2026 CMDA NATIONAL CONVENTION
Breakout Sessions and Continuing Education Credits
10 hours of continuing education now available
Accreditation
Christian Medical & Dental Associations is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Physician Credit
The Christian Medical & Dental Associations designates this educational activity for a maximum of 10 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Physician Assistant
AAPA accepts certificates of participation for educational activities certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ by an organization accredited by the ACCME or a recognized state medical society. Physician assistants may receive up to 10 credits for completing this activity.
Nurse Practitioner
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by the ACCME. Individuals are responsible for checking with the AANPCP for further guidelines. Nurse practitioners may receive up to 10 credits for completing this activity.
Dental Credit - AGD
Christian Medical & Dental Associations
Nationally Approved PACE Program Provider for FAGD/MAGD credit.
Approval does not imply acceptance by any regulatory authority or AGD endorsement.
1/1/2023 to 12/31/2026
Provider ID# 218742
10 Lecture Hours Available (see AGD Subject Codes below)
No prior level of skill, knowledge or experience is required (or suggested)
Course designed for physicians and dentists and other healthcare professionals
Friday, April 24
Times and locations are subject to change.
TBD
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A graduate of the universities of Cambridge and Aberdeen, Dr. Carl Trueman has served as professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. He is also a Contributing Editor at First Things and a Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy center in Washington, D.C. |
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Abstract Description: Coming soon... |
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Friday, April 24
Times and locations are subject to change.
TBD
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Dr. Lina Abujamra is a Pediatric Emergency Room doctor who now practices telemedicine full time as well as oversees the ministry of Living With Power. For over more than 20 years, Lina has been teaching the Bible and speaking at conferences, retreats, and colleges, both here and overseas. She is the author of several books including her most recent book Don’t Tell Anyone You’re Reading This: A Christian Doctor’s Thoughts on Sex, Shame, and Other Troublesome Issues as well as her Bible Study series Mapping the Footsteps of God. Not unfamiliar with pain and brokenness, she has made it her mission to ignite passion for Jesus in the hearts of God’s people, and to help them experience the beauty of Jesus’ healing and the power of hope. Through Living With Power Global, Lina is providing medical and humanitarian aid to Lebanese people, refugee communities in Lebanon, and to Ukrainian families displaced by the war. Learn more here. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Lina now calls Chicago home. |
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Abstract Description: Coming soon... |
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Friday, April 24
Times and locations are subject to change.
This breakout track calls healthcare professionals to courageous, compassionate engagement — in the exam room, at the bedside, and beyond. Sessions equip attendees to navigate difficult conversations about gender ideology and "gender-affirming care" with clarity and compassion, reflect on Christ's call to minister wisely and tenderly to patients and families at the end of life, and discover how the internationally proven Saline Process can help healthcare workers address the spiritual needs of those in their care. Together, these sessions challenge and equip Christian healthcare professionals to be bold advocates, faithful ministers, and salt and light in every dimension of their calling.
Doctor Heal Thyself: How to Have Difficult Conversations about Transgender Ideology
1 Hour CE credit available
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Jill Simons, MD, FCP, is a board certified pediatrician. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Medical School and completed residency, also at the University of Wisconsin. As a resident, she was involved in child advocacy issues and co-authored papers on fitness for youth and child and infant car restraint safety. She was in private practice in Minnesota until becoming Executive Director of the American College of Pediatricians. Dr. Simons served several years as Chairman of Pediatrics for Mercy and Unity Hospitals and helped establish the hospital's NICU and pediatric trauma programs. She was voted Top Doc by Mpls, St. Paul magazine. Dr. Simons is a Fellow of the American College of Pediatricians. Dr. Simons is also Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and has been a member of the Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics as well as the section on Bioethics. Dr. Simons is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. She has been a medical consultant on several books regarding infant and child healthy sleep. | |
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Abstract Description: Standing up, speaking out or just having coffee with a colleague, many of us are not comfortable having conversations about the harms of gender ideology. Conversing with someone who is in the medical field can be especially challenging, whether it is your business partner, the consultant in the doctors’ lounge or your internist brother-in law at Thanksgiving. Add to that challenge, someone who has a relative, even a child who is experiencing confusion or discomfort about their sex, and it is no wonder engaging in this topic has become almost taboo. However, as healthcare professionals, we are called to act in difficult times when a life is at stake. We are medical experts and it is our duty and our place to speak up, especially when children are being harmed. In this session, you will learn effective ways to talk about transgender ideology, “gender-affirming care,” why it is harmful and how we should compassionately advocate for the best care for all children. |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Identify the medical harms of sex-rejecting procedures, so-called “gender-affirming care” protocols, including social affirmation, puberty blockers, opposite sex hormones and surgical interventions.
