Healthcare
IN THE HEARTLAND
Kinnick Event Center | Coralville, Iowa
SPEAKERS
Additional speaker bios will be updated as they are provided by the speaker.
List of Services
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Morgan Jansen, PA-C
Session: High-Risk Breast Health
Bio
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Brian Olshansky, MD, FACC, FAHA, FHRS, FESC
Session: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
Brian Olshansky, MD, FACC, FAHA, FHRS, FESC, is an Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and is an internationally known electrophysiologist. He directed two Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology and the Fellowship Training Programs.
Dr. Olshansky is recognized globally for expertise syncope, arrhythmias in athletes, arrhythmia mechanisms, autonomic cardiovascular control, artificial intelligence, multi-center randomized clinical arrhythmia trials, supplements, placebo response, and treatment of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias using devices, ablation, and drugs. He is a practicing clinical cardiac electrophysiologist. He has been involved in multiple clinical trials.
Dr. Olshansky is a member of numerous editorial boards, lectures internationally, and is a mentor to a multitude of trainees throughout the world. He has published several books, >400 peer-reviewed manuscripts and is an editor of the ventricular tachycardia section of ESC Cardiovascular text. He is an editor of EPSAP. Dr. Olshansky has trained many electrophysiologists at the University of Iowa and Loyola University. He is a critical reviewer and innovator.
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Kelly T Schmidt, WHNP-BC, MSN, BSN
Session: IUD Workshop
Bio
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Beverly DiCorso, PA-C
Session: Ultrasound Workshop
Bio
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Leon Jons, MD
Session: Update On GLP-1s
Bio
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Karissa Soltys, MD
Session: Pediatric Vaccines
Bio
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Brianna Montross, MS, RDN, LD
Session: Nutrition 101
Bio
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Yashasvi Manektala PA-C
Session: Sexual Health
Yashasvi Manektala, PA-C, is a Physician Assistant at University of Utah Health Men's Health Clinic specializing in urology with a focus on men's health, specifically men's hormones and sexual function.
Yash's clinical goal is to address patient concerns with compassion and realism and engage in shared decision making regarding the best treatment for each patient.
He completed a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology at Iowa State University where he assisted in research focusing on weight training and cardiovascular function. He then completed the Physician Assistant program at the University of Iowa where he was awarded the Rex Montgomery Scholarship as well as the Dennis R Oliver student recognition award. He was recently recognized as the winner of the 2023 Urology APC excellence award.
Yash has given presentations on Physician Assistant Interest in Men's Health and Other Post-Graduate Sub-Specialty Training.
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Andrea N. Weber, MD
Session: Hidden in Plain Sight: Recognizing and Managing OTC and Unregulated Substance Use
Dr. Andrea Weber is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Iowa in the Departments of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine.
She is board-certified in internal medicine, psychiatry, and addiction medicine and specializes in providing medical and psychiatric health care to people who use drugs. She is the Assistant Director of the University of Iowa Addiction and Recovery Collaborative (UI ARC) within the Department of Psychiatry, represents psychiatry on the Iowa Medical Cannabis Board, and is the current President of the Iowa Society of Addiction Medicine (IASAM). She has been the Principal Investigator on 4 federal service grants focused on novel educational curricula and healthcare delivery for substance use disorders.
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Jeanne Nguyen
Session: Tips & Tricks for Denial Process
Bio
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Kuan Xing, PhD
Session: AI in Medicine: What PAs Need to Know, Question & Do
Bio
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Aaron Scherer, PhD
Session: How To Have More Productive Conversations About Vaccines (and Other Controversial Topics)
Dr. Aaron Scherer is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Iowa. He earned his PhD in Psychology at the University of Iowa and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan’s Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine before returning back to Iowa as a faculty member.
Dr. Scherer’s research focuses on discovering and utilizing insights from the psychological sciences to create innovative communication-based interventions that promote the appropriate use of health services. Dr. Scherer served as a member of the WHO Behavioral and Social Drivers of Vaccination Workgroup and recently completed a 5-year cooperative agreement with CDC to conduct surveys with healthcare professionals and the US public to help inform the recommendations of CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
While Dr. Scherer is passionate about vaccines, he has collaborated with others in 13 different medical specialties and has received funding from NIH, CDC, NSF, and US Department of Veterans Affairs.
