Issues. 2010;20(1 Suppl):S79-80. doi: 10.1016/j.whi.2009.11.010 [doi].
- Renfrew MJ, McFadden A, Bastos MH, et al. Midwifery and quality care: Findings from a new evidence-informed framework for maternal and newborn care. Lancet. 2014;384(9948):1129-1145. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60789-3 [doi].
- Sandall J, Soltani H, Gates S, Shennan A, Devane D. Midwife-led continuity models versus other models of care for childbearing women. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;4:CD004667. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004667.pub5 [doi].
- Jolles DR, Stapleton SR, Alliman J. Strong start for mothers and newborns: Moving birth centers to scale in the united states. Birth. 2019;46(2):207-210. doi: 10.1111/birt.12430 [doi].
- Souter V, Nethery E, Kopas ML, Wurz H, Sitcov K, Caughey AB. Comparison of midwifery and obstetric care in low-risk hospital births. Obstet Gynecol. 2019;134(5):1056-1065. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000003521 [doi].
- Sandall J, Soltani H, Gates S, Shennan A, Devane D. Midwife-led continuity models versus other models of care for childbearing women. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;9:CD004667. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004667.pub4 [doi].
- Woo VG, Milstein A, Platchek T. Hospital-affiliated outpatient birth centers: A possible model for helping to achieve the triple aim in obstetrics. JAMA. 2016;316(14):1441-1442. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.11770 [doi].
- American Association of Birth Centers. Standards for birth centers (revised 2017). . 2017.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Obstetric care consensus: Levels of maternal care. https://www.acog.org/Clinical-Guidance-and-Publications/Obstetric-Care-Consensus-Series/Levels-of-Maternal-Care?IsMobileSet=false. Updated 2019.
- Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovations. Strong start for mothers and newborns evaluation of full performance period (2018): Findings at-A-glance. . 2018.
- Attanasio LB, Alarid-Escudero F, Kozhimannil KB. Midwife-led care and obstetrician-led care for low-risk pregnancies: A cost comparison. Birth. 2019. doi: 10.1111/birt.12464 [doi].
- Hill I, Cross-Barnet C, Courtot B, Benatar S, Thornburgh S. What do women in medicaid say about enhanced prenatal care? findings from the national strong start evaluation. Birth. 2019;46(2):244-252. doi: 10.1111/birt.12431 [doi].
- Booth J, Breedlove G. Vicarious liability: Addressing barriers to midwifery practice. . 2019.
Welcome Reception with Cash Bar
5:30 PM – 6:15 PM
Dinner with Cash Bar
6:15 PM – 7:30 PM
Presentation of Honeycutt Poster Contest Winner
Biography
Dr. Kaldjian directs the Program in Bioethics and Humanities at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, where he is also a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, holds the Richard M. Caplan Chair in Biomedical Ethics and Medical Humanities, directs the Biomedical Ethics curriculum, and serves on the Ethics Committee and Ethics Consult Service. He received his MD from the University of Michigan, an MDiv and PhD in Christian ethics from Yale University, where he also completed his training in internal medicine and infectious diseases. His research interests include practical wisdom and virtue ethics, conscientious practice, ethics education, goals of care, and end of life decision making.
The Challenge and Goodness of Integrity in Healthcare
7:45 PM – 8:45 PM
Abstract
Healthcare professionals should demonstrate integrity by caring for patients in ways that are ethical and wise. Such care relies on foundational beliefs about the value of life, the boundaries of health, the legitimate roles of technology, appropriate goals of care, and the meaning of illness, suffering, and death. Such beliefs carry counter-cultural implications in healthcare that create ethical disagreements over controversial medical practices. As a result, healthcare professionals must be ready to communicate and act on ethical convictions as they provide compassionate, respectful care for those in medical need. When faced with pressures to cooperate with morally controversial practices, integrity requires ethical responses that are perceptive and deliberate to avoid complicity in actions that are contrary to health or in violation of appropriate ethical standards. Conscientious practice may be very challenging and the cause of moral distress when met by opposition. But even when circumstances are awkward or antagonistic, living with integrity allows us to flourish as we delight in what is good and give good reasons for our actions as we strive to promote the health of our patients and respect their dignity as persons.
Objectives
- Emphasize the vital relationship between integrity and flourishing in healthcare.
- Describe foundational beliefs and values that sustain ethics in healthcare.
- Discuss conscientious practice as a manifestation of integrity and ethics.
- Recognize the challenge and goodness of living a life of integrity in healthcare.
References
Broad C. Conscience and Conscientious Action. Philosophy 1940;15(58):115-130.
Dzeng E, Curtis JR. Understanding ethical climate, moral distress, and burnout: a novel tool and a conceptual framework. BMJ Quality & Safety 2018;27(10):766-70.
Kaldjian LC. Concepts of health, ethics, and communication in shared decision making. Communication & Medicine 2017;14(1):83-95.
Kaldjian LC. Practicing Medicine and Ethics: Integrating Wisdom, Conscience, and Goals of Care. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2014.
Kaldjian LC. Understanding conscience as integrity: why some physicians will not refer patients for ethically controversial practices. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine. 2019;62(3):383-400.
Kaldjian LC. Moral distress, conscientious practice, and the endurance of ethics in healthcare
through times of crisis and calm. Journal of Medicine and Philosophy (in press).
Langston D. Conscience and Other Virtues: From Bonaventure to MacIntyre. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2001.
MacIntyre A. Social structures and their threats to moral agency. Philosophy 1995;74:311-29.
McCarthy J, Monteverde S. The standard account of moral distress and why we should keep It. HEC Forum 2018;30(4):319‐28.
Pellegrino, E. D. 1995. Toward a virtue-based normative ethics for the health professions. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 5(3): 253-77.
Pellegrino ED. The physician’s conscience, conscience clauses, and religious belief: A Catholic perspective. Fordham Urban Law Journal 2002;30(1):221-244.
Student Networking Session
9:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Exhibitor Booths Open
7:30 AM
Fourth Plenary Session
Biography
Dr. Jill Simons is a Board-Certified Pediatrician. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Medical School in 1999 and completed residency, also at the University of Wisconsin, in 2002. As a resident she was involved in child advocacy issues and co-authored papers on Fitness for Youth, and Child and Infant Car Restraint Safety. She has been in private practice in Minneapolis, Minnesota ever since. She is a professional staff member of Children’s Minnesota and Mercy Hospital.
Dr. Simons served as Chairman of Pediatrics for Mercy and Unity Hospitals from 2005-2008, and helped establish the hospitals’ NICU and pediatric trauma programs. She was voted Top Doc by Mpls, St. Paul Magazine 2010.
Dr. Simons is a board member and the Interim Co-Executive Director of the American College of Pediatricians. Dr. Simons is also Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and has been a member of the Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics as well as the section on Bioethics. Dr. Simons is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. She has been a medical consultant on several books regarding infant and child healthy sleep.
Dr. Simons and her husband, also a physician, have twin boys. She now enjoys spending time volunteering at their parish and the parish school. As a family, they spend winters skiing and playing pond hockey and summers at their Cabin. In her spare time, Dr. Simons runs marathons, races sailboats, golfs and plays the violin.
Beyond the Birds and the Bees: Age-Appropriate Sex Education that Promotes Optimal Health and Well-Being
8:00 AM – 8:45 AM
Abstract
“The Talk”. Possibly one of the most uncomfortable conversations most parents anticipate having with their children-but it shouldn’t be. It is important that physicians, counselors, and other health care providers, feel comfortable approaching this subject matter because we are the experts. Our expertise in child behavior and development, as well as the medical aspects of adolescence, gives us a unique opportunity to be a voice of influence. By recognizing the harms of age-inappropriate sexual education, or just plain inappropriate sexual education, we can educate others to instead support programs that emphasize foundations in basic biology and respect for life and human dignity. By raising awareness and promoting good resources we ultimately help children through puberty and sexual development so that they can reach their optimal physical and emotional well-being.
Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Confidently evaluate educational material for content quality and age appropriateness.
- Understand the harmful effects of sex education that is lacking biological standards and normalizes transgender ideology and sexual promiscuity, including social media.
- Recommend sound resources to educators, schools, policy makers, and parents.
- And yes, be able to talk to your patients as well as your own children or grandchildren about puberty and sexual development.
References
- K-12 Standards for Optimal Sexual Development: Founded on Positive Character and Healthy Relationships.First Ed. The Medical Institute for Sexual Health
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT), 2021, Atlanta, GA: CDC;2021. http://cdc.gov/healthyyouth/hecat.
Fifth Plenary Session
Biography
After obtaining his degree in Medicine from Washington University in St. Louis, Dr. Dassow completed an Air Force Residency in Family Medicine at Scott Air Force Base. He was then assigned a post as staff physician at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia and after 3 years was transferred to Croughton Air Base in England. He left the Air Force in 1999 to take a teaching position at the University of Kentucky and it was there that he completed his Masters in Public Health. He moved his family to Chattanooga TN in 2010 and served as the head of research for the Family Medicine Dept until 2019. For the past 3 years he has been Medical Director of the City of Chattanooga’s Medical Center, caring for city employees, police, and firemen.
Biography
Christie Mac Segars, LICSW serves as the Senior Vice President of Domestic Programs at Lifeline Children’s Services. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Samford University and her Master of Social Work at the University of Alabama. Christie Mac has gained almost 20 years of child welfare experience, with 10 of those being in her current role with Lifeline. Lifeline is a holistic adoption and foster care ministry, founded in Birmingham, AL over 40 years ago. Founded as a ministry to women in unexpected pregnancies, Lifeline has grown to serving and assisting these women with adoption plans across the country. Christie Mac leads and supports the domestic ministries, as well as works to build partnerships with other professional disciplines and groups that serve the same populations. She is passionate about the pro-life community and working as one to utilize the various skills and gifting together. Christie Mac regularly speaks to national groups to bring a better understanding of how the pro-life and faith based communities can come together and care for vulnerable women and children through adoption, foster care, and family preservation work.
