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Forward2025 Quad Cities Area APN-PA Alliance Conference: Hot Topics in Healthcare
Join us on November 7, 2025, at the Adler Health Education Center for the 2025 Quad Cities Area APN-PA Alliance Conference: Hot Topics in Healthcare.
The conference will provide valuable, evidence-based education for healthcare providers, particularly in primary care, addressing critical gaps in current practice.
Annual membership in the Quad Cities Area Nurse Practitioner / Physician Associate Alliance is included with your registration! We welcome providers and students.
Statement of Need and Purpose
Advanced Practice Nurses, Physician Associates, and Pharmacists play a critical role in delivering comprehensive, patient-centered care. However, several professional practice gaps persist that hinder optimal outcomes in primary care settings. This conference is designed to address these gaps by enhancing clinical knowledge and confidence in these key areas:
- Chronic Pain Management: Primary care clinics see many patients with chronic pain and/or OUD. It is critical that providers can assess, treat, and manage patients with chronic pain and/or OUD.
- Primary Care Dermatology: There is a notable discomfort among providers in identifying and managing common skin conditions, leading to unnecessary specialist referrals and missed opportunities for early intervention during routine visits.
- Bipolar Disorders and Borderline Personality Disorder: Providers often feel ill-equipped to diagnose and treat complex psychiatric disorders such as bipolar and borderline personality disorders, contributing to delayed or inappropriate care in underserved mental health populations. Providers need knowledge to diagnose, use appropriate medications, and know when to reach out for consultation.
- GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: Provider use of new GLP-1 Receptor Agonists, along with their numerous emerging therapeutic areas requires support for safe prescribing and patient counseling. It also requires navigating barriers to initiating or maintaining treatment, monitoring efficacy, managing side effects, and supporting patient outcomes within an interprofessional care team.
This educational activity will empower attendees with actionable, evidence-based strategies and clinical “pearls” to improve diagnostic accuracy, treatment planning, and patient outcomes. Throughout the conference working together and communication among the healthcare team will be emphasized, By bridging these knowledge gaps, the conference aims to foster greater confidence and competence in everyday practice.
Elements of Competence
This educational activity is designed to change learner competence and focuses on the following competencies:
- Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)/Nursing: Patient care and procedural skills, Medical knowledge, Practice-based learning and improvement, Interpersonal and Communication Skills, Professionalism, and Systems-based practice
- National Academy of Medicine (NAM)/Nursing: Provide patient/person-centered care and Employ evidence-based practice
- Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education (CAPE): Provide patient/person-centered care and Interprofessional Collaboration
- Interprofessional Education Collaborative Competencies: Teams and Teamwork for interprofessional practice and Interprofessional Communication
Intended Audience
The audience for this conference includes Advanced Practice Nurses, Physician Associates, Nurses, Pharmacists, and Students from these professions.
Learning Objectives
As a result of participation in this conference, members of the healthcare team will be able to:
- Describe a multi-faceted, holistic approach to chronic pain assessment and management in adult populations, integrating psychosocial aspects, functional needs, and integrated treatments.
- Recognize and manage common dermatological conditions and rashes in primary care settings, aiming to minimize specialist referrals.
- Identify, diagnose, and initiate appropriate treatment for psychiatric conditions such as bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder within primary care settings.
- Collaborate effectively with nurse practitioners, physician associates, and pharmacist colleagues to enhance interprofessional teamwork in addressing common primary care challenges
Financial Support
The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP and the Quad Cities Area APN-PA Alliance gratefully acknowledge the unrestricted educational grant from AstraZeneca.
Exhibitors
Thank you to our exhibitors
- Abbott Diabetes Care, Inc.
- Alkermes, Inc.
- Bayer Pharmaceuticals
- Epilepsy Foundation
- Gilead Sciences, Inc.