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Jamie Bonner
Session: Bone Health With GLP-1s
Jaime Bonner is a family nurse practitioner with over 10 years of experience, including eight years in medical oncology and two years in orthopedic bone health.
In her role in Orthopedic Bone Health, she cares for patients with osteoporosis to optimize lifestyle and medication management. As part of the team building the Oncology Bone Health Clinic within orthopedics, she sees patients with cancer and cancer treatments that impact bone health.
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Lee Kral, PharmD, FASHP, CPE, NBC-HWC
Session: EDS / Chronic Pain Management
Bio
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Heather Kowalski, MD
Session: Screening for Hip Dysplasia: When, How, Why
I went to Wayne State University School of Medicine in 2004 and earned my MD in 2008. I then started residency at Henry Ford in 2008 and was chosen as administrative Chief Resident during my chief year. I matched at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for a Pediatric Orthopedic fellowship and then started my career at the University of Iowa in 2014. I was promoted to Associate Clinical Professor 4 years ago.
During my time at the University of Iowa, I have taken on several teaching and administrative roles. I am the Orthopedic Surgery medical student Clerkship Director and the Orthopedic Surgery Associate Program Director. I am the Vice Chair of Quality for the Orthopedic department. I am the Medical Director of the Children’s Surgery platform at Stead Family Children’s Hospital. I have focused my research on resident education and was awarded a grant from POSNA for pediatric supracondylar humerus pinning simulation research. Through that, I have presented several times at POSNA and have had several publications.
I am the faculty mentor for the Ruth Jackson Orthopedic Society Chapter at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. I am the immediate Past President of the Iowa Orthopedic Society, have served as Humanitarian Committee Chair for 8 years, and have been a Board member for this society as well.
I have pursued leadership education through the AOA Apex leadership course and have been a member of AOA for 4 years. I participated in RLF as a senior resident and ELF as a junior faculty.
My husband is a Urogynecologist also at the University of Iowa, and we have 2 young children who keep us very busy outside of work.
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Jason Wilbur MD, FAAFP
Session: Geriatric Psychiatric Management
Bio
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Sydney Gangestad
Session: Legislative Update & 2027 Outlook
Sydney is an attorney and lobbyist with over 10 years of public policy experience. In her various policy roles, she has developed a fundamental understanding of the legislative process and a non-partisan and bi-partisan approach to lobbying to help advance clients’ legislative agendas.
Sydney represents client interests at the Iowa legislature and executive branch. She assists in developing their legislative agendas and is active at the Capitol during session advocating for clients, and garnering support from legislators and other entities with similar interests.
As policy is made to implement legislation, Sydney represents clients before regulatory committees and testifies as needed in state agency hearings, and board and commission meetings.
Sydney also provides clients policy analysis and has experience educating constituency groups to inform members about changes that will impact them in proposed or new legislation.
Prior to joining Davis Brown, Sydney served as the Special Counsel and Legislative Liaison for the Iowa Judicial Branch where she represented the interests of the Iowa judiciary before the legislative and executive branches. She assisted the State Court Administrator and the Iowa Supreme Court in policy development for the state court system.
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Logan Murray
Session: Legislative Update & 2027 Outlook
Logan brings nearly a decade of government relations experience building and maintaining bi-partisan relationships at all levels of government. Through his previous roles as a political staffer and lobbyist, Logan has developed a reputation as a trusted resource for clients, policymakers, and legislators.
After graduating from Drake University Law School, Logan joined the Iowa House Republican Caucus as a Legislative Analyst and Policy Advisor. He drafted and analyzed proposed legislation for state and local government and labor committees. He also served as the primary staffer for the Transportation Budget and the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund. This role required Logan to have a thorough understanding of the political, fiscal, and industry impacts of approximately 150 bills per session and $500 million worth of appropriations. The diverse slate of bills gave Logan expertise in the public bidding process, gaming, alcohol, occupational licensing, and financial and election laws.
Upon leaving the caucus staff, Logan served as a multi-client lobbyist and attorney at an Iowa-based boutique law firm and later at a regional law firm where he represented trade associations, non-profit organizations, municipal governments, law enforcement, a casino, and national corporations.