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2026 Healthcare Continuing Education Professionals Day
Overview
We invite you to celebrate Healthcare Continuing Education Professionals Day on January 23, 2026! This special day is dedicated to recognizing the invaluable contributions of professionals who ensure healthcare providers remain informed, competent, and capable of delivering the highest quality care to their patients.
The celebration will take place in the Health Sciences Learning Center (HSLC) Atrium, from 11:30 am to 4:00 pm, and will feature:
- Professional Development Opportunities for Planners and Faculty: Enhance your skills and knowledge through interactive sessions.
- Engaging Poster Session: Discover the latest trends and innovations in healthcare education.
- Networking with Experts: Connect with leading professionals and peers in the continuing education (CE) field.
- Exclusive Insights: Gain valuable insights from experienced faculty and accreditation specialists.
Intended Audience
The intended audience is faculty and staff who are involved in planning, teaching, learning, and conducting research with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (UW-Madison ICEP) Program. Other professionals and professionals in-training involved in clinical teaching and learning can benefit from participation.
Learning Objectives
As a result of participation in this educational event, participants will be able to:
- Describe how human connection, storytelling, and improv-based approaches contribute to meaningful learning experiences in healthcare education.
- Discuss how accredited CE, leadership engagement, and organizational culture influence continuous learning and practice improvement across healthcare teams.
- Apply enhanced skills and strategies to effectively plan and deliver interprofessional CE activities.
- Strengthen professional networks by building connections with healthcare educators, CE planners, and clinical team members across disciplines.
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:
- Practice-based learning and improvement
- Interpersonal and communication skills
- Patient-centered care
Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education (CAPE):
- Educator
Interprofessional Education Collaborative:
- Roles and responsibilities
- Communication
Agenda
| 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Networking Lunch | HSLC Atrium |
| 12:00 p.m. - 12:15 p.m. | Opening Remarks Elizabeth Petty, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, School of Medicine and Public Health | |
| 12:15 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Keynote: Innovation in Educational Delivery Amy Zelenski, PhD, the Director of Education Innovation and Scholarship in the Department of Medicine See description below | |
| 1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Poster Session & Podcast | HSLC Atrium |
| Concurrent Panel and Workshop: |
| |
| 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Panel Discussion: Elevating Continuing Education for Healthcare Professionals Through Accreditation Moderator: Barbara Anderson, MS, Director, Office of Continuing Professional Development and Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership See description below | HSLC 1220 |
| 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Workshop 1: Fostering Professional Development Through Innovation and Collaboration Reva Finkelman, MA, Professional Development Manager, Department of Pediatrics See description below | HSLC 1222 |
| 2:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. | Break, Posters & Podcast | HSLC Atrium |
| Concurrent Panel and Workshop: | ||
| 2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | Workshop 2: Planning Continuing Education Activities with Artificial Intelligence Erick Tarula, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery See description below | HSLC 1220 |
| 2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | Workshop 3: Compliance Check: Navigating Biomedical Startups and Unresolvable Conflicts in Accredited CE Barbara Anderson, MS, Director, Office of Continuing Professional Development and Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership See description below | HSLC 1222 |
| 3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Closure | HSLC Atrium |
Keynote: Innovation in Educational Delivery
This keynote will explore innovative approaches to continuing education (CE), with a particular emphasis on integrating humanities-informed teaching methods into educational content and delivery. Dr. Zelenski will demonstrate how empathy can be effectively communicated and cultivated through storytelling, drawing clear connections to the design of meaningful learning experiences for healthcare professionals.
Intended Audience. The intended audience is faculty and staff who are involved in planning and teaching CE activities for clinicians and healthcare teams.
Learning Objectives. As a result of participating in this presentation, learners will be able to:
- Describe the role of human connection in active learning and its importance for fostering communication, empathy, and engagement in healthcare education.
- Explain how storytelling and improv-based approaches can be used to cultivate empathic behaviors in physicians and improve educational outcomes.
Panel Discussion: Elevating Continuing Education for Healthcare Professionals Through Accreditation
The purpose of this 60-minute panel is to move beyond the idea of accreditation as just a compliance hurdle and instead explore the tangible ways the process adds educational value for the healthcare team. Panelists will share real-world examples of how the accreditation process improved CE activities for the learners.
Intended Audience. This panel discussion is perfect for faculty, planners, CE coordinators, and anyone involved in the design and implementation of CE programs.
Learning Objectives. As a result of participating in this panel discussion, learners will be able to:
- Identify how the accredited CE process directly contributes to the educational quality and effectiveness of an activity.
- Discuss the perspectives of different healthcare professionals on how CE supports their respective professional development and practice improvement goals.
Workshop 1: Fostering Professional Development Through Innovation and Collaboration
This interactive session will highlight best practices for creating professional development initiatives, emphasizing innovative programming, collaboration, and process improvement. The presenters will share a case study illustrating how strategic systems have supported the growth of faculty, staff, and trainees in the Department of Pediatrics. You’ll have the opportunity to engage in hands-on brainstorming and an action planning activity to help you kick start or reimagine professional development. You’ll walk away with actionable tools, strategies, and resources to enhance your own professional development systems and foster a culture of growth, collaboration, and community engagement within your organization.
Intended Audience. The intended audience is subject matter experts, presenters, and educators working in the field of accredited continuing education for healthcare professionals and teams. Other professionals and planners involved in clinical teaching and learning can benefit from participation.
Learning Objectives. As a result of participating in this workshop, learners will be able to:
- Explore how professional development can be a driving force for growth in faculty, staff, and trainees within an academic department.
- Outline the role of leadership in fostering an environment that supports continuous learning and development.
- Identify practical tools and strategies that can be applied in other academic or professional environments to enhance organizational effectiveness and collaboration.
Workshop 2: Planning CE Activities with Artificial Intelligence
Participants will strengthen their continuing education planning skills by identifying and documenting practice gaps and learning needs and by developing specific, measurable learning objectives. The workshop emphasizes practical, responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in education planning. Through short presentations and hands-on activities, participants will explore planning resources, create a virtual patient and integrate the patient’s perspective into the planning process, and apply the Planning, Partnering, Apprising, and Attention (2P2A) framework to guide effective interactions with generative AI.
Intended Audience. This workshop is intended for interprofessional health science faculty and staff who are involved in planning continuing education for clinicians and healthcare teams.
Learning Objectives. As a result of participating in this workshop, learners will be able to:
- Explore multiple needs assessment sources to document practice gaps and learning needs.
- Improve writing learning objectives that are linked to team-based practice gaps, learning needs, competency statements, and desired educational outcomes.
- Use appropriately and responsibly AI-based tools available in educational environments to support accredited interprofessional CE planning.
Workshop 3: Compliance Check: Navigating Biomedical Startups and Unresolvable Conflicts in Accredited CE
This workshop will guide participants through the complexities of conflicts of interest (COI), with a focus on faculty engagement in biomedical startups. As commercialization efforts increase, faculty ownership in ineligible companies may occur and, under accreditation standards, typically requires exclusion from CE activities. Drawing on expertise at the biotech–industry interface, the presenters will clarify these requirements for faculty and accreditation coordinators, review COI mitigation policies, explain the non-mitigable nature of ownership, and offer practical guidance for maintaining content compliance in CE.
Intended Audience. The intended audience is subject matter experts, presenters, planners, and educators working in the field of accredited continuing education for healthcare professionals and teams.
Learning Objectives. As a result of participating in this workshop, learners will be able to:
- Describe the process of faculty engagement in biomedical startups at the biotech–industry interface and its implications for COI compliance in CE.
- Explain general COI mitigation approaches and the non-mitigable nature of ownership interests requiring specific compliance actions.
Parking information
Attendees coming from outside the west part of campus for the event are strongly encouraged to take public transportation or share a ride with other attendees. Parking in the UW Health Patient & Visitor lot 75 is very limited and we would like to make sure that patients and visitors have space to park. Lot 76 next to Nielsen Tennis Stadium has slightly more capacity for visitor parking, we encourage you to park there before considering lot 75.
Presenters
Elizabeth Petty, MD - Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Amy Zelenski, PhD - Director of Education Innovation and Scholarship, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Jessica Dalby, MD - Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Sue Wenker, PT, PhD, MS, FNAP - Director, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program; Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Craig Robida - External Relations Manager, UW Carbone Cancer Center; UW Health Marketing and Communications
Reva Finkelman, MA - Professional Development Manager, Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Kate Dougherty, MA - Professional Development Specialist, Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Erick Tarula, MD - Associate Professor, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Kurt Zimmerman, MS - Senior Director, Office of Biohealth Industry Partnerships; Director, Master of Science in Biotechnology Program, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Planners/Presenters
Barbara Anderson, MS - Director, Office of Continuing Professional Development and Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Marianna Shershneva, MD, PhD - CPD Evaluation and Assessment Specialist, Office of Continuing Professional Development, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Planners
Kim Sprecker, PhD - Continuing Education Program Manager (RSS), Office of Continuing Professional Development, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
James Eberhard, MFA - Continuing Education and Accreditation Specialist, Office of Continuing Professional Development, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
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.
This accredited continuing education activity is focused on the non-clinical topic of continuing healthcare education. Planners and presenters in this activity do not have relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
*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.
Accreditation Statement
 | In support of improving patient care, the University of Wisconsin–Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (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 Medical Association (AMA) The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP designates this live activity for a maximum of 2.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. | |
 | American Academy of Physician Assistants (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 2.75 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation. |
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP designates this live in-person activity for a maximum of 3.0 ANCC contact hours. | |
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP designates this activity for a maximum of 2.75 hours or 0.275 CEUs. Credit can be earned by documented attendance during the session. Credit will be provided to NABP CPE Monitor within 60 days after the activity completion. | |
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 0.275 CEUs or 2.75 hours. | |
Available Credit
- 2.75 AAPA Category 1 CME
- 2.75 ACPE Contact Hours - Pharmacist
- 2.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
- 2.75 ANCC Contact Hours
- 2.75 University of Wisconsin–Madison Continuing Education Hours
- 2.75 Approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY
No refunds will be made for cancellations.
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].
Questions about Registration
Email [email protected].
Program Changes
Emergency situations occasionally occur and may necessitate topic or speaker changes. The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and the University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP reserve the right to alter or substitute a topic or speaker without prior notification.
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.