Christie Mac’s passion for the vulnerable comes from the Lord and the work he has done in her life. She and her husband Croft, live just outside of Birmingham, AL with their 3 daughters, Ila, Elizabeth, and Harris.
Patient-Centered Adoption Counseling in Prenatal Care
8:45 AM – 9:30 AM
Abstract
We discuss how OBGYNs and adoption agencies can work together, the value in a multi-disciplinary approach to adoption, the physician’s role and their staff in presenting the adoption option, hospital care for birth mothers, and the physician’s role in identifying and making appropriate referrals. We also address the importance of caring for the birth mother throughout her prenatal journey, and beyond, and unique challenges that she may experience after before, during and after delivery.
Objectives
- Participants will be able to describe how OBGYNs and adoption agencies can work together, and be able to identify the physicians role and their staff presenting the adoption option.
- They will be able to explain the physician’s role in identifying and making appropriate referrals and describe hospital care for mothers.
- Lastly, they will know and be able to discuss the value in the multi-disciplinary approach.
References
NCFA Article: Expectant Parents’ Adoption Planning Bill of Rights
https://adoptioncouncil.org/publications/adoption-advocate-no-126/
Sixth Plenary Session
Biography
André Van Mol, MD is a board-certified family physician in full-time practice in California. He co-chairs both the American College of Pediatricians’ Committee on Adolescent Sexuality and the Christian Medical & Dental Associations Sexual & Gender Identity Task Force. Dr. Van Mol writes and speaks for the CMDA on issues of bioethical and Christian concern, and has been extensively published in professional and general literature. He works with Alliance Defending Freedom in a coalition of professionals advising on policy matters addressing sexual orientation and gender identity, and has served as amicus curiae/friend of court in federal appellate and SCOTUS cases. He advises legislators and advocacy organizations internationally on sexuality and gender identity. Dr. Van Mol serves on the boards of Bethel Church of Redding and Moral Revolution. He and his wife Evelyn —both former U.S. Naval officers—have two sons and two daughters, the latter of whom were among their nine foster children.
Gender Dysphoria, the Transgender Tsunami, & Our Response
9:30 AM – 10:15 AM
Abstract
We will address the origins, nature, demographics, and expected outcomes of gender dysphoria in minors, along with the conflicts between watchful waiting and gender/transition affirming therapies.
Objectives
- Familiarize providers with the scientific literature findings regarding the nature of gender dysphoria in minors.
- Acquaint providers with the claims, evidence and risks of watchful waiting and gender/transition affirming therapies.
- Identify the state of the evidence regarding watchful waiting vs gender/transition affirming therapies.
References
Zucker, K. J. (2018). The myth of persistence: response to “A critical commentary on follow-up studies and ‘desistance’ theories about transgender and gender nonconforming children” by Temple Newhook et al. International Journal of Transgenderism, 19(2), 231–245. Published online May 29, 2018. http://doi.org/10.1080/15532739.2018.1468293
Kozlowska K, McClure G, Chudleigh C, et al. Australian children and adolescents with gender dysphoria: Clinical presentations and challenges experienced by a multidisciplinary team and gender service. Human Systems. 2021;1(1):70-95. doi:10.1177/26344041211010777
Withers, R. (2020) Transgender medicalization and the attempt to evade psychological distress. J Anal Psychol, 65: 865– 889. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5922.12641.
Hembree, W., Cohen-Kettenis, et al., (2017) Endocrine treatment of gender-dysphoric/gender-incongruent persons: An Endocrine Society clinical practice guildeline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab,102:1–35.
Break (Snacks & Exhibitors)
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM
Breakout Session One (4 Options)
Biography
George Delgado, M.D., is the president and founder of Steno Institute, dedicated to increasing awareness, education and research around abortion pill reversal (APR). He founded the Abortion Pill Reversal network, in 2012. Since 2008, over 3500 women have given birth to babies, thanks to the APR protocols he helped develop. In 2018, Dr. Delgado partnered with Heartbeat International, the largest pro-life organization in the world, including over 2500 affiliated pregnancy centers, maternity homes, and non-profit agencies on six continents, to expand APR!s global outreach.
He has held leadership roles with Culture of Life Family Services in San Diego, California, since 2005. Dr. Delgado is a member of the board of directors of American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
For his groundbreaking work, Dr. Delgado has received numerous awards including the St. Gianna Molla Pro-Life Award, the Servant Leader Award, the Pro-Life Innovator Award, the Legacy Award, and the Evangelium Vitae Award. He is board certified in both family medicine and hospice and palliative medicine. Dr. Delgado received his medical degree from the University of California, Davis, and completed his residency at Santa Monica Hospital/UCLA.
Update on Abortion Pill Reversal
10:30 AM – 11:10 AM
Abstract
Mifepristone medical abortion numbers have been increasing in the US. With the post-Roe environment, we can expect to see an even bigger increase with more mail-order and telemedicine medical abortions. Concomitantly, we expect more women seeking a second chance at life and wishing to start abortion pill reversal. Physicians and other health care practitioners should be well informed about the safety and efficacy of abortion pill reversal in order to counsel their patients and communities effectively.
Objectives
- Participants will understand the mechanism of action of mifepristone and how progestrone antagonizes its effects.
- Additionally, they will learn about the safety and efficacy of the use of progesterone to stop the effects of mifepristone.
- Participants will learn where the futures of mifepristone and abortion pill reversal are headed.
References
- Delgado G, Davenport M. Progesterone Use to Reverse the Effects of Mifepristone. Ann Pharmacother 2012;46. Published Online, 27 Nov 2012, theannals.com, DOI: 10.1345/aph.1R252.
- Davenport M, Delgado G, Khauv V. Embryo survival after mifepristone: review of the literature. Issues in Law and Medicine 2017, 32 (1): 3-18.
- Delgado, Condly, et al. The Successful Reversal of the Effects of Mifepristone Using Progesterone. Issues in Law & Medicine, Volume 33, Number 1, 2018
Biography
Dr. Marguerite Duane, a board-certified family physician, is co-founder and Executive Director of FACTS – the Fertility Appreciation Collaborative to Teach the Science, an organization dedicated to educating medical professionals and students about the scientific evidence supporting fertility awareness-based methods (FABMs). She also serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Georgetown University, where she directs an elective on FABMs and their role in women’s health and family planning. Dr. Duane currently cares for patients via a direct primary care house-calls based practice, MD for Life, in Washington, DC and previously worked as medical director of two community health centers in DC and Maryland.
Dr. Duane has published articles on the effectiveness of FABMs and the use of apps for tracking fertility. She is trained as a Creighton, FEMM and NeoFertility Medical consultant, and a TeenSTAR educator. Dr. Duane received her M.D. degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and completed her Family Medicine residency at Lancaster General Hospital in Pennsylvania. She received a Bachelor of Science with Honors and a Master of Health Administration degree from Cornell University. In May, Dr. Duane completed a primary care research fellowship at the University of Utah earning a Master of Science in Public Health.
Fertility Awareness and Restorative Reproductive Medicine for Addressing Infertility
10:30 AM – 11:10 AM
Abstract
This presentation will highlight how common infertility is and how women’s physicians can be prepared to address a wide array of underlying causes of infertility.. To do so, we will introduce the audience to Restorative Reproductive Medicine (RRM), including the medical and surgical applications of NaPro Technology, FEMM and NEoFertility, as well as review large research studies that use these approaches to address infertility, highlighting their effectiveness on a population-based level. Then we will present case studies of couples that experienced infertility and review how the female cycle chart aided in the diagnosis and management of underlying conditions contributing to the couples’ inability to conceive which required both medical and surgical treatment. Ultimately, we hope to highlight how family physicians and Ob-Gyns play a key role as one of the first resources sought out by patients struggling with infertility, since it is much more common than people may realize. Thus, we want to encourage our colleagues to develop a better understanding of the fertility cycle and the role charting can play in the diagnosis and management of this common chronic disease.
Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Define natural or fertility awareness-based methods (FABMs) of family planning and describe the scientific basis for them
- Describe how women and couples can observe signs or biomarkers of the female cycle to identify the fertile window and when to time sexual relations to try to achieve pregnancy
- State the evidence for effectiveness rates when using FABMs to achieve pregnancy
- Discuss how physicians and clinicians may utilize evidence-based methods to identify, diagnose, and treat underlying causes of infertility to achieve conception as an alternative to assistive reproductive technologies
- Present opportunities for further training in various methods of fertility awareness
References
- https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/index.htm#:~:text=Yes.,to%20term%20(impaired%20fecundity)
- Lindsay TJ, Vitrikas KR. Evaluation and treatment of infertility [published correction appears in Am Fam Physician. 2015 Sep 15;92 (6):437]. Am Fam Physician. 2015;91(5):308-314.
- Thoma ME, McLain AC, Louis JF, et al. Prevalence of infertility in the United States as estimated by the current duration approach and a traditional constructed approach. Fertil Steril. 2013;99(5):1324-1331.e1. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2012.11.037
- Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJ, Curtin SC, Matthews TJ. Births: final data for 2013. Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2015;64(1):1-65.
- Duane M, Stanford JB, Porucznik CA, Vigil P. Fertility Awareness-Based Methods for Women’s Health and Family Planning. Front Med (Lausanne). 2022;9:858977. Published 2022 May 24. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.858977
- Marshburn PB. Counseling and diagnostic evaluation for the infertile couple. Obstet Gynecol Clin N Am. 2015;42(1):1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ogc.2014.10.001.
