2024 Spring Refresher
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The largest CME conference planned by and for family physicians is BACK in 2024, better than ever: two full days of CME + time to connect with family docs from across Minnesota and reunite with past colleagues/classmates. Options to attend one or both days, in person or online. Includes a Friday night social.
Friday - Saturday, April 12-13, 2024
8:00 am - 4:30 pm
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Two full days of continuing medical education and connection, planned by and for family physicians.
- Clinically relevant topics include COPD, dermoscopy, geriatrics, polypharmacy and deprescribing + more.
- Time to connect with family physicians and catch up with former colleagues and classmates from across Minnesota.
- Options to attend one or both days, in person or online.
The Spring Refresher is expected to sell out!
Registration
Pricing
Member Type | Two Days | One Day |
---|---|---|
AAFP/MAFP member physician (Active) | $400 | $500 |
AAFP/MAFP member physician (Life/Inactive) | $375 | $450 |
Nonmember (physician) | $500 | $600 |
Nonmember (allied professional) | $375 | $450 |
Family medicine residents and medical students | $0 | $0 |
A Friday Evening Social Hour is included with Spring Refresher registration.
Registration
Registration is requested by March 31 for venue planning purposes. Registration will remain open through April 13.
Cancellation/ Refund/No-Show Policy
Cancellations must be received by office@mafp.org in writing by April 5, 2024, to receive a refund of the registration fee minus a $50 administrative fee. No refunds will be provided for no-shows or cancellations received after that date.
Schedule / Session
Friday, April 12, 2024
7:30 am | Registration Check-in |
8:00 am | Welcome |
8:15 am | EveryONE Deserves a Family Physician: Creating the Future of Family Medicine Family physicians are in a unique position to improve the health of our communities, but we are facing a number of headwinds that could distract from our work. We will talk about the current challenges in primary care and identify key actions we can take to create opportunities that support current family doctors, ensuring a bright future for family medicine. Objectives:
presented by: ![]() Margot Savoy, MD, MPH, FAAFP, FABC, CPE, CMQ, FAAPL Senior Vice President of Education, Inclusiveness and Physician Well-Being, American Academy of Family Physicians Savoy (she/her) is Senior Vice President of Education, Inclusiveness and Physician Well-Being for the American Academy of Family Physicians, Associate Professor of Family & Community Medicine and Urban Bioethics & Population Health at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, and Associate Professor (adj) at the Maurice Kornberg School of Dentistry at Temple University. |
9:00 am | COPD: Updates in Diagnosis and Management Updates to the 2023 GOLD guidelines included notable changes to diagnosis and classification, as well as treatment. These will be reviewed in addition to highlighting data that supports non-pharmacologic management of COPD. Objectives:
presented by: ![]() Katherine Montag Schafer, PharmD, BCACP, CDCES Associate Professor, University of Minnesota Medical School • Faculty, University of Minnesota St. John’s Family Medicine Residency Program Montag Schafer practices at Phalen Village Family Medicine Clinic. She is a 2013 graduate from North Dakota State University College of Pharmacy and completed PGY1 and PGY2 training at Hennepin County Medical Center, specializing in ambulatory care pharmacy practice, in 2015. ![]() Kathryn Brown, MD Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Brown is a faculty physician at the St. John’s Family Medicine Residency, practicing full spectrum family medicine. She obtained her medical degree at University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and completed her residency training at the St. John’s Family Medicine Residency Program. Her clinical interests include collaborative management of chronic disease, obstetric and reproductive health care and optimizing the patient experience. |
9:45 am | Marijuana: Clinical Considerations With the legalization of marijuana, we will see an increase in patients using THC products. It will be important to understand the potential medical and psychiatric implications so that we are able to better educate patients on risks associated with use. Objectives:
presented by: ![]() Kurt DeVine, MD, FASAM Medical Director of Addiction Services, CentraCare Devine has been involved in numerous grants through the Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Department of Human Services to improve access to addiction care in rural Minnesota. For six years, he has co-facilitated a weekly addiction educational program through Project ECHO and Stratis Health. |
10:30 am | Brunch |
11:30 am | Physician Wellness Simple and proven strategies will be shared that will help you get your work done more efficiently and get you back hours per week. Objectives:
presented by: ![]() Michelle Chestovich, MD CEO of MamaDoc, MamaDoc Lifecoaching LLC Chestovich has been a family physician for 20 years and is a certified life coach. She is a fierce advocate for physician wellness and speaks nationally at conferences and hosts a weekly podcast called Re-Mind Yourself where she shares tools to help physicians feel better. |