- Grifols
- Novo Nordisk
- Project of the Quad Cities
- Scott County Health Department
Agenda
Friday, November 7, 2025
|
| Learning Objectives | Location | ||
10:00 - 11:30 AM | Registration & Visiting with Exhibitors * | External Exhibitor Area | |||
| 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM | Sponsored Lunch & Presentation by AstraZeneca *Breztri-Triple Therapy for COPDSteve White, MD No continuing education credit will be offered for this presentation. | Main Conference Area | |||
| 12:30 - 1:00 PM | Networking & Visiting with Exhibitors * | External Exhibitor Area | |||
1:00 - 1:50 PM | KEYNOTEBuprenorphine Basics in Practice: Strategies and Supports for All CliniciansDia Welch, MSN, ARNP, ANCC-BC |
| Main Conference Area | ||
1:50 - 2:40 PM | A Review of Bipolar Disorders and Borderline Personality Disorder in the Primary Care SettingMaria Sonnack, MPAS, PA-C, CAQ-Psych |
| Main Conference Area | ||
| 2:40 - 3:10 PM | Alliance Update and CARES Award * | Main Conference Area | |||
3:10 - 4:00 PM | Blood Sugar and Beyond: The Expanding Therapeutic Landscape of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor AgonistsMarina L Maes, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP |
| Main Conference Area | ||
4:00 - 4:50 PM | Dermatology for Primary CareGretchen Parris MPAS, PA-C, CAQ-Derm |
| Main Conference Area | ||
4:50 - 5:00 PM | Q & A / Complete Evaluations | Main Conference Area | |||
| 5:00 PM | Adjourn | ||||
*NO CREDIT PROVIDED
Program Changes
Situations occasionally occur that may necessitate topic or speaker changes. The University of Wisconsin-Madison ICEP reserves the right to alter or substitute a topic or speaker without prior notification.
Keynote Speaker
Dia Welch, MSN, ARNP, ANCC-BC | Dia Welch, MSN, ARNP, ANCC-BCDia is a seasoned Nurse Practitioner with over 21 years of clinical experience, specializing in pain management, opioid safety, and interdisciplinary care. She currently serves as the Facility Pain Management, Opioid Safety, and Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Coordinator at the Iowa City VA Health Care System, where she leads initiatives focused on evidence-based practice, suicide prevention, and high reliability organization (HRO) principles. Dia is board-certified in both Adult Nurse Practice and Pain Management Nursing, and she has been instrumental in implementing the Stepped Care Model for pain management across her facility. Her leadership extends to national and regional committees, including chairing the VISN 23 Pain Committee and co-leading the Opioid Review Task Force. A recognized educator and speaker, Dia has presented extensively on pain care and opioid safety. Her integrative approach and commitment to veteran care have earned her multiple awards, including the VA HCS HERO Award. |
Speakers
Marina L Maes, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP | Marina L Maes, PharmD, BCPS, BCACPDr. Maes received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2017. Following graduation, Dr. Maes completed a general practice residency (PGY-1) at Michigan Medicine/University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, followed by a specialty residency (PGY-2) in ambulatory care with a focus in family medicine at the University of Colorado. Dr. Maes is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist (BCPS) and ambulatory care pharmacist (BCACP). She currently serves as a primary care pharmacist at the UWHealth Belleville Clinic. Her clinical focus is on managing endocrine conditions within a primary care setting with a focus on diabetes, weight management, and women’s health. In education, Dr. Maes is dedicated to helping students bridge classroom learning with practical application in patient care. She coordinates didactic, skills, and experiential courses for third-year PharmD students, emphasizing applied learning, critical thinking, interprofessional collaboration, and advancing health equity. Her research focuses on the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in pharmacy education. Dr. Maes has been an active member of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Women’s Health Practice and Research Network since 2019 and has served as an officer since 2022. |
| Gretchen Parris MPAS, PA-C, CAQ-DermGretchen Parris has worked as a dermatology Physician Assistant since 2018. Upon completing her MPAS studies at St. Ambrose University in 2017, she went on to complete a post graduate APP dermatology residency with the University of Iowa. She currently sees patients at the UIHC outreach clinic in Bettendorf, IA. She appreciates the positive impact on patients’ lives that result from diagnosing and treating a diverse range of skin conditions. As a native Quad Citian, she enjoys being able to serve her community. In her free time, she enjoys oil painting, running and gardening. |
Maria Sonnack, MPAS, PA-C, CAQ-Psych | Maria Sonnack, MPAS, PA-C, CAQ-PsychInspired by her dad, also a Psychiatric PA, Maria has been helping people realize their potential using integrative therapy since 2014. After completing her Psychiatric PA program, Maria went on to become trained in Ketamine and Nutritional Psychiatry, making her a perfect fit for our holistic approach to patient wellness. Having studied at the Integrative Psychiatry Institute (IPI), she learned to resolve the underlying causes of mental illness so her patients could go beyond symptom reduction while attaining a true state of wellness. She also completed - and served as a translator for - two medical mission trips! || The truth is, there are many hard truths about mental illness and the largest is that the industry is failing people. Maria humbly strives to make an impact that is truly life-changing for her patients rather than simply applying a small bandage to a gaping wound. |
Planning Committee
*Heather Hunemuller, ARNP | Mary Jo Bloominger, DMSC, MPAS, PA-C | Rita Ledbetter, MS, APN, CNM | Pamela ViPond, NP |
*Lu Olson, ARNP | Danita Harrison, DNP, ARNP | Marina L Maes, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP | Cara Voelliger, ARNP |
*Lauren Rumburg, DNP, ARNP | Jennifer Hook, NP | Kate Salsberry, DNP, FNP, PMHNP |
*Conference Co-Chairs
Policy on Disclosure
It is the policy of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) to identify, mitigate and disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies** held by the speakers/presenters, authors, planners, and other persons who may influence content of this accredited continuing education (CE). In addition, speakers, presenters and authors must disclose any planned discussion of unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices during their presentation.