- Stanford JB, Carpentier PA, Meier BL, Rollo M, Tingey B. Restorative reproductive medicine for infertility in two family medicine clinics in New England, an observational study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2021;21(1):495. Published 2021 Jul 7. doi:10.1186/s12884-021-03946-8
- Boyle PC, de Groot T, Andralojc KM, Parnell TA. Healthy Singleton Pregnancies From Restorative Reproductive Medicine (RRM) After Failed IVF. Front Med (Lausanne). 2018;5:210. Published 2018 Jul 31. doi:10.3389/fmed.2018.00210
- Stanford JB, Parnell TA, Boyle PC. Outcomes from treatment of infertility with natural procreative technology in an Irish general practice [published correction appears in J Am Board Fam Med. 2008 Nov-Dec;21(6):583]. J Am Board Fam Med. 2008;21(5):375-384. doi:10.3122/jabfm.2008.05.070239
Biography
Native of Pennsylvania,
Attended Bucknell University in Lewisburg
Proceeded to Medical School in Philadelphia at Jefferson Medical College
Internship at Mercy Hospital, Pittsburgh
Residency at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville
Fellowship training in RE & I at Wayne State Medical Center, Detroit
Following that, I joined the faculty of the Ob/Gyn Dept. at UTMC-Knoxville. Eventually became full professor and Division Director.
Founded National Embryo Donation Center in 2003, which has become the nation’s largest and best known center for embryo donation and adoption
A Life-affirming approach to Assisted Reproductive Technology
10:30 AM – 11:10 AM
Abstract
In Vitro Fertilization and it’s related technologies has become extremely prevalent in the U.S. and other developed countries. However, this multi-billion dollar industry has allowed technology to outpace the moral and ethical considerations. We will discuss an ethical and effective way to utilize this technology without the adversely affecting couples and embryos. We will also discuss how and why genetic testing is inherently dangerous to embryos, and the option of freezing oocytes rather than excessive numbers of embryos.
Objectives
- Discuss the prevalence of ART
- Discuss the uses and abuses of this technology
- Argue for a life-affirming approach to assisted reproduction
References
Hidden in plain sight: the overstated benefits and underestimated losses of potential implantations associated with advertised PGT-A success rates
Richard J Paulson
Human Reproduction, Volume 35, Issue 3, March 2020, Pages 490–493
Biography
Board Certified pediatric endocrinologist in private practice in Atlanta, Georgia since 1991
Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine and Morehouse College of Medicine
A Principle Investigator in the ABBVIE study on long-acting puberty blockers used in children with precocious puberty
Trained at Johns Hopkins 1978 -1980 during the reign of Professor John Money- one of the most notorious instigators of transsexual ideology.
Has followed the chronology of the transgender movement in the US since its inception and has been an invited speaker on the subject of the damage done to children with the affirmation pathway having given talks in the UK, Australia, Hungary, and across the United States. Provided legal expert testimony in Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, California, Georgia, Alabama and in British Columbia.
Published in Issues in Law and Medicine, and The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
Guest commentator on Tony Perkins’ Washington Watch and Laura Ingraham’s radio program
Current President of the American College of Pediatricians
Biography
Erin Brewer is co-founder of Advocates Protecting Children, which supports efforts to stop the unethical treatment of children by schools, hospitals, and mental and medical healthcare providers under the duplicitous banner of gender affirmation. Erin is the author of Always Erin a children’s book about Erin’s childhood gender dysphoria, Transing Our Children is a primer book about the transgender ideology and Parenting in a Transgender World, a handbook to help equip parents to fight the transgender ideology. She and Maria Keffler have produced two video series, Commonsense Care for parents of trans-identified children and Teacher Talks for educators. She has a YouTube channel, Truth Is the New Hate Speech, to raise awareness about how the transgender ideology is harming children and society. https://www.youtube.com/c/ErinBrewer/videos
She has a BS from Hampshire College and a MS and PhD from Utah State University.
Biography
Walt Heyer was a husband, father and corporate executive who underwent so-called “gender reassignment surgery” at the age of 42, going from man to woman. Eight years later, Walt went back to living as a man again and has been restored for over 30 years. Now he uses his many years of transgender life experience to bring a message of hope around the world to others who want to know how to detransition like he did.
Walt’s story has been featured in articles and documentaries in Brazil, Canada, the United Kingdom, Russia, New Zealand, and Australia. Walt has been interviewed on CNN, the BBC, Russia’s Channel One, Fox News Channel, Daily Wire and participated in dozens of documentaries and hundreds of other radio and TV media events.
Walt Heyer has a passion to help others who regret having hormones and surgery, and he’s especially passionate about keeping this from happening to children. Through the premiere website, sexchangeregret.com; over 60 articles published for The Federalist, Public Discourse and Daily Signal; and 7 books; Walt and his wife of 25 years, Kaycee, spread hope of redemption and restoration through Jesus Christ.
Website: SexChangeRegret.com
Latest book: Trans Life Survivors
I Was A “Trans” Kid / The Influence of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Identity Distress
10:30 AM – 11:10 AM
Abstract
Erin will discuss her experience of childhood gender dysphoria and the dangers of the transgender ideology.
In today’s climate, where sound, scientific facts of medical practice and research are abandoned in favor of political correctness, people of all ages are being swept up in the diagnosis of gender dysphoria and being treated improperly with transgender-affirming therapies, to their life-long detriment.
This presentation discusses the harms done by an affirmation-only approach and suggests that adverse childhood experiences drive a person’s desire to adopt an alternate identity. The presentation draws on personal experience, the experiences of others who have personally contacted the speaker, and research studies.
Objectives
Participants will be able to
- Understand the various identities that are under the “transgender” umbrella.
- Identify ways to advocate for children and push back on the transgender ideology.
- Gain insights into gender dysphoria and the harms of the transgender ideology.
- Identify and understand causes of dysphoria in people who identify in the opposite gender
- Describe the relationship of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to dysphoria
- Name the harms to patients when medical professionals overlook ACEs
- Recognize that trauma therapy to address the effects of adverse childhood experiences is essential for people who identify in the opposite gender
- Elucidate the complexity of detransitioning from an incongruent gender
References
- Brewer, E. Transing Our Children. Advocates Protecting Children 2021
- Brewer, E. Always Erin. Advocates Protecting Children, 2019
- Herzog JI, Schmahl C. Adverse Childhood Experiences and the Consequences on Neurobiological, Psychosocial, and Somatic Conditions Across the Lifespan. Front Psychiatry. 2018 Sep 4;9:420. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00420. PMID: 30233435; PMCID: PMC6131660.
- Entwistle K. Debate: Reality check – Detransitioner’s testimonies require us to rethink gender dysphoria. Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2021;26(1):15-16. doi:10.1111/camh.12380
Breakout Session Two (4 Options)
Biography
Kevin Theriot serves as senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, where he is a key member of the Center for Life Team working to defend pro-life speech and protect medical rights of conscience.
Since joining Alliance Defending Freedom in 2003, Theriot has been successful as lead counsel or co-counsel in numerous cases protecting the unborn and preserving the freedoms of speech and religion. In NIFLA v. Becerra he was part of the Supreme Court team that protected California pregnancy centers from being forced to refer for abortion. In Women’s Health Link v. City of Ft. Wayne, Ind., Theriot defended the freedom of a pro-life pregnancy center to access an advertising forum in city buses. He was also one of several ADF attorneys who assisted Mississippi’s legal team with defending Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization at the Supreme Court, the victory that reversed Roe v. Wade.
In Kelvin Cochran v. City of Atlanta, he defended Chief Cochran’s free speech rights from government censorship, receiving a settlement of $1.2 million dollars. Theriot also coauthored the 2017 law review article, Free to Do No Harm: Conscience Protections for Healthcare Professionals.
Theriot earned his J.D. in 1991 from Vanderbilt University Law School. He is admitted to the bar in the states of Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Virginia, Georgia, Missouri, Kansas, and Arizona. He is also a member of the U.S. Supreme Court and numerous federal district and appellate courts.
The Legal Landscape After Roe: Equipping Medical Professionals to Understand and Speak About Abortion Laws and Medical Emergencies
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM
Abstract
Since the Supreme Court overruled Roe, it is crucial now that pro-life medical professionals are equipped to understand and speak about the laws governing abortion in their state. This presentation will provide an overview of the current legal landscape governing abortion, insight into legal challenges against pro-life laws around the country, and help give pro-life medical professionals tools and resources to identify, describe, and discuss laws governing abortion in their states. This will particularly focus on medical professionals’ legal concerns about treating women who may be experiencing life-threatening risks, such as ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages.
Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Describe abortion laws in their state,
- Discuss current and ongoing legal challenges to pro-life laws in their state,
- Identify and describe language in the abortion laws that authorizes medical professionals to exercise reasonable judgment to treat medical emergencies such as miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies,
- Educate medical professionals and colleagues who may not know about abortion laws in their state.
References
Biography
Dr. Anthereca E. Lane, leader, entrepreneur and physician, has dedicated her life to the pursuit of service that will one day impact the world!
Dr. Lane is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist practicing in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is the owner and founder of Lane Women’s Health On Demand, a quality, reliable source for women’s health. She has a passion for community health education and strives to empower all women to become active participants in their health.
Dr. Lane is a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health. She graduated with a medical degree as well as a Master of Health Administration. In addition to being an obstetrician, she is a minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon using cutting edge technology including robotics to treat female health concerns.
She is actively involved in the community working on issues such as Maternal Mortality in the Black community and is an avid supporter of Black women entrepreneurs. She is the recipient of the 2019 Five Star Community Sweetheart Award from the Cincinnati Chapter of Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc. She is the host of her own podcasts, Conversations with Dr. Lane and Lane Women’s Health On Demand. You can follow Dr. Lane on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
She serves on the Board of Directors of two national organizations including the American Association of Prolife Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She is the Secretary of the Cincinnati Medical Association, the professional organization for Cincinnati Black Physicians. She is actively involved in her church, Gray Road Church of Christ. She is a proud member of the Cincinnati Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc
Black Maternal Health in the United States
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM
Abstract
Maternal health in the United States is often considered a barometer of the success and efficacy of the health care system in the United States. Black Maternal Health is receiving a failing grade. The reason is multifactorial. We must begin to have transparent dialogue about the intersection between racism and health care and the conflicts that often arise serving as barriers to life-saving interventions. Culturally proficient care is the responsibility of all health care providers. Saving Black Moms will require a critical analysis of systems that have not historically been protective of Black women and the preservation of resources (financial and human) that will be solely dedicated to fostering change. We can not have a comprehensive pro-life strategy without including strategic imperatives pertaining to black maternal health in the United States.