12:15 pm | Hospitalist Care in Rural Settings This session will compare hospitalist care and coverage in different rural practices and discuss differences and ability for rural communities to provide hospitalist services Objectives:
presented by: ![]() Chris Hughes, MD Family physician, Riverwood Healthcare Center Hughes is a full spectrum family physician at a rural critical access hospital, where he provides clinical care and hospitalist services with pediatrics and obstetrics. Hughes was trained in family medicine through the University of Minnesota Duluth Family Medicine Residency Program and University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth. |
1:00 pm | Break |
1:15 pm | Update in Stroke and Secondary Stroke Prevention Together, a faculty neurologist and family physician will describe core strategies for stroke recognition, intervention and secondary stroke prevention. With a primary care setting in mind, they will review current clinical guidelines for acute stroke and post-stroke care. Objectives:
presented by: ![]() Kirby Clark, MD Director, Rural and Metro Physician Associate Program, University of Minnesota Medical School • Faculty physician, University of Minnesota St. John’s Family Medicine Residency Clark practices full-spectrum family medicine, including inpatient care and obstetrics. He received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota in 2001.
![]() Adam Lipschultz, MD Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Minnesota Lipschultz is board certified in neurology and clinical neurophysiology and practices as a neurohospitalist at the University of Minnesota. He is committed to providing undergraduate and graduate medical education within the neurology residency program and has a special interest in acute neuropathies and electromyography. |
2:00 pm | Update in Seizure Management and Epilepsy Care A faculty neurologist and a family physician will discuss the evaluation and management of seizures, which are often unexpected and alarming for affected patients and their families. Discussion will include the differences in evaluation and management for provoked versus unprovoked seizures, key findings on EEG and brain imaging and guidance on driving/activity restrictions for affected patients. Objectives:
presented by: ![]() Kirby Clark, MD Director, Rural and Metro Physician Associate Program, University of Minnesota Medical School • Faculty physician, University of Minnesota St. John’s Family Medicine Residency Clark practices full-spectrum family medicine, including inpatient care and obstetrics. He received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota in 2001.
![]() Adam Lipschultz, MD Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Minnesota Lipschultz is board certified in neurology and clinical neurophysiology and practices as a neurohospitalist at the University of Minnesota. He is committed to providing undergraduate and graduate medical education within the neurology residency program and has a special interest in acute neuropathies and electromyography. |
2:45 pm | Break |
3:00 pm | The Colorado End-of-Life Options Act: Lessons for Minnesota Ten states, including Colorado, authorize medical aid in dying for terminally ill adults. In this presentation, you’ll learn about the proposed Minnesota End-of-Life Option Act and hear directly from a Colorado colleague who will share her clinical experience and discuss lessons learned since the law was implemented in 2017. Objectives:
presented by: ![]() Susan Wilhoit, MD National Medical Director, Compassion & Choices Wilhoit attended the University of Louisville School of Medicine and completed her residency at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) Family Medicine Residency in Asheville, North Carolina. It was there where she developed a deep commitment to caring for individuals at the end of life and continued at MAHEC to complete her fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. As a primary care physician, palliative medicine consultant, and a hospice clinician, Wilhoit strives to help patients live their lives in ways that are meaningful to them and does her best to ensure that their deaths are also full of meaning, authenticity and peace. At Compassion & Choices, she provides information, support and mentoring for other physicians via its Doc2Doc consultation service. ![]() Rebecca Thoman, MD Director, Doctors for Dignity, Compassion & Choices Thoman manages Doctors for Dignity, an initiative of Compassion & Choices, and directs the campaign to authorize medical aid in dying in Minnesota. She trained in family medicine and community health at the University of Minnesota and has worked in health and public health policy and advocacy for more than two decades. |
3:45 pm | Stereotyping in the Clinical Encounter This session is focused on exploring stereotype formation and describing how Black patients experience stereotyping when receiving medical care. This presentation aims to improve clinicians’ awareness of how stereotypes come into play in clinical encounters to reduce their impact on patient-provider interactions. Objectives:
presented by: ![]() Ebiere Okah, MD, MS Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Okah is a health services researcher focused on exploring how physicians perceive and use race in their medical decision-making and evaluating how experiences of racism, both within and outside medical institutions, contribute to cardiovascular disease and poor hypertension control in Black Americans. |
4:30 pm | Wrap-Up and Adjourn |
5:00 – 6:00 pm | Friday Evening Social Hour (included with conference registration) |
Saturday, April 13, 2024
7:30 am | Registration Check-in |
8:00 am | Welcome |
8:15 am |
Enhancing Patient Care: Harnessing the Power of Integrated Behavioral Health Teams Behavioral health specialists and director of the Minnesota Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), will provide practical strategies to effectively integrate behavioral health services into interdisciplinary health care teams, with the goal of improving patient outcomes and advancing the quality of care delivery. Objectives:
presented by: ![]() Sue Abderholden, MPH Executive Director, NAMI Minnesota Abderholden has served as the executive director of NAMI Minnesota for over 22 years. She has decades of experience in public policy related to health, mental health, and disabilities. She has received numerous awards for her advocacy.
![]() Jennifer Budd, DO Clinic Medical Director, M Health Fairview Phalen Village Clinic Budd is faculty in the University of Minnesota St. John’s Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program and medical director at Phalen Village Clinic. Her current interests and projects include a medication reconciliation process in the ambulatory setting, standard approach to pediatric obesity and developing the OMM curriculum for our residency program with an emphasis on treatments used in the office setting. ![]() Lisa Zak-Hunter, PhD, LMFT Director of Behavioral Health, University of Minnesota St. John’s Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program Zak-Hunter provides integrated behavioral health care, teaches and oversees the family medicine residents’ curriculum related to mental/behavioral/social health, physician office-based counseling and communication skills and well-being/resilience. She supervises the behavioral health/medical family therapy pre-doctoral internship at St. John’s. She is co-founder and chair of the Medical Family Therapy Consortium, a national group of professionals addressing workforce development, advocacy, training and education for family therapists in health care settings. Her interests include integrated behavioral health care, medical family therapy, family centered health care, primary care approaches to trauma and adverse life experiences and provider well-being. |
9:00 am |
Dermoscopy for Primary Care Providers We will review the background of dermoscopy and why some primary care providers should consider becoming comfortable with its use. We will go through an established algorithm that is easy to follow and provide multiple examples of both benign and malignant nevi. Objectives:
presented by: ![]() David Power, MBBS, MPH Professor of Family Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School Power has worked with medical students in various capacities for over 25 years. He has a number of roles at the medical school, provides care to his own panel of patients approximately four half-days per week and provides inpatient coverage for the residency’s hospital service. He has used dermoscopy in his practice for over 10 years and has given several presentations on dermoscopy with dermatology colleagues at various conferences. ![]() David Pearson, MD Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota Department of Dermatology Pearson is an assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota, the director of the Autoimmune Connective Tissue Diseases Specialty Clinic and lead for the Department of Dermatology’s teledermatology division. His research interests include environmental triggers of autoimmune connective tissue diseases, effects on quality of life and development of novel therapies for these conditions. |
9:45 am |
Polypharmacy and Deprescribing: When Less Is More In this session, participants will engage in case-based discussion regarding evaluation of polypharmacy, identifying opportunities to maximize medication use, and engaging with pharmacists in clinical practice. Objectives:
presented by: ![]() Alexandra Sharp, MD Family physician, Gundersen Health System Sharp served on the MAFP Board of Directors and is a mom, wife, friend, family medicine nerd, voracious reader and runner and advocate for collaborative interprofessional care and public health. ![]() Alison Knutson, PharmD Family Medicine Faculty Pharmacist, University of Minnesota Methodist Family Medicine Residency • Medication Management, Park Nicollet Health Services In her clinic work, Knutson provides comprehensive medication management services, contributing medication expertise and acting as a resource to limit the burden of medication on a patient’s life. She also provides pharmacotherapy education of family medicine residents and serves as a preceptor for pharmacy residents. |