For this accredited continuing education activity all relevant financial relationships have been mitigated and detailed disclosures are listed below.
| Name | Role | Financial Relationship Disclosures | Discussion of Unlabeled/ Unapproved uses of drugs/ devices in presentation? | |
| Heather Hunemuller, ARNP | Co-Chair, Planner | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No | |
| Lu Olson, ARNP | Co-Chair, Planner, Expert Reviewer | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No | |
| Lauren Rumburg, ARNP | Co-Chair, Planner | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No | |
| Nina Berge, BA | Committee Member | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No | |
| Mary Jo Bloominger, DMSC, MPAS, PA-C | Planner, Expert Reviewer | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No | |
| Sue Gaard, MS, RN | Committee Member | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No | |
| Danita Harrison, ARNP | Planner | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No | |
| Jennifer Hook, NP | Planner | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No | |
| Rita Ledbetter, MS, APN, CNM | Planner | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No | |
| Marina L Maes, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP | Speaker, Planner | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | Yes | |
| Tracy Mrochek MPA., RN, NPD-BC | Committee Member | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No | |
| Gretchen Parris MPAS, PA-C, CAQ-Derm | Speaker | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | Yes | |
| Rob Poehnelt, BS | Committee Member | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No | |
| Kate Salsberry, DNP, FNP, PMHNP | Planner, Expert Reviewer | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No | |
| Maria Sonnack, MPAS, PA-C, CAQ-Psych | Speaker | Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (Independent Contractor - Consultant), Axsome Therapeutics (Independent Contractor - Consultant) | No | |
| Pamela ViPond, NP | Planner, Expert Reviewer | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No | |
| Cara Voelliger, ARNP | Planner | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No | |
| Dia Welch, NP | Speaker | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | Yes | |
**Ineligible companies are those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on, patients. The ACCME does not consider providers of clinical services directly to patients to be ineligible companies.
The University of Wisconsin provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title IX requirements. The University of Wisconsin fully complies with the legal requirements of the ADA and the rules and regulations thereof. If any participant in this educational activity is in need of accommodations, please contact [email protected].
Accreditation Statement
 | In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) and the Quad Cities Area APN-PA Alliance. The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. |
Credit Designation Statements
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP designates this live activity for a maximum of 3.25 ANCC contact hours (2.00 of which are eligible for pharmacotherapeutic contact hours)
American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA)
 | The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 3.25 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation. |
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP designates this in-person and virtual live activity for a maximum of 3.25 hours of knowledge-based CPE credit. Credit can be earned by successfully completing the activity, the assessment, and the evaluation. Credit will be provided to NABP CPE Monitor within 60 days after the activity completion.
Universal Activity Number (UAN): JA0000358-9999-25-061-L99-P
Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP, as a member of the University Professional & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), authorizes this program for .325 CEUs or 3.25 hours.
Available Credit
- 3.25 AAPA Category 1 CME
- 3.25 ACPE Contact Hours - Pharmacist
- 3.25 ANCC Contact Hours
- 2.00 ANCC Pharmacotherapy Contact Hours
- 3.25 University of Wisconsin–Madison Continuing Education Hours
Registration for this activity can only be completed through the ICEP Learning Portal. Attendee registrations made through any other sites cannot be honored. UW-Madison ICEP is not able to refund fees paid through unaffiliated registration sites, such as eMedEvents.com, MedConfWorld.com, EventEgg.com, and 10times.com. Please report any unauthorized websites or solicitations for registrations to [email protected].
Accessibility
We value inclusion and access for all participants and are pleased to provide reasonable accommodation for this event. Please contact [email protected] as soon as you can make a reasonable accommodation request.
Exhibitor Opportunity
Would your company or organization like to be a conference exhibitor? Contact Heather Hunemuller, ARNP or Lu Olson, ARNP for more information.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
Requests for cancellation must be submitted in writing to [email protected]. Cancellation requests received at least 96 hours prior to the conference will allow a full refund except for the nonrefundable processing fee of $10 (if applicable). No refunds will be made for cancellations received less than 96 hours prior to the activity start date.
Required Hardware/software
Free, current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader or other .pdf reader.