Objectives
- Define maternal mortality and describe it’s impact on Black Maternal Health.
- Identify the factors that contribute to Black maternal mortality.
- Discuss effective methods for providing culturally proficient care.
- Explain why the pro-life agenda must include maternal mortality as a strategic imperative.
- Identify strategies to address common myths pertaining to maternal mortality and abortion
References
- https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/features/maternal-mortality/index.html
- Black Maternal Mortality: The Elephant in the Room
World J Gynecol Womens Health. 2019; 3(1): 10.33552/wjgwh.2019.03.000555. - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7384760/
Biography
Tara Sander Lee, PhD, is the Senior Fellow and Director of Life Sciences at the Charlotte Lozier Institute. She is a scientist with academic and clinical medicine experience in pediatric disease. She is published in medical journals and textbooks, has given expert congressional testimony, provides scientific advice for legislators and policymakers, and is a member of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality. Her PhD in Biochemistry is from the Medical College of Wisconsin and fellowship training in Cell and Molecular Biology from Harvard Medical School. Before joining the Lozier Institute, she was an appointed faculty member at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Scientific Director of Molecular Diagnostics at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, and scientific consultant for the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner and TAI Diagnostics, Inc.
Exploiting Nascent Human Beings and Aborted Fetuses in Biomedical Research
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM
Abstract
The development of medical treatments often require that scientists use human subjects or parts of the human body in research to investigate mechanisms and test therapeutics. The underlying goal is to understand what caused the disease and then develop novel therapies to stop the underlying condition, thereby bringing comfort and care to the one suffering. Healing without harm. Ethical guidelines are in place that protect humans in research, and yet fail to protect some of the most vulnerable in our society, including the preborn. As a result, experiments are allowed to continue in the United States on human embryos and aborted fetuses. Thousands of embryos are created, manipulated, and destroyed to isolate embryonic stem cells or optimize techniques in reproductive medicine, gene editing, cloning, and chimeras. Organs and tissues from unwanted fetuses are collected from abortions and used for basic scientific observation, humanized mice, and to study fetal development. These tissues cannot be used without the deliberate destruction of human life and causing harm. The scientific means by which embryos and human fetuses are used in research will be presented, along with a discussion of the ethics and moral permissibility of this practice, and the many successful alternatives currently available. Current federal and state legislative policies will also be evaluated, including an analysis of federal funds that continue to support this practice in the United States.
Objectives
At the conclusion of this activity, participants will be able to:
- Describe the state of the union, trends, and illicit practices using nascent human beings and aborted fetal tissue in research.
- Define the use of human embryonic and fetal cell lines in research and medicine.
- Identify the many ethical alternatives available to scientists.
- Evaluate current legal and legislative policies in the United States, including an analysis of federal funds that support ongoing research.
References
- SANDER LEE, T., and Sherley, J. L. Handbook of Nascent Human Beings: A Visual Aid for Understanding the Science and Experimentations. Charlotte Lozier Institute, 2022.
Available at: https://lozierinstitute.org/handbook-of-nascent-human-beings/ - SANDER LEE, T. et al., “Human Fetal Tissue from Elective Abortions in Research and Medicine: Science, Ethics, and the Law,” Issues in Law and Medicine 35, no. 1: 3–61. Spring 2020. Available at: https://sbaprolife.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/SanderLeeetal-2020-Human-Fetal-Tissue-from-Elective-Abortions-in-Research-and-Medicine-Science-Ethics-and-the-Law-ILM-Spring2020.pdf
- SANDET LEE, T. Science of Human Fetal Tissue. “Fetal Tissue Research and Christian Bioethics: A Review of the Scientific Developments, Policy Landscape, and Ethical Considerations (2022 Edition).” The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity. Available at: https://cbhd.org/content/fetal-tissue-research-and-christian-bioethics-review-scientific-developments-policy
Biography
Den A. Trumbull, MD is a board-certified pediatrician in practice for over thirty years. He earned a BS degree in Chemistry from the University of Florida, a MD degree from the University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine, and completed his pediatric residency at the University of Alabama Children’s Hospital. Dr. Trumbull is a co-founder and past president of the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds). He has had a special interest in behavioral pediatrics for decades, and has written policy statements for the ACPeds on parenting and family.
Dr. Trumbull’s literature research and work can be found on his parenting website, GoodParent.org, and in his parenting book, Loving by Leading: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Healthy and Responsible Children. He has spoken nationally and written on the topic of parenting, particularly the topic of discipline and parental leadership. His appearances and interviews include Parenting Magazine, Parade Magazine, CBS 48 Hours, Time Magazine, Fox News, CNN News, NPR, Washington Times, Family Life Today, and World Magazine.
Help! My Child Won’t Behave – A Practical Look at Authoritative Parenting
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM
Abstract
One of the most difficult challenges of parenting is teaching children proper behavior. This teaching must address the child’s heart and the child’s actions. The process by which this is accomplished is called Discipline. This talk will define and describe the components of the discipline process: Relationship, Instruction, Affirmation and Correction. Research on the parenting styles will be reviewed to identify the most effective. Finally, methods of correction and affirmation will be examined and their practical application at various ages.
Objectives
- Describe the discipline process and its four components
- Examine the research on the various parenting styles
- Examine methods of affirmation and correction, and their application at various ages.
- Discuss situational examples to illustrate application of parenting principles
- During Well Child visits with young children, the healthcare professional should routinely inquire about behavior and discuss the importance of balancing affirmation with correction of the child.
- In discussing a child’s problem behavior with the parent, the healthcare professional should note how attention to the child’s basic health needs (sleep, nutrition, and exercise) is foundational to proper behavior and self-control.
References
- Associations between Parenting Style, Physical Discipline, and Adjustment in Adolescents’ Reports. Gunnoe, ML. Psych Reports: Disability & Trauma. 2013. 112(3), 933-975.
- Children and Parents Deserve Better Parental Discipline Research: Critiquing the Evidence for Exclusively “Positive” Parenting. Marriage & Family Review. January 2017.
- Effects of Preschool Parents’ Power Assertive Patterns and Practices on Adolescent Development. Baumrind, Larzelere, & Owens. PARENTING: SCIENCE AND PRACTICE, 10: 157–201, 2010
Lunch Break (box lunches)
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Breakout Session Three (4 Options)
Biography
Dr. Jane Anderson was graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine and obtained her pediatric internship at the University of Southern California. Her pediatric residency was at Stanford University, and she practiced for 33 years at the University of California, San Francisco as a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics until her retirement in November, 2012. She continued there as a volunteer clinical faculty until June 2021. Dr. Anderson has authored numerous articles on general pediatric topics, has presented lectures on adolescent brain development and parenting in both the U.S. and China, and has received teaching awards from medical students and pediatric residents, including the Faculty Teaching Award from the UCSF Department of pediatrics in 2000, the Excellence in Teaching Award from the UCSF Medical School class of 2011, and the Volunteer Faculty Teaching Award from the UCSF Pediatric residents in 2014.
She has been married to her husband, Karl since 1975, and has four children and nine grandchildren. She participated annually in short-term medical missions trips with Medical Servants International until 2019, teaches children in her local Awana chapter, and is a member of the American College of Pediatricians, having served on their Board of Directors in the past. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Medical Servants International and the National Physicians Center.
The Teen Brain – Implications for medical decision-making
1:00 PM – 1:40 PM
Abstract
The adolescent brain is immature in all lobes and in almost every aspect of functioning, so early high-risk behaviors are harmful to the brain’s development. The hormones and neural patterns triggered can lead to addictive, high-risk behaviors, social withdrawal, and depression. Compounding this concern is the fact that the decision-making processes during adolescence are immature. Fortunately, parents can positively impact the brain development of adolescents as they assist in decision-making, provide structure to the adolescent’s environment, and monitor the adolescent’s activities.
Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Describe at least three ways in which the adolescent brain is immature
- Differentiate decision-making research performed in the lab versus decision-making occurring in real-life situations
- Identify how the adolescent decision-making process is impacted by social and emotional factors
- Describe the benefits of parental involvement in an adolescent’s life, including decision-making
References
- Diekema DS Adolescent brain development and medical decision-making. Pediatrics. 2020; 146(s1): e20200818F
- Icenogle G, Steinberg L, Duell N, et al. Adolescents’ cognitive capacity reaches adult levels prior to their psychosocial maturity: Evidence for a “maturity gap” in a multinational, cross-sectional sample. Law Hum Behav. 2019; 43(1):69-85.
Biography
Dr. Kubick holds a Ph.D. in Bioethics from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum and an M.A. in Theology from Holy Apostles College & Seminary. Aside from his work at the Religious Freedom Institute, he is Chair of the Bioethics Department at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School, Personal Consultations Ethicist Fellow at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, Research Associate and Project Manager for Fr. Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco, O.P. at Providence College, and Adjunct Professor of Bioethics at University of Mary. He has published in The Catholic Journal on Religious Freedom and Health Care, Ethics & Medics, National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly, Public Discourse, and St. John Paul II Journal of Bioethics as well as presented scholarly work at the annual conferences of the Catholic Medical Association, Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity, and National Catholic Education Association. Dr. Kubick has developed bioethics and religious freedom curricula for secondary-, undergraduate-, and graduate-level students as well as for adult learners.