10:30 am | Brunch |
11:30 am |
State of Medicine: Addressing Primary Care Workforce Challenges and Navigating Health Equity This session will delve into the pivotal efforts led by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to bolster the presence of family physicians within the primary care workforce. In this session, we will explore the multifaceted approach undertaken by MDH to tackle the pressing need for more family physicians and the innovative strategies employed to promote health equity across diverse communities. Objectives:
presented by: ![]() Brooke Cunningham, MD, PhD Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Health Cunningham is responsible for directing the work of the Minnesota Department of Health—the state’s lead public health agency, responsible for protecting, maintaining and improving the health of all Minnesotans. |
12:15 pm |
Geriatric Health Care Maintenance: When to Stop Screening This interactive session will analyze the benefits and risks of screening. Objectives:
presented by: ![]() Himanshu Sharma, MD Geriatric Faculty Physician, Allina United Family Medicine Residency Program Sharma has been a geriatric faculty physician since his geriatric Fellowship. He has a passion for all aspects of geriatric care, teaching and learning and making house calls. |
1:00 pm | Break |
1:15 pm |
Effects of Climate Change on Health This panel discussion will explore the clinical effects of a changing climate on patients’ health and sense of well-being. A brief presentation will be followed by a moderated session of questions and answers. Objectives:
presented by: ![]() Kaija Benson, MA Climate Change Communications Coordinator, Minnesota Climate & Health Program, Minnesota Department of Health Benson received an MA in journalism from New York University and a BA in cultural anthropology from the University of Vermont. She has developed strategic communications for businesses, nonprofits, government agencies and foundations as both an independent consultant and as part of a small agency team. Prior to that, she served as a public information officer at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and was a staff reporter at New York Magazine. ![]() Shailey Prasad, MD, MPH Executive Director & Carlson Chair of Global Health: Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health, Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility, University of Minnesota Prasad is a family physician who has worked in rural and underserved areas for more than three decades. He is actively involved in academic department strengthening activities around the world. He is also a Fellow of the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota. ![]() Macaran Baird, MD, MS Emeritus Professor, University of Minnesota Medical School (retired) Baird began as a rural family physician and family therapist and then had an academic career. After 15 years as Head of the University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and one year as CEO of UM Physicians, Baird retired to Lake City, Minnesota, but still serve on several boards of directors. |
2:00 pm |
Gender Care for the Child and Adolescent Patient This session will provide an overview of care of minors with gender identity concerns. Objectives:
presented by: ![]() Deborah Thorp, MD Medical Director, Gender Services, Park Nicollet Thorp an OB/GYN by training and has been privileged to be able to provide care to the trans and gender diverse community for the last 30 plus years. As demand for child and adolescent care around diverse gender identities has dramatically increased over the last 10 years, we are pleased to be able to contribute to the community work in this area. ![]() Jennifer Demma, APRN-CNM Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Park Nicollet Demma has been a Certified Nurse-Midwife since 2000 and completed her nursing and midwifery education and training at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She started her career with Park Nicollet’s midwifery service from 2001-2007 and recently returned to Park Nicollet to join the provider team in Gender Services and the APRN/physician team in OB/GYN in St. Louis Park. Demma provides gender affirming hormone care and puberty suppression medications for individuals of all genders aged 12 years and older. Prior to rejoining Park Nicollet, Demma worked in community health settings, focusing on reproductive and sexual health. She was the medical director at Family Tree Clinic and helped launch their gender affirming hormone care program in 2015. Demma has also been a faculty member in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs at Metro State University, Minnesota State Mankato and Georgetown University. |
2:45 pm | Break |
3:00 pm |
Could My Patient Have Long COVID? Symptoms of long COVID can range from mild to debilitating and patients may not connect their current symptoms to past infection. This session will equip primary care providers with how to identify common features of long COVID and provide examples of options for symptom management and patient support based on best practice and evidence to date. Objectives:
presented by: ![]() Stephanie Grach, MD, MS Assistant Professor of Medicine, Senior Associate Consultant – Division of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic Grach received her MD from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Rockford, Illinois, and completed her internal medicine residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. During residency, she obtained additional training at the Bateman Horne Center of Excellence for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. Since starting her position as a staff physician in July 2022, she has played an active role in research and re-shaping the care of patients with Long COVID, ME/CFS and related complex chronic diseases through her involvement in Mayo’s dedicated specialty clinics and working groups, as well as in external programs, including the Minnesota Department of Health’s Long COVID Council and the U.S. ME/CFS Clinician Coalition. ![]() Jane Rudd, MD, FAAFP Primary Care Division Chair, Essentia Health Rudd has been a family physician at Essentia Health’s West Duluth Clinic since 2007 and Division Chair for Primary Care since 2015. She served on Essentia’s incident command throughout the COVID-19 pandemic helping to coordinate testing, 24/7 e-visits for COVID care and PAXLOVID™ prescribing and creating an EPIC SmartSet for Long COVID patients to help guide primary care referrals. She has served on the Minnesota Department of Health’s Long COVID Council from its inception in 2022. Rudd received her medical degree from the University of Washington in Seattle and completed her residency at the University of Vermont-Medical Center Hospital. Rudd is board-certified in family medicine by the American Board of Family Medicine and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. ![]() Jay Desai, PhD, MPH Manager, Chronic Disease and Environmental Epidemiology, Minnesota Department of Health Desai is a chronic disease epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health. Over the last 30 years, he has experience working in long COVID, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, physical activity, nutrition, cancer, sickle cell disease and HPV. He has a passion for implementation and dissemination in health care systems and communities, especially to address issues of health equity. |
3:45 pm |
Empowering Family Medicine: Providing Obstetric and Delivery Care This panel session will identify challenges and disparities in obstetrics and delivery care in Minnesota and needs surrounding training and credentialing of family physicians to provide services, as well as explore options to strengthen the pipeline of family physician obstetrics/delivery providers. Objectives:
presented by: ![]() Lindsey Chmielewski, MD Family Medicine Obstetrics / Lead Physician, CentraCare Melrose Chmielewski is a full-spectrum family medicine physician working in a critical access hospital/clinic in Melrose, Minnesota. She serves as lead physician of her group and has a special interest in preserving and celebrating high-quality family-centered obstetrical care in rural Minnesota. She provides care for a large Spanish-speaking population. ![]() Rachel Dubay, MD Family Physician, Welia Health Dubay practices full-spectrum family medicine with surgical obstetrics at Welia Health, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Mora, Minnesota. She is originally from the Twin Cities and was inspired to pursue rural medicine during her time as an RPAP student while at the University of Minnesota. She completed her residency at Valley Family Medicine in Renton, Washington, and then went on to complete an advanced obstetrics fellowship at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. ![]() Kristin Lockhart, MD Family Physician, Minnesota Women’s Care Lockhart is a family physician offering full spectrum medical care for women and their families. She is available for prenatal care and delivery, postnatal care for moms and infants, pediatric care for children from birth to age 18, plus diagnostics and management of chronic illnesses and conditions. She focuses on partnering with her patients to create a health care plan that honors each individual’s wellness goals. |
4:30 pm | Wrap-Up and Adjourn |
Venue
In-Person Location
Accommodations
- Cambria Hotel (9655 Grove Circle North, Maple Grove, MN 55369) 952-225-2685
- Courtyard By Marriott (11871 Fountains Way, Maple Grove, MN 55369) 763-425-5355
- Springhill Suites (11675 Arbor Lakes Parkway North, Maple Grove, MN 55369) 763-275-9631
Continuing Medical Education Accreditation
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Activity #104283: The AAFP has reviewed 2024 Spring Refresher and deemed it acceptable for up to 13.50 Live AAFP Prescribed credit(s). Term of Approval is from 04/12/2024 to 04/13/2024. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Event Partners!
Thank you to our event partners for supporting our spring conference and family medicine in Minnesota.
Want to sponsor or exhibit at the 2024 Spring Refresher? Limited to 14 partners. Benefits vary by package but include opportunities to attend the conference and a social event with Minnesota’s family physicians, speak during the conference welcome and have your brand/company recognized across event promotional materials and MAFP marketing channels. View partnership packages.