AGENDA

PLANTING THE SEEDS FOR QUALITY CARE

Spring CME Conference Agenda

April 13-14, 2026 | Des Moines, Iowa

Monday, April 13, 2026

List of Services

7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Exhibit Hall Hours Write a description for this list item and include information that will interest site visitors. For example, you may want to describe a team member's experience, what makes a product special, or a unique service that you offer.
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7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Registration Desk Opens
Please arrive promptly by 7:15 a.m. for the first breakfast session.

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7:15 a.m. - 8 a.m. - Breakfast
Session Title: To Be Determined

Speaker: To Be Determined

Sponsored by To Be Determined

Speaker: Bryan Hannon List Item 1
8 - 8:15 a.m. - Welcome and Announcements

Speaker: List Item 2
8:20 - 9:05 a.m. - Legislative Update
Speaker: Dentons Davis Brown Team

List Item 3
9:10 - 9:55 a.m. - TBD
Hematologic & Oncologic Emergencies

Speaker: Amy McGraw

Course Description:

Speaker > Dr. Tom Benzoni, DO List Item 4
9:55 - 10:25 a.m. - Exhibit Hall Break

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10:25 a.m. - 11:10 p.m. - Anatomy of Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
Speakers: Cory Vaudt, DO

Course Description: Brief Overview of a malpractice lawsuit and what it means for the provider

Speakers > Dentons Team
11:15 - 12:00 p.m. - Curious Cases and Clinical Conundrums in Dermatology.

Speakers: Katy Duffy, PA

Course Description:

Walk through the diagnostic and treatment approach to real life dermatology cases including rashes and skin cancers.
Attached are the items needed.

Speaker > Dr. Tom Benzoni, DO
12:00 - 12:15 p.m. - Transition Time
During this time, attendees with grab lunch from the buffet line for the 12:15 p.m. session.

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12:15 - 1:00 p.m. - Sponsored Lunch Session
Sponsored by Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Speaker:

Speaker:
1:00 - 1:45 p.m. - All-things PA Doctorate
Speaker: Wallace Boeve, EdD, PA-C, DFAAPA and Dr. Dave Asprey

Course Description
This session will provide the attendees with the latest information regarding the PA post-professional doctorate degree and the entry-level doctoral degree. The presentation will provide updates regarding the ongoing discussions to explore the roles, opportunities, and future direction of the appropriate credential for the PA profession.

Learning Objectives:
- Differentiate the primary PA doctorate pathways and emphases (Pros & Cons).
- Explore the return on investment related to professional and personal goals with obtaining a doctorate.
- Evaluate how earning a PA doctorate may impact clinical practice, leadership roles, academic positions, and career advancement opportunities.
- Explain the current national landscape regarding the entry level PA doctorate education.
Speaker > Adam Bjornson, MSPAS, ATC, PA-C
1:50- 2:35 p.m. - Polypharmacy Prevention and Risk Reduction
Speaker: Caroline Woods PA-C, MPH, CHES

Course Objectives:
- Define polypharmacy, deprescribing, and prevention at any level
- Define three key components of predicting medication adherence
- Review physiologic effects of dual stimulant–benzodiazepine use
- Learn the biochemistry of tramadol receptors and how tramadol differs from other opioids
- Define cultural humility and how it differs from motivational interviewing and cultural competency
Speaker > Dr. Autumn Brunia
2:35 - 3:05 p.m. - Exhibit Hall Break
Speaker: To Be Determined

Course Objectives
To Be Determined

Speakers
3:05 - 3:50 p.m. - GLP1 Weight Loss and Beyond Update
Speaker: Dr. Nora Steller & Michelle Bottenberg

Course Description: Coming Soon

Speaker > Dr. Hailey Huey
3:55 - 4:40 p.m. - Injection Didactic Session
Speaker: Dave Roberts MSPAS, PA-C and Adam Bjornson MSPAS, ATC, PA-C

Objectives:
- Understand indications and contraindications for knee and shoulder injection
- Understand appropriate injection medications and dosages
- Demonstrate knee and shoulder injection landmarks and technique
Speaker
4:40 p.m. - 5:30 pm - Injection Hands-on Workshop
Speaker: Dave Roberts MSPAS, PA-C and Adam Bjornson MSPAS, ATC, PA-C

Objectives:
- Understand indications and contraindications for knee and shoulder injection
- Understand appropriate injection medications and dosages
- Demonstrate knee and shoulder injection landmarks and technique
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5:30 - 5:35 p.m. - Closing Remarks

Speaker:
6:00 -7:30 p.m. - PAs in Bloom | Spring Social
Head to Lua Brewing to network and have a cocktail or mocktail with friends and colleagues.