Defending Conscience Amidst the Post-Dobbs Persecution of Pro-Life Health Care Professionals
1:00 PM – 1:40 PM
Abstract
The post-Dobbs era has already proven itself to be a tumultuous time in our nation’s history. The 5-4 judgement of the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey has further emboldened professional organizations and governing bodies to embrace radical pro-abortion positions, even to the detriment of some of the health care professionals to whom they represent and govern. This presentation will uncover recent attacks on the conscience rights of pro-life health care professionals and provide a defense for those same professionals to use to protect themselves against future attacks.
Objectives
Attendees of the presentation will:
- Appraise examples of persecution of pro-life health care professionals perpetrated by professional organizations and governing bodies; and
- Defend medical conscience rights against the charges of critics.
References
- Pellegrino, Edmund D. “The Physician’s Conscience, Conscience Clauses, and Religious Belief: A Catholic Perspective.” Urban Law Review 30, n. 1 (2002).
- HHS Press Office. “Following President Biden’s Executive Order to Protect Access to Reproductive Health Care, HHS Announces Guidance to Clarify that Emergency Medical Care Includes Abortion Services.” United States Department of Health and Human Service (July 11, 2022).
Biography
Karen D. Poehailos, MD is a family physician in Charlottesville, VA. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Medicine and its Family Medicine Residency. She has worked in primary care and urgent care settings, with additional Restorative Reproductive Medicine training. She is a Certified FertilityCare Medical Consultant and a FEMM Medical Provider working with women on recurrent miscarriage, infertility, and irregular cycles without IVF or hormonal contraception.
Her involvement in pro-life work dates to 1997, when she became a physician volunteer for the Charlottesville Pregnancy Center and moved on to serve as its volunteer medical director. From 2018-2021, she was the Regional Medical Director for ThriVe Central Va Women’s HealthCare and supervised medical services including pregnancy tests, performing and reading limited OB ultrasounds, and STI/STD testing and treatment at its four locations in Central Virginia.
Dr. Poehailos currently serves as the Assistant Medical Director for the National Association of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) which provides medical and legal advisement to pregnancy centers nationally. She has been a member of the Abortion Pill Reversal hotline since 2015 and has been honored to help many women continue their pregnancies through this work. She serves on the Medical Advisory Team for the Abortion Pill Rescue Network for Heartbeat International.
Local secular media and national Catholic media outlets have interviewed Dr. Poehailos on abortion pill reversal and other pro-life issues and Natural Family Planning.
A native of Baltimore, Dr. Poehailos now makes her home in Charlottesville, VA. She enjoys volunteering at her church and playing string bass in several community groups after years spent driving her four sons to music lessons, band, scouts, and sports. She also loves long walks with her dog as well as cooking and baking for family and friends.
How to Help Pregnancy Medical Clinics in a Post-Roe America
1:00 PM – 1:40 PM
Abstract
As the United States moves into a post-Roe era, physicians and trainees may be looking for concrete ways to help women and families in their communities who seek the services of pregnancy medical clinics. Physicians who want to help may have concerns regarding the skill set needed, legal and regulatory issues, and how much time it could take from their busy practices. This presentation will discuss these issues and explain the many options available.
Objectives
PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE TO:
- Discuss the history of pregnancy medical clinics in the US and their current impact in services provided
- Name possible roles for physicians, medical students, and residents in pregnancy medical clinics
- Identify the organizational/legal issues that need to be addressed to provide medical services in pregnancy medical clinics
- Describe various routes for physicians to obtain training in interpreting limited obstetrical ultrasound.
References
- Lozier Institute “Pregnancy Centers Stand the Test of Time” 2020. https://lozierinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Pregnancy-Center-Report-2020_FINAL.pdf (accessed 7/31/2022)
Biography
Dr. Karysse J Trandem is a highly sought-after Board-Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologic Surgeon, CEO, and Speaker who brings award-winning care to her patients internationally and global expertise to government, business, and community audiences whom she teaches worldwide.
Dr. Trandem was President of her Medical School class, and graduated residency training with highest honors from the University of Minnesota in 2012. She received numerous awards including the University Residency Top Research Award for her project creating a successful program teaching the immediate and long-term benefits of delaying sexual activity to middle school students. Dr. Trandem was also uniquely selected for and has completed distinguished research fellowships at both the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C. and the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
In 2020, Dr. Trandem resigned her successful private practice in Naples, Florida to follow God’s calling to become the Founder and CEO of the non-profit organization, Canopy Global Foundation, which works to save the physical and spiritual lives of the most vulnerable around the world through Jesus’ Name. Through Canopy Global Foundation, Dr. Trandem leads strategic local, national, and international projects teaching government officials, healthcare staff, middle and high school students, and civic leaders on the scientifically-proven risks of abortion and how to create policies stopping abortion, effective abstinence education, how to recognize and prevent human trafficking, and how to offer compassionate care for victims of trauma. For more information on this innovative Christ-centered ministry visit: www.CanopyGlobal.org.
In addition to leading Canopy Global, Dr. Trandem currently acts as National Medical Director and Board Member for the large prolife organization, “Save the Storks.” She also works as Medical Director and part-time Physician at the Pregnancy Resource Centers of Southwest Florida clinics preventing abortion and caring holistically for women with an unplanned pregnancy. Dr. Trandem also acts as an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine and is an Associate Scholar for the Charlotte Lozier Institute. Karysse is also a world-class singer and has written, recorded, and produced an album, FuZion, to share the Gospel and raise funds for the most vulnerable, which can be found on iTunes and Spotify.
As the recipient of numerous prestigious local, national, and international awards for patient care, Dr. Trandem brings excellence and expertise to the patients and international audiences she serves throughout the world, having now traveled in 45 countries. Most recently, Dr. Trandem received the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award from Healthy Start Coalition for her extensive national and international work improving the health of families.
Biography
Dr Calum Miller BA Hons (Oxon), MA, BMBCh (Oxon) graduated from the University of Oxford Medical School in 2015, and currently works as a medical doctor in the UK. He is currently also a Research Associate at the University of Oxford, where his research focuses on abortion ethics and policy.
Dr Miller has given over 40 academic presentations internationally, and taken part in debates against senior academics and the CEO of the UK’s largest private abortion provider, BPAS. He has 18 academic publications on topics including maternal mortality, mental health, probability theory, the ethics of abortion, and philosophy of religion. He has received prizes from the University of Oxford and the Royal College of Psychiatrists for his work on Bioethics.
Dr Miller has spoken on abortion across the world to professional audiences and parliamentarians. He most recently appeared on the BBC to defend Texas’ new abortion law.
Dr. Trandem was President of her Medical School class, and graduated residency training with highest honors from the University of Minnesota in 2012. She received numerous awards including the University Residency Top Research Award for her project creating a successful program teaching the immediate and long-term benefits of delaying sexual activity to middle school students. Dr. Trandem was also uniquely selected for and has completed distinguished research fellowships at both the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C. and the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
The overturning of Roe v. Wade’s international effects and the importance of American pro-life healthcare professionals standing up for life**
1:00 PM – 1:40 PM
Abstract
The overturning of Roe. v Wade has had significant ripple effects on each nation around the world. Countries are under major pressure from the West to broaden abortion access. Canopy Global Foundation identifies the most vulnerable nations and works with high-level government officials to effectively implement prolife legislation and stop pro-abortion policies. Come and learn what regions of our world are most at risk at such a time as this and how you can make a positive impact by standing for life in America.
Objectives
- Describe the world’s response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade by region
- Identify current countries that need strategic prolife leadership support
- Understand the importance of the American healthcare professional boldly standing up for life
References
- 2022 Legalisation of abortion and maternal mortality in Ethiopia.
C. Miller. Ethiopian Medical Journal, 60(2), 189-195. - 2021 In defence of single issue voting on abortion.
C. Miller. Journal of the Oxford Graduate Theological Society (forthcoming). - 2021 Maternal mortality from induced abortion in Malawi: What does the latest evidence suggest?
C. Miller. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(19), 10506.
Seventh Plenary Session
Biography
Dr. Kerri Brackney is a board-certified OB/GYN and is a registered fellowship graduate in Maternal Fetal Medicine. She currently works as a private practice MFM physician in Memphis, Tennessee with Mid-South Maternal Fetal Medicine. Dr. Brackney received her undergraduate education at Bryan College in Dayton, TN. She completed medical school at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 2006 and her OB/GYN residency at Penn State Health in 2010. After practicing as an OB/GYN for eight years, she completed a one-year fellowship in Obstetric Ultrasound at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2019 followed by a three-year fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine at the combined MetroHealth/University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University program in 2022.
Dr. Brackney is a member of the Christian Medical and Dental Association and its outreach, the Women Physician and Dentists in Christ. She served for three years with a Christian Community Health center in Memphis, and enjoys providing high risk obstetrical care for the underserved. She serves on several committees with the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine. She volunteers for a local pregnancy resource center, reading obstetric ultrasound. She has a passion for both domestic and foreign missions and longs to see an American culture in which abortion is unthinkable.
Prenatal Genetic Screening and Testing: Pearls and Pitfalls
1:45 PM – 2:30 PM
Abstract
Genetic screening and testing options during pregnancy are rapidly expanding and changing, both for fetal and maternal patients. Although these tests CAN be performed, and are offered to most pregnant women in the United States, many patients may not elect to have them after appropriate counseling, and there is often a question of whether they SHOULD be performed.
The goal of this presentation is to review both the benefits and the risks of prenatal genetic testing, from a holistic medical, mental, emotional and spiritual perspective, so that medical providers can better counsel their patients about these tests, both before and after they are performed.
Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Describe prenatal aneuploidy and carrier screening options and discuss the risks and benefits of each.
- Counsel patients about their aneuploidy screening options, with a focus on the potential results of the test performed.