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End of Life Care in the ICU: Conversations in the Valley of the Shadow
1 Hour CE credit available
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Allen Roberts, MD, MDiv, MA (Bioethics), FCCP, FACP, originally from Alexandria, Virginia, is Professor of Clinical Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center. He received his BA from the University of Virginia and his MD from George Washington University School of Medicine. He holds an MDiv from Reformed Theological Seminary and a MA in bioethics from Trinity International University. He currently serves as Associate Medical Director for Medstar Georgetown University Hospital and Chair of the hospital Ethics Committee. He is ordained in the Anglican Communion of North America. Dr. Roberts lives in Washington, D.C. with Afsoon, his wife of 30 years. They have two daughters. | |
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Abstract Description: Caring for patients at the end of life in the hospital has never been more demanding, as clinical situations are complex and society, more volatile. In this session, we will reflect on the nature of Christ's call to us to minister to the most vulnerable of our patients and their loved ones, with beneficence, practical wisdom and compassion. |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Recognize the nuances of family conference at the end of a loved one's life. |
Saline Process Taster
No CE credit available
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Mark Topazian, MD, is a gastroenterologist. In 2019, after a career teaching medicine at Yale University and Mayo Clinic, he and his wife Janet moved to Ethiopia, where Mark teaches medicine and leads Saline Process training events as a member of SIM USA. He is the author of the 2025 book Healing Purpose, which is about finding long-term satisfaction in a medical career by perceiving the spiritual realities of healthcare. | |
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William Griffin, DDS, serves as Senior Vice President with the Christian Medical & Dental Associations. A member of CMDA since dental school, he has been a part of CMDA’s senior leadership team since 2019. He averages about four international mission trips each year, and he serves as the Coordinator for CMDA’s Saline Process Witness Training, designed to help Christian healthcare professionals address the spiritual needs of their patients. Dr. Griffin enjoys opportunities to communicate the love of Christ, domestically and internationally, through healthcare. | |
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Abstract Description: This session is an introduction to The Saline Process, a training program that equips healthcare workers to be salt and light to their patients. More than 56,000 healthcare professionals from 133 different countries have received this training and are now better equipped to address their patients' spiritual needs. Questions considered in this unique learning program include: Why is faith important in healthcare? What are the opportunities and barriers to fulfilling God’s call? What is my part? What tools will help me cultivate, sow and harvest? Where do I go from here? |
Friday, April 24
Times and locations are subject to change.
This breakout track takes a deep and thoughtful look at the ethical foundations of Christian medical practice. Sessions engage attendees in an honest, physician-led conversation about the challenges of truth-telling in everyday clinical settings, examine how rapidly advancing reproductive technologies are reshaping our understanding of human identity and demanding a faithful Christian response, and explore how virtue ethics — rooted in moral character, conscience, and natural law — equips healthcare professionals to navigate complex ethical terrain with integrity. Together, these sessions challenge attendees to move beyond rule-following and cultivate the deeply held, faith-informed values that define truly good and ethical medical practice.