Come and go as you please!

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

List of Services

7:00 - 5:00 p.m. | Registration Desk Hours
Join us for breakfast. Note that the breakfast session will start promptly at 7:15 a.m.

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7 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Exhibit Hall Hours

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7:15 - 8 a.m. - Breakfast
Speaker: To Be Determined

Session Title: Stay Tuned!

Sponsored By: To Be Determined

List Item 1
8 - 8:05 a.m. - Welcome & Announcements Write a description for this list item and include information that will interest site visitors. For example, you may want to describe a team member's experience, what makes a product special, or a unique service that you offer.
8:05 - 8:50 a.m. - CT and US Imaging: Going Past the Black and White and Into the Gray
Speaker: Janelle Lala, MSPAS, PA-C

Course Objectives:
- Explain the general difference of CT versus US including radiation exposure, image quality, indications/contraindications
- Understand the imaging basics of both CT and US, including CT with contrast vs without, CTA, and various probes of US
- Interpret CT and US images for common conditions (pneumonia, abscess, cholecystitis, DVT, appendicitis, active bleed, thyroid mass, etc.)
- Differentiate when CT or US is the preferred imaging technique for various clinical situations
Aileen Berquist List Item 3
8:55 A.M. - 9:40 A.M. - Classic Liver Diseases
Speaker: Dr. Amol Agarwal, MD

Session Description:
Review of some of the classic, although still pretty uncommon, non-infectious liver diseases including autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, hereditary hemochromatosis, Wilson disease, and Gilbert syndrome

Objectives:
- Discuss clinical and biochemical presentation of Major Immune-Mediated Liver Disorders: Autoimmune Hepatitis, Primary Biliary Cirrhosis, and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
- Discuss clinical features associated with infiltrative liver disorders (diseases of accumulation) Wilson disease, and hemochromatosis
- Discuss benign Gilbert disease
Amy Epstein, CNM List Item 2
9:35 - 10:05 a.m. - Exhibit Hall Break

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10:10 - 10:55 p.m. - Risks and Benefits of Screening Factor V Leiden
Speaker: Madison Taborek, PA-S2

Course Description:
his lecture is an overview of the research I have conducted for my capstone project during PA school. I hope to share with clinicians the importance of targeted screening for inherited thrombophilias such as Factor V Leiden and highlight the need for future research on the potential risks of screening asymptomatic individuals.

Dr. Vuong Nayima
11:00 - 11:45 a.m. - Cancer in Iowa: What We Know and How We Can Help Our Patients
Speaker: Jason Semprini, PhD, MPP

Session Description:
This presentation will begin with a brief review of cancer in Iowa. Then, the presentation will identify the types of cancer driving Iowa’s cancer burden. Finally, the presentation will conclude with a discussion on what we can tell our patients to help reduce the risk of getting or dying from cancer.

Speaker
11:45 a.m. - 12 p.m. - Transition Time

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12:00 - 12:45 p.m. - Sponsored Lunch Session

Speaker
12:45 - 1:25 p.m. - Glutamate- Moving Beyond the Monoamines in Depression Treatment
Speaker: Laura Cunningham

Objectives:
- History and challenges of treating major depressive disorder
- The roles of glutamate in the brain
- Glutamate dysfunction in psychiatric conditions and glutamate as a potential treatment option
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1:25 - 1:30 p.m. - Transition Time

Speaker: Dr. Stephen Rinderknecht, DO
1:30 - 2:15 p.m. - TBD
Speaker: AAPA

Course Description:
2:15 P.M. - 2:30 P.M. - Exhibit Hall Break Write a description for this list item and include information that will interest site visitors. For example, you may want to describe a team member's experience, what makes a product special, or a unique service that you offer.
2:30 - 3:15 p.m. - A-fib: A Potpourri of Presentations
Speaker: Tom Benzoni, DO

Course Description: Coming Soon
3:20 P.M. - 4:05 P.M. - Discussing False Health Beliefs
Speaker: Rachel Reimer, PhD

Course Description:
- Review key terms related to false information, misinformation and disinformation.
- Review themes related to false health information
- Discuss evidence based techniques to address false information and beliefs
4:05 - 4:15 p.m. - Closing Remarks
Stay for the final announcements for a chance to win prizes!

Speaker

CONTACT

ADDRESS

Iowa Physician Assistant Society
400 E Court Ave., Ste 126
Des Moines, Iowa 50309

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