- Counsel patients about carrier screening options, identifying the potential risks to the mother, her baby, and future pregnancies.
- Describe personal, professional and societal ethical considerations in prenatal screening and diagnosis.
- Identify potential mental, emotional and spiritual ramifications for patients electing to undergo prenatal genetic testing.
References
- Carrier screening for genetic conditions. Committee Opinion No. 691.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol 2017;129:e41–55.
- Crabbe RES, Stone P, Filoche SK. What are women saying about noninvasive prenatal testing? An analysis of online pregnancy discussion forums. Prenat Diagn. 2019 Sep;39(10):890-895. doi: 10.1002/pd.5500. Epub 2019 Jun 18. PMID: 31172546.
- Holtkamp KC, Vos EM, Rigter T, Lakeman P, Henneman L, Cornel MC. Stakeholder perspectives on the implementation of genetic carrier screening in a changing landscape. BMC Health Serv Res. 2017 Feb 16;17(1):146. doi: 10.1186/s12913-017-2083-9. PMID: 28209157; PMCID: PMC5314610.
- Holloway K, Simms N, Hayeems RZ, Miller FA. The Market in Noninvasive Prenatal Tests and the Message to Consumers: Exploring Responsibility. Hastings Cent Rep. 2022 Mar;52(2):49-57. doi: 10.1002/hast.1329. Epub 2022 Jan 31. PMID: 35099072.
- Kraft SA, Duenas D, Wilfond BS, Goddard KAB. The evolving landscape of expanded carrier screening: challenges and opportunities. Genet Med. 2019 Apr;21(4):790-797. doi: 10.1038/s41436-018-0273-4. Epub 2018 Sep 24. PMID: 30245516; PMCID: PMC6752283.
- Microarrays and next-generation sequencing technology: the use of advanced genetic diagnostic tools in obstetrics and gynecology. Committee Opinion No. 682. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol 2016;128:e262–8.
- Molly J, Chanelle W, Mark P, Michelle TS, Martin B D, Lisa H, Julian S, Catherine M. Ethical issues associated with prenatal screening using NIPT for sex chromosome aneuploidy. Prenat Diagn. 2022 Aug 5. doi: 10.1002/pd.6217. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35929376.
- Norton ME, Jacobsson B, Swamy GK, Laurent LC, Ranzini AC, Brar H, Tomlinson MW, Pereira L, Spitz JL, Hollemon D, Cuckle H, Musci TJ, Wapner RJ. Cell-free DNA analysis for noninvasive examination of trisomy. N Engl J Med. 2015 Apr 23;372(17):1589-97. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1407349. Epub 2015 Apr 1. PMID: 25830321.
- Nov-Klaiman T, Frisman M, Raz AE, Rehmann-Sutter C. Views on disability and prenatal testing among families with Down syndrome and disability activists: A comparative analysis of interviews from Germany and Israel. Soc Sci Med. 2022 Jun;303:115021. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115021. Epub 2022 May 7. PMID: 35588654.
- Nov-Klaiman T, Raz AE, Hashiloni-Dolev Y. Attitudes of Israeli parents of children with Down syndrome toward non-invasive prenatal screening and the scope of prenatal testing. J Genet Couns. 2019 Dec;28(6):1119-1129. doi: 10.1002/jgc4.1162. Epub 2019 Aug 30. PMID: 31469214.
- Prenatal diagnostic testing for genetic disorders. Practice Bulletin No. 162. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol 2016;127:e108–22.
- Screening for fetal chromosomal abnormalities. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 226. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol 2020;136:e48–69.
- Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM). Electronic address: smfm@smfm.org, Shanahan MA, Aagaard KM, McCullough LB, Chervenak FA, Shamshirsaz AA. Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Special Statement: Beyond the scalpel: in utero fetal gene therapy and curative medicine. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2021 Dec;225(6):B9-B18. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2021.09.001. Epub 2021 Sep 17. PMID: 34537158.
- Van den Veyver IB, Chandler N, Wilkins-Haug LE, Wapner RJ, Chitty LS; ISPD Board of Directors. International Society for Prenatal Diagnosis Updated Position Statement on the use of genome-wide sequencing for prenatal diagnosis. Prenat Diagn. 2022 May;42(6):796-803. doi: 10.1002/pd.6157. PMID: 35583085.
- van Dijke I, Lakeman P, Mathijssen IB, Goddijn M, Cornel MC, Henneman L. How will new genetic technologies, such as gene editing, change reproductive decision-making? Views of high-risk couples. Eur J Hum Genet. 2021 Jan;29(1):39-50. doi: 10.1038/s41431-020-00706-8. Epub 2020 Aug 9. PMID: 32773775; PMCID: PMC7852899.
- van Dijke I, van El CG, Lakeman P, Goddijn M, Rigter T, Cornel MC, Henneman L. Dynamics of reproductive genetic technologies: Perspectives of professional stakeholders. PLoS One. 2022 Jun 21;17(6):e0269719. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269719. PMID: 35727796; PMCID: PMC9212161.
Eighth Plenary Session
Biography
Dr. Marty McCaffrey is a Professor of Pediatrics at UNC Chapel Hill in the Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. He is a retired Captain in the US Navy and served as the Director of Neonatal Care at the Naval Medical Center San Diego and the Consultant to the US Navy Surgeon General for Neonatology. In his current roles at UNC Dr. McCaffrey is a clinical neonatologist in a Level IV NICU but is also the Director of the Perinatal Quality Collaborative of North Carolina (PQCNC or “PICNIC”), a statewide collaborative organization leading QI initiatives dedicated to making North Carolina the best place to give birth and be born.
Dr. McCaffrey is committed to re-establishing a sanctity of life ethic in medicine. He is an advocate for families with infants, born and unborn, children and adults with challenging diagnoses. As an advisor to the organization Be Not Afraid, Dr. McCaffrey offers medical and emotional support to families internationally dealing with difficult prenatal diagnoses. He is a national speaker on the value and need for the lives of the most vulnerable to be lived and respected. He is well published on the subject of these invaluable lives, particularly as relates to individuals with trisomy 13 and 18. He is an advisor to the Support Organization for Trisomy (SOFT) and the International Trisomy Alliance. He is also a member of the NICHD’s Neonatal Research Network Investigators Study group for “A prospective longitudinal study investigating the natural history of newborns with trisomy 13 & 18, the variables that affect outcome, and parent perspectives.”
Lives Worth Living
2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
Abstract
I will discuss the history of trisomy 13 and 18, the popular belief in survivals for these conditions, the most recent evidence of survival for these conditions, the role bias of health care providers plays in the predicted lethality of these conditions, the treatment of cardiac and other conditions associated with these genetic syndromes and the perceptions of families related to the counseling and care they receive as well as the value they place on the life of an affected child.
Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Describe current data dealing with the life expectancies of individuals with trisomy 13 and 18 conditions
- Understand that people with these conditions are all unique and cannot be place in a survival category
- Appreciate the prejudice that the medical community has extended to individuals with these conditions and how it has impactedc survivial rates
- Realize that in the current state parents given one of these diagnoses and desiring to continue their pregnancy are often traumitized by those promoting abortion in such cases
- Report on common medical conditions associated with trisomy 13 and 18 and accurately report the prospect for survival for treatment of some of the major conditions
- Appreciate the value that parents of individuals with these conditions place on the lives of their child
References
- Nelson KE, Rosella LC, Mahant S, Guttmann A. Survival and Surgical Interventions for Children With Trisomy 13 and 18. JAMA. 2016 Jul 26;316(4):420-8.
- Meyer RE et al. for the National Birth Defects Prevention Network. Survival of children with trisomy 13 and trisomy 18: A multi-state population-based study. Am J Med Genet A. 2015:Part A 9999A:1-13. (NJ, GA)
- Peterson JK, Kochilas LK, Catton KG, Moller JH, Setty SP. Long-Term Outcomes of Children With Trisomy 13 and 18 After Congenital Heart Disease Interventions. Ann Thorac Surg. 2017 Jun;103(6):1941-1949.
- Cooper DS et al. Cardiac Surgery in Patients With Trisomy 13 and 18: An Analysis of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database. J Am Heart Assoc. 2019 Jul 2;8(13):e012349.
- Wilkinson DJC et al. Perinatal management of trisomy 18: a survey of obstetricians in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Prenat Diagn. 2014 Jan; 34(1): 42–49.
- Guon J, Wilfond BS, Farlow B, Brazg T, Janvier A. Our children are not a diagnosis: the experience of parents who continue their pregnancy after a prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 13 or 18. Am J Med Genet A. 2014 Feb;164A(2):308-18.
- Jacobs AP et al. Trisomy 18: A survey of opinions, attitudes, and practices of neonatologists. Am J Med Genet A. 2016 Oct;170(10):2638-43.
- Janvier A, Farlow B, Barrington KJ. Parental hopes, interventions, and survival of neonates with trisomy 13 and trisomy 18. Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet. 2016 Sep;172(3):279-87.
- Cobb AD. Acknowledged Dependence and the Virtues of Perinatal Hospice. Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, 41: 25–40, 2016
- Janvier A. et al. Building trust and improving communication with parents of children with Trisomy 13 and 18: A mixed-methods study. Palliat Med. 2019 Jul 8:269216319860662. doi: 10.1177/0269216319860662.
Afternoon Break (Snacks & Exhibitors)
3:15 PM – 3:45 PM
Ninth Plenary Session
Biography
Dr. Robin Pierucci is a wife, mother, and a full-time neonatologist. In addition to full time clinical duties, she is also the medical director of a level three 50 bed NICU. She has a Master’s degree in bioethics, and has also completed the National Catholic Bioethics Center certificate program. This background dovetails with her research, publications, and ongoing involvement in multiple performance improvement projects, including neonatal palliative care, and care for infants affected by in utero drug exposure. She has multiple publications in peer and non-peer reviewed journals and has spoken around the country on multiple perinatal and ethical topics. Dr. Pierucci, a Jewish convert to Catholicism, has appeared on a number of programs aired on EWTN including, Women of Grace, The Journey Home, EWTN Live, and her documentary about in vitro fertilization. She has been a member of the Catholic Medical Association for many years, she is an associate scholar with the Charlotte Lozier Institute and board member of the American College of Pediatrics (ACPeds) where she is also the chair of their pro-life council.
Survival at the Edge of Viability: Medical and Ethical Components
3:45 PM – 4:30 PM
Abstract
In the last 50 years, medical advances in neonatology have allowed the edge of viability to dramatically decrease. Interestingly, evidence demonstrates that the beliefs of the bedside care-givers and the parents greatly impacts survival and long-term outcomes. This is a look at how the technology and the ethics impacts the care provided to our most immature patients and their outcomes.
Objectives
- Describe where the edge of viability was 50 years ago and where we are now.
- Identify key improvements in medical technology that allowed this improvement.
- Identify ethical issues that have the ability to impact the medical advancements.
References
- Altimier, Leslie, and Raylene M. Phillips. 2013. “The Neonatal Integrative Developmental Care Model: Seven Neuroprotective Core Measures for Family-Centered Developmental Care.” Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews, 13, no. 1: 9–22. doi:10.1053/j.nainr.2012.12.002.
- Anand, KJS, D Phil, and PR Hickey. 1992. “Halothane–Morphine Compared with High-Dose Sufentanil for Anesthesia and Postoperative Analgesia in Neonatal Cardiac Surgery.” New England Journal of Medicine. 326 no 1: 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejm199201023260101
- Arzuaga, B.H., and B.H. Lee. 2011. “Limits of Human Viability in the United States: A Medicolegal Review.” Pediatrics 128, no 6 (July): 1047–52. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-1689.
- Morris, Mindy, John Patrick Cleary, Antoine Soliman. 2015. “Small Baby Unit Improves Quality and Outcomes in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants.” Pediatrics, American Academy of Pediatrics, 136 (4) e1007-e1015. pediatrics.aappublications.org/ content/136/4/e1007.
- Raju, T. N. K, Mercer B.M., Burchfield D.J., Joseph G.F. 2014. “Periviable Birth: Executive Summary of a Joint Workshop by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.” Journal of Perinatology, 34, no. 5: 333–342., doi:10.1038/jp.2014.70
Tenth Plenary Session
Biography
Dr. Jeff Wright did his premedical studies at the University of Houston and graduated from The University of Texas Medical School in San Antonio in 1984. He did his first two years of OB/Gyn residency at New Hanover Memorial Hospital in Wilmington where he began learning and performing OB sonography using an ADR 2130. He transferred to UT San Antonio to complete his residency as well as a fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine. His research publications include Doppler, preterm birth management, fetal monitoring, and others. Since 1990, he has practiced clinical Maternal Fetal Medicine, taught residents and medical students, and raised a family in southeastern North Carolina.
Perinatal Hospice for Low Resource Settings
4:30 PM – 5:15 PM
Abstract
Objectives
Participants will learn to describe the fundamental requirements necessary for Perinatal Hospice care, identify elements that are likely already present in their current practice, and develop a vision for how they can provide compassionate Perinatal Hospice care for their patients whose unborn children have severe life limiting diseases.
References
Banquet Dinner & 50th Anniversary Celebration
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Biography
Clarke Forsythe is Senior Counsel at Americans United for Life and the author of Abuse of Discretion: The Inside Story of Roe v. Wade (Encounter Books 2013), which was cited by the Supreme Court in its opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overruled Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
Clarke has been co-counsel for parties in three U.S. Supreme Court cases and has argued cases before federal and state appellate courts. He has also testified before Congress and state legislatures. Clarke has authored or co-authored 20+ professional legal articles on constitutional and bioethical issues. His most recent, co-authored with Dr. Donna Harrison, entitled “State Regulation of Chemical Abortion After Dobbs,” was published in the Liberty University Law Review in May 2022.
His other articles have been published in the Wall Street Journal (“The Smart Way to Overturn Roe v. Wade”), Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Times, The Federalist, The Hill, and many other newspapers and magazines. Clarke has also been featured on three podcasts produced by the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
His first book, Politics for the Greatest Good, which draws on lessons in political prudence from Thomas Aquinas, William Wilberforce, and Abraham Lincoln, was published by InterVarsity Press (IVP) in 2009.
Clarke has a B.A. from Allegheny College, a J.D. from Valparaiso University, and an M.A. in Bioethics from Trinity International University, where he has been an Adjunct Professor of Bioethics. Clarke and his wife, Karen, married for 41 years, have five daughters and 11 grandchildren.”
Keynote Remarks
Religious Services
Catholic Mass with Fr. Brian Johnson, C.SS.R.
Protestant Service with Adam Parsons
7:00 AM – 7:45 AM
Eleventh Plenary Session
Biography
Andrew Steele MD has been involved with medical education for almost three decades. He has taught medical students, residents from various specialties, and fellows. During his career, he has served as medical student coordinator and residency program director. He is Board Certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery. He currently continues full-time practice and teaching at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
Dr. Steele has received numerous teaching awards. These include the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics, the National Faculty Award for Excellence in Resident Education from the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the American College of OB/GYN’s 2002 Armed Forces District Professor of the Year.
Dr. Steele has a wonderful wife Kathryn and four adult children.
Medical Education in the Age of Euphemism
8:15 AM – 9:00 AM
Abstract
The change in medicine over the last few decades has led us into an “Age of Euphemism”. The current time bears much in common with prior century’s attempts to recruit physicians to serve broader societal interests rather than the interests of the individual patient. Both regulatory and ideological actions that will affect medical education are either here now or on the horizon. Deliberate efforts need to be made to develop sanctuary programs that allow and encourage conscience-based training for students, residents and fellows.
Objectives
- To understand the changes in the role of the physician in society that has led to a post-Hippocratic worldview in western medicine.
- Discuss trends in medical education and oversight that will impact future physicians’ ability to practice conscience-based healthcare
- Propose ways to reclaim the role of physician as advocate for the individual patient.
References
- Steele A: Teaching OB/GYN Residents Bioethics Within a Catholic Healthcare Context, The National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent & Disabled, Inc., Issues in Law & Medicine, 2017 Fall; 32(2):173-181.
Twelfth Plenary Session
Biography
Ashley K. Fernandes, MD, PhD, is the Associate Director of the Center for Bioethics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, and a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Fernandes received an MD from The Ohio State University, a PhD in Philosophy from Georgetown University, and an MA in Philosophy from Johns Hopkins University, with a focus on bioethics. He currently directs ethics education for all pediatric residents at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. His scholarly interests include Catholic Christian bioethics, Medicine and the Holocaust studies, pediatric ethics, and philosophical anthropology as it relates to medical practice. He has presented his work at international and national forums, and is the author of scores of peer-reviewed publications and three book chapters. After more than a decade of practicing hospital pediatrics, he is now an academic primary care pediatrician and has been an expert witness in court cases defending the rights of Christian healthcare professionals and prolife organizations.
Dr. Fernandes is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Pediatricians, an elected member of the AAP’s national Executive Committee on Bioethics, a member of the AOA Medical Honor Society, and a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society, receiving the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine award twice—in 2020 and in 2010. In 2020, he was awarded The Ohio State University College of Medicine’s Professor of the Year Award. He is an active member of the Catholic Medical Association and is part of their national speaker board. Outside of Jesus and medicine, his interests include hiking in the National Parks, history, travel, and tennis. He lives with his wife and two boys in Dublin, Ohio.
When is a Referral Ethical? A Moral and Philosophical Analysis of Conscience and Referrals in Medicine
9:00 AM – 9:45 AM
Abstract
Physicians and other healthcare professionals are increasingly seen as untrustworthy and without principle by society. At the same time, secular ideological forces that fiat–without argument–a materialist anthropology on medical education and practice, have called for the elimination of conscientious objection, or at least, mandatory referrals for objectionable procedures and practices. Such insistence further erodes the integrity of practitioners and the profession itself. In this presentation, I will outline the flaws in the materialist anthropology or person, and contrast this with a transcendent personalism, out of which the proper framing of conscience can be understood. I will then propose “3 rules” for the operation of conscience by objecting healthcare professionals which still respect the patient as person. Finally, I will focus on the tricky concept of “referrals”– why some insist on it, and what conditions must occur to make a referral morally licit.
Objectives
- Identify the elements that are critical to the formation of conscience in both secular and religious views of the person.
- Articulate 3 rules for conscientious clinical practice when faced with morally objectionable choices.
- Deconstruct the notion of referrals for practices and procedures that violate physician conscience, and provide parameters for referral.
- Rebut common misconceptions of conscience and referral that threaten the notion of medicine as a moral practice.
References
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 385 (2007). The limits of conscientious refusal in reproductive medicine. 110(5)-1203-1208.
- Proceedings of the 10th Bishops’ Workshop (1991). Catholic Conscience: Foundation and Formation.
- Pellegrino, E. (1994). Patient and physician autonomy: conflicting rights and obligations in the physician-patient relationship. J Contemp Health Law Policy 10: 47-68.
- Pellegrino, E. (1990). The medical profession as a moral community. Bull NY Acad Med 66(3):221-232.
- Savulescu, J. (2006). Conscientious objection in medicine. BMJ 332: 294-297.
- Stahl, R. and Emanuel, E. (2017). Physicians not conscripts—conscietious Objection in Health Care, NEJM 376(14): 1380-1385.
- Sulmasy, D. (2008). What is conscience and why is it so important? Theor Med Bioethics 29(3): 135-149.
- Wardle, L. (1993). Protecting the rights of conscience of health care providers. J Legal Med, 14(2): 177-230.
Thirteenth Plenary Session
Biography
Rachel N. Morrison is a Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, where she works on EPPC’s HHS Accountability Project. An attorney, her legal and policy work focuses on religious liberty, health care rights of conscience, the right to life, nondiscrimination, and civil rights.
Before joining EPPC, Ms. Morrison served as an Attorney Advisor and Special Assistant to General Counsel Sharon Fast Gustafson at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), where she focused on religious discrimination issues and was a member of the General Counsel’s Religious Discrimination Work Group. Before that, she served as Litigation Counsel for Americans United for Life and as a Constitutional Law Fellow at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, defending the right to life and religious freedom for all. She also clerked on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
Ms. Morrison’s legal analysis has been published in the Seton Hall Law Review, the Pepperdine Law Review, and the Ave Maria Law Review, as well as various other print media outlets.
Ms. Morrison earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from the Pepperdine University School of Law, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif and served as an editor for the Pepperdine Law Review and the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy. She received her B.A. in Mathematics and Speech Communication, summa cum laude, from Whitworth University (Spokane, WA). She is a member of the District of Columbia and the Washington State bars.
Ms. Morrison lives in Washington, D.C, with her husband.
Why Engaging in the Agency Regulatory Process is Vital
9:50 AM – 10:30 AM
Abstract
As the federal government regulates more and more areas of life, including the practice of medicine and health care, the more agency regulations impact people’s lives for better or worse. Engaging in the federal agency regulatory process by submitting public comments or requesting meetings with government officials is the public’s opportunity to influence regulations that will bind or affect them with the force of law. This presentation will provide an overview of the federal agency regulatory process, describe how one can engage, and identify current and anticipated agency regulations that could affect one professionally or personally.
Objectives
- Discuss the agency regulatory process and the importance of engaging.
- Describe how to engage in the regulatory process, including submitting public comments and requesting meetings with government officials.
- Identify several current or anticipated agency regulations of interest, professionally or personally.
References
- EPPC Explainer on Public Comments on Agency Rulemaking: https://eppc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Public-Comments-on-Agency-Rulemaking-Explainer.pdf
- EPPC Explainer on Meetings with Government Officials on Agency Rulemaking: https://eppc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Meetings-with-Government-Officials-on-Agency-Rulemaking-Explainer.pdf
Morning Break (Snacks & Exhibitors)
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Fourteenth Plenary Session
Biography
Scott Yenor is Professor of Political Science at Boise State University, where he teaches courses in political philosophy, American political thought, and constitutional law. His publications include Family Politics: The Idea of Marriage in Modern Political Thought (Baylor, 2011) and The Recovery of Family Life: Exposing the Limits of Modern Ideologies (Baylor 2020), along with books on David Hume and American Reconstruction. He lives in Meridian Idaho with his wife Amy. Together they have five children—Jackson, Travis, Sarah, Paul, and Biscuit (Mark!).
The Waves of Modernity Roll over the Family**
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
Abstract
Family life and marriage specifically are severely compromised in our late modern situation. We can best explain why that is so by looking at the origins of modernity itself. There we see that two powerful concepts–the conquest of nature and the elevation of contractual thinking–are present at the creation of modernity–and each taken to its logical conclusion has the effect of compromising and perhaps even abolishing the family. The story of family decline is in large part the story of wearing away the values, virtues and experiences that used to cordon off the influence of these modern ideas. And we are living with the consequences of that wearing away in every day lives and in our professional situations.
Objectives
- Understand how the modern commitment to relieve man’s estate, central to medicine, has compromised the integrity of family life as well.
- Understand that the relationships within family life cannot be transformed by the notion that all legitimate relationships are based on consent or contract.
- Appreciate the limits of human power when it comes to family life and individual identity.
References
- Scott Yenor, The Sexual-Counter Revolution, from First Things.
https://www.firstthings.com/article/2021/11/sexual-counter-revolution - Scott Yenor, The Family’s End at Public Discourse
https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2011/06/3195/
Closing Plenary Session
Biography
Born: Lynwood, California 1952
Pius X High School: Downey, California. 1966-70
ASB president 1969-70
All Angeles League Cross Country and Track, 1969-70
Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA 1970-74
UCSF School of Medicine 1975-79
Married 1982, 3 children, ages 39, 37, 35.
RESIDENCES:
Charleston SC 1979-82
Houston TX 1982-85
Santa Rosa, CA 1985-86
Walla Walla, WA, 1986-2001
Coeur d’ Alene, ID 2001-2010
Kennewick, WA, 2010-2014
Reno, NV 2014-2017
Middleton, ID 2017- present
Hobbies: Fishing, hunting, camping, bicycling, horseback riding, writing
Affiliations: Insiders Circle, Discovery institute, Seattle, WA
Telos: the scientific basis for a life of Purpose
11:45 AM – 12:30 PM
Abstract
Very few medical practitioners, and not many actual scientists, understand that the science of life is severely constrained by what is known as the mechanistic consensus.
That consensus proclaims that everything in the natural world, including living organisms, and even human consciousness itself, is reducible to physics and chemistry.
The scientific dead ends that have resulted from this consensus will be vividly illustrated. E.g. the most fundamental question in all of biology, the origin of life, remains utterly inexplicable despite a century of intense research and investigation. This is why the greatest molecular biologist of all time, Carl Woese, discoverer of Archaea, in 2004, proclaimed the need for “a New Biology for New Century.”
This presentation will demonstrate that understanding “telos,” Aristotle’s category of final causation, provides a far more comprehensive and satisfying explanation for life itself. Participants will be urged to realize the limitations and even harmful impact derived from the mechanistic indoctrination of their science and medical education. When physicians see patients as fellow travelers in need of help empathy and guidance, rather than as units of production to which sterile algorithms of evaluation and treatment are applied, medical practice is almost immediately transformed from tedium into a joyful and deeply fulfilling professional experience
Objectives
Participants will be able to;
- Understand the limitations of mechanistic science when trying to describe organisms
- Understand the history of western science and how it has been dominated by Newtonian physics which excludes any description of living systems.
- Deconstruct the reigning materialism paradigm that reduces all phenomenon to unrelated atomized entities
- Describe the Aristotelian categories of causation and why they are essential for an understanding of organisms
- Realize that the present day description of life itself is inadequate and requires the development of a new biology
- Combine all of the above learning to allow the practitioner to have creativity caring understanding and enjoyment in the practice of medicine
- Recognize that the most fundamental quality of life is the fulfillment of purpose, even though “purpose itself ” is not recognized within the framework of mechanistic science.
References
- Woese, C, A: “New Biology for a New Century.” Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews June 2004
- Sarkar, S: “Molecular Models of Life: Philosophical Papers on Molecular Biology.” pg 245. 2004
- Flew, A: “There is a God. How The World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind.” 2007
- Rosen, R: “Life itself: A Comprehensive Inquiry Into the Nature Origin and Fabrication of Life.” 1991
- Elsasser, W: Reflections on a Theory of organisms: Holism in Biology.” 1998
- Wagner, A: “Arrival of the Fittest.” 2014
- Berry, W: “Life is a Miracle: An Essay on Modern Superstition” 2000
Box Lunch (eat onsite or take to go)
12:30 PM
– Conference Ends –
Hope to see you next year in Frisco, TX, Feb. 23-25, 2024
(optional, separate registration required. Free for conference attendees or AAPLOG or ACPeds dues-paying members.)
Begins Friday 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
and Sunday 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM
**No CME credit available for this presentation
What have others said about our conference?
The conference will be held Feb. 10-12, 2023, at the El Conquistador Resort in Tucson, AZ and the opening session begins at 2pm local time, on Feb. 10. See schedule tab on conference site for the list of speakers and complete agenda. Please note there are several pre-conference activities open to registered guests which require their own registration, also accessible on the conference website. Free Wi-Fi is available to all guests and exhibitors.
All the sessions will be held at the El Conquistador Tucson. The hotel room block is sold out!
Your conference registration fee includes the following meals and snacks: Friday reception (hors d’oeuvres) and dinner, Sat. box lunch, Sat dinner, and Sun. box lunch; morning and afternoon breaks on Sat. and Sun. There will be a cash bar available on Friday evening. Breakfast is on your own and there are two good options available at the hotel, both of which open at 6am. There will be coffee and water available throughout Saturday and Sunday mornings and water available throughout the entire day.
The El Conquistador is 23 miles from the Tucson airport and does not have an airport shuttle. Uber or Lyft are recommended transport. The Phoenix airport is 100 miles from the resort. Please note that Super Bowl LVII is in Glendale, AZ on Sun, Feb. 12 and so we would recommend avoiding the Phoenix airport during this time.
See schedule tab on the conference website for free pre-conference activities on Fri, Feb. 10. The expert witness training continues on Sun afternoon, Feb. 12. Registration required for all, please. Registration links can be found under the “pre-conference events” section on the front page of the conference website.
Registrants check in will begin Fri, Feb. 10 at 9am through 5pm.
May check in on Feb. 10 morning. Exhibit booths will open at 1pm on Feb. 10, and be open during breaks, lunch, and conference sessions, except the evening sessions.
See the tab on the conference site for more info. If you are an AAPLOG member and already registered for the conference, we can register you to receive CME for free. Email us at info@aaplog.org
We will use the Cvent event app (optional) and send details to all registrants a week before the conference. Throughout the conference, you can use the app to find the updated schedule and the following:
- Real-time reminders and announcements about conference programming
- Profiles of exhibitors, sponsors, and fellow attendees, as well as a chat feature allowing you to connect with them
- Polling
- A discussion forum allowing you to share thoughts with all conference attendees
- And more!
In the event of our cancellation of the conference, we will refund the cost to you. If you decide to cancel your registration:
- By January 16, 2023 (11:59pm CT), we will refund 100% of your conference fee.
- Between January 17, 2023, to Feb. 1, 2023 – we will issue a refund for half of the conference fee.
- No refund after Feb 1, 2023
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