Making Sense of Bioethics through Christian Virtue Ethics
1 Hour CE credit available
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Lauris C. Kaldjian, MD, PhD, MDiv, directs the Program in Bioethics and Humanities at the Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa (Iowa City, USA), where he is also a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine. He received a BA from Oxford University, an MD from the University of Michigan and an MDiv and PhD in Christian ethics from Yale University, where he also completed his residency and fellowship training in internal medicine and infectious diseases. His work has been published in a variety of journals, and he is the author of Practicing Medicine and Ethics: Integrating Wisdom, Conscience and Goals of Care. | |
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Abstract Description: The ethical practice of medicine depends on the moral character and virtues of healthcare professionals. While there are differences between principle-based ethics and virtue-based ethics, they are closely related. Both rely on foundational beliefs and values about what is good and real, and virtue ethics emphasizes the moral character of persons and integrates moral reason, emotion and motivation. Christian virtue ethics recognizes the need for principle-based ethics while understanding that principle-based obligations need to be internalized as traits of moral character. Christian virtue ethics also appreciates the role of conscience and perceives a God-given basis of natural law, which reflects universally applicable human goods that provide reasons for common moral ground when confronted by ethical challenges in clinical practice. |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Describe the need for moral character and virtues among healthcare professionals. |
Medicine in an Era of Mechanical Reproduction: Technology and Ethics
No CE credit available
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Carl Trueman, MA, PhD, is a graduate of the Universities of Cambridge and Aberdeen. He currently serves as a Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Grove City College, a Busch Family Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Notre Dame and a Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. | |
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Abstract Description: This session will examine how technology, specifically technological developments in the area of reproduction, are reshaping how we think of what it means to be human and raising ethical challenges that many Christians are ill-equipped to understand how they should respond. |
When It is Okay to Lie
1 Hour CE credit available
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John E. Francis, MD, FACS, is a general surgeon and trauma director, and he is also associate professor of Clinical Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine. He has been a member of the CMDA Ethics Committee since 2011, with extensive experience in overseas healthcare missions, teaching, training and discipling healthcare professionals. He enjoys raising Heritage Yak with his family and flying aerobatics. | |
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Janet D. Liljestrand, MD, MA (Bioethics), has an MD from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and an MA in bioethics from Trinity International University. After 35 years in pediatric practice, primarily in western Pennsylvania, she retired and now lives in West Virginia. | |
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Robert E. Cranston, MD, MA (Ethics), MSHA, FAAN, received his medical degree from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and his MA (Ethics) from Trinity Graduate School. He is a board certified neurologist and a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. He is a retired clinical professor from the Carle Illinois College of Medicine in Urbana, Illinois. | |
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Abstract Description: The purpose of this talk is to increase awareness about a common world-view philosophy currently held by many youth, and to highlight the downstream effects of this philosophy in their lifestyle and healthcare choices, and suicide risk. We will discuss ways for providers to “hold space” for these youth so they feel understood, and empower providers with specific techniques to work with these youth to reduce some of their risky behaviors. |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Question colleagues regarding technical skills and/or errors in judgment. |
Friday, April 24
Times and locations are subject to change.
This breakout track offers a compelling, multi-dimensional vision for Christian healthcare professionals called to global mission. Sessions guide attendees through the personal discernment of a second career on the mission field, equip short-term teams to move beyond service delivery toward humble, sustainable partnership with local Christian medical communities, and challenge mission organization leaders to invest in the governance and management excellence necessary for long-term gospel impact. Together, these sessions paint a picture of global medical mission that is not only compassionate, but strategic, collaborative, and built to last.
Exploring Second Career Missions
No CE credit available
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Mark Topazian, MD, is a gastroenterologist. In 2019, after a career teaching medicine at Yale University and Mayo Clinic, he and his wife Janet moved to Ethiopia, where Mark teaches medicine and leads Saline Process training events as a member of SIM USA. He is the author of the 2025 book Healing Purpose, which is about finding long-term satisfaction in a medical career by perceiving the spiritual realities of healthcare. | |
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Abstract Description: Have you ever thought about a second career in medical missions? Mark Topazian did, and for the last six years he has been teaching medicine in Ethiopia. In this breakout session, we’ll discuss what “calling” to a second career looks like, and the many factors (including life experience, professional skills, finances and family) that can shape your exploration of mission opportunities. We’ll also consider methods of doing medical and dental missions, and how you can best prepare for a future in a cross-cultural context. Whether you’re simply curious or already thinking seriously about a career change, this seminar will help you consider your next steps toward a second career in medical missions. |
Building Partnerships in Healthcare Mission
No CE credit available
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Dr. Peter Saunders trained as a general surgeon in Auckland, New Zealand before serving as a missionary doctor in Kenya. After theological training at All Nations Christian College, he then left clinical medicine and served with the Christian Medical Fellowship UK for 27 years, including eight years as Head of Student Ministries and 19 years as Chief Executive. At the same time, he served 13 years as Director of the Care Not Killing Alliance in end-of-life advocacy. In 2019, he became Chief Executive of the International Christian Medical & Dental Association (ICMDA), which brings together Christian medical and dental associations in more than 100 countries. His current work involves leadership training, teaching evangelism and ethics, medical missions, writing, editing and media work. Peter and his wife Kirsty live in St. Albans in the United Kingdom, and they have three sons and four grandchildren. They are members of Spicer Street Church St Albans. | |
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Abstract Description: This session explores biblical principles of partnership in mission and their application to short-term medical and dental trips. Drawing on New Testament models of collaboration, it will emphasize humility, mutuality, encouragement and shared mission. Participants will consider how visiting teams can move beyond service delivery to build meaningful relationships with national associations of Christian physicians and dentists, strengthening local leadership and long-term impact. Practical guidance will include listening well, honoring local expertise, avoiding paternalism, identifying opportunities for encouragement and training, and exploring sustainable collaboration with existing ministries. The aim is to help short-term teams become partners who strengthen and support local Christian medical movement. |
Unlocking the Potential of Mission Hospitals: A Strategic Imperative for Future Sustainability
No CE credit available
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Warren C. White, Jr. MBA, FACMPE, is a retired healthcare administrator and consultant, most recently having served as the Vice President of Physician Practices for Spectrum Health Lakeland (now Corewell Health) in St. Joseph, Michigan. He is an emeritus member of the Medical Group Management Association and a Fellow in the American College of Medical Practice Executives. A member of CMDA, he chairs the Christian Healthcare Executive Collaborative section. Mr. White received his BSBA from Central Michigan and his MBA from Michigan State University Eli Broad College of Business. He consults and does leadership training internationally. | |
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Greg Neal, DHA, MSHA, MBA, is a 35 year veteran of healthcare executive leadership, currently serving as CEO of Appalachian Orthopedics & Neurosurgery, a $28 million physician practice in northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. He earned a doctorate in healthcare administration from the Medical University of South Carolina and MSHA and MBA degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the nation’s number one ranked graduate program in healthcare administration. He previously served as the CEO of a 135-bed Christian mission hospital in the United Arab Emirates where he lead a diverse, multi-national workforce of 800 team members from 41 different nations. He has extensive senior executive-level experience within an integrated health system in the U.S. Greg’s professional interests include leadership development, nurturing culture, physician collaboration, strategic growth and accelerating positive change that creates value, with a particular interest in strengthening mission hospitals to deliver excellence in clinical quality, financial sustainability and gospel focus. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Christian Medical & Dental Association and is a co-founder of the Christian Healthcare Executive Collaborative, through which he is actively mentoring and consulting mission hospital leaders in Africa and Asia. | |
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Abstract Description: A tremendous opportunity for sustainable mission impact lies in developing and deploying gospel-centered leadership talent to build management excellence to create value within mission hospitals. Those who support and lead global mission healthcare organizations must embrace the reality that access alone does not equate to long-term impact. When our best healers are sent into environments we know are ill equipped to provide them with the tools they need to do their jobs to the highest level of their competency, we limit their effectiveness at best, likely limit their longevity in the ministry, surely compromise their emotional health and that of their families, and may have little impact on the health status of the community they are there to serve. This session challenges participants to commit to a healthcare mission strategy that prioritizes competency and excellence in governance, leadership, management operations, and financial viability to maximize the potential for sustainable gospel mission impact. |
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Educational Objectives:
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Friday, April 24
Times and locations are subject to change.
This breakout track addresses some of the most urgent and contested issues facing Christian healthcare professionals today. Sessions provide a thorough and compassionate examination of gender dysphoria — from its psychospiritual roots to the harms of "gender-affirming" interventions and the complex needs of those who detransition — while also highlighting the courage required to speak truth in secular academic and clinical settings. The track broadens its scope with an inspiring account of street medicine and domestic missions among marginalized communities suffering the health consequences of an environmental crisis. Together, these sessions call attendees to courageous, compassionate, and faithful engagement with some of the most vulnerable people in our world today.
Panel Discussion: Care for Detransitioners
1 Hour CE credit available
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André Van Mol, MD, is a board certified family physician in full-time practice in California. He co-chairs the Christian Medical & Dental Associations Sexual & Gender Identity Task Force and is the transgenderism scholar for both CMDA and the American Academy of Medical Ethics. He works with Alliance Defending Freedom in a coalition of professionals advising on policy matters addressing sexual orientation and gender identity. He advises legislators, government agencies and advocacy organizations internationally on sexuality and gender identity. Dr. Van Mol serves on the boards of Bethel Church of Redding, Moral Revolution, Changed and Advocates Protecting Children. | |
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Karl Benzio, MD, is a board certified psychiatrist and bestselling author whose expertise in decision-making science has helped many renew their minds and transform their lives by practically applying biblical and psychological principles. Dr. Karl co-founded the unique Christian residential treatment center Honey Lake Clinic, and he serves as the medical director of the American Association of Christian Counselors. When he’s not treating, teaching, speaking, writing, performing media interviews, helping international crisis situations or advocating/testifying, he serves many churches and ministries including the CMDA and Focus on the Family. | |
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Billie Burleigh, PE, started struggling with gender identity in the first grade. He later had many surgeries, changed his legal documents and presented as a woman for seven years. But, after doing the many things he was told needed to be done to find peace and happiness, he realized he had believed a lie. Billie had more problems at that point, seven years post transition, than prior to his transition. Since then, Billie has found the cause of his troubles, and has worked to resolve the conflict between his mind and body. | |
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Steve Foley, MD, FACOG, is an OB/Gyn by training . He has worked in the regenerative space for several years with his primary focus being bioidentical hormone replacement. He has been working with Resilience Health Network attempting to develop protocols for treating detransitioners. He also works with crisis pregnancy centers and has had the blessing of doing multiple mission trips. He attends the Wesleyan Church of North Myrtle Beach. He has four children and 12 grandchildren. | |
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Dr. Katy Hurd is a family medicine physician based in Everett, Washington. She is currently in the process of establishing a medical clinic in the Seattle area designed particularly for the needs of those who have undergone sex-rejecting interventions or who are gender-questioning. She also volunteers with the Resilience Health Network, an organization dedicated to connecting individuals harmed by gender ideology with compassionate medical and allied health professionals. Katy earned her medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine in 2005 and completed her residency at the In His Image Family Medicine Residency in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2008. | |
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Abstract Description: This is a panel discussion on gender dysphoria and its underlying factors, while detailing the medical and psychological needs of patients who detransition along with challenges in accessing such care. Gender confusion/dysphoria/dissonance/evasion develops because of underlying psychospiritual struggles with identity, purpose, relationships and other unconscious misinformation tricking them to think they are living in the wrong physical body. For many years, this struggle was successfully treated either informally or professionally with psychological interventions and maturity, so reality could clarify some of the distorted or misinformation in their unconscious space for healing to play out. Unfortunately, over the last 15 to 20 years, we’ve seen an aggressive push to ignore the healing psychospiritual interventions that had no side effects and jump instead to medical (puberty stunting medicines and cross-sex hormones) and then radical surgical mutilation of healthy body parts with a lifelong list of many side effects, some potentially deadly. Once the patient realizes all the medical/surgical interventions didn't fix the original problem, they decide to detransition and reverse the medical process. This session will raise awareness of the myriad of both medical AND psychiatric complications induced by the so-called "gender-affirming therapy." |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Outline elements of the scientific literature findings regarding the underlying factors in gender dysphoria. |
Panel Discussion: Street Medicine
1 Hour CE credit available
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William Foster, MD, graduated from UC San Diego School of Medicine and completed an emergency medicine residency at Lincoln Medical Center in the South Bronx. For the last 17 years, he has worked at a small hospital on the Oregon coast. For the last 14 years, he has been involved in weekly street medicine clinics for the unhoused. He also spends time every year overseas doing short-term missions. He enjoys outdoor activities like backpacking, skiing, bicycling and canoeing. He is grateful for his wife, a physical therapist, who shares my desire to be the hands and heart of Jesus to a hurting world. | |
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Jennifer Zamora, DHSc, PA-C, is a mother of two, wife of 24 years to Daniel Zamora, clinical faculty and IPE co-director for the University of California, Riverside (UCR), School of Medicine, as well as a founding faculty member of the California Baptist PA Program. She is the UCR CMDA chapter advisor and joyfully serves on the CMDA Board of Trustees. In addition to street medicine, she runs several free clinics throughout Riverside County to use her skills to glorify God and care for the medically under/uninsured and unhoused populations. She currently brings awareness to the environmental disaster wreaking havoc in the airways of the farmers and migrant workers in the East Coachella Valley of Southern California. | |
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Janet Kim, MD, MPH, DipABLM, MA (Bioethics), has served as founding board member and staff med-peds physician at Beacon Christian Community Health Center since graduating from residency, becoming its Chief Medical Officer in 2009. She continues to serve in this capacity where she oversaw the expansion of services to include comprehensive adult and pediatric care, full-spectrum OB/Gyn services, nutrition, podiatry and mental health services with further addition of optometry and dental services in 2026. Over the last 20 years, Beacon has been on the forefront of various emergency responses, including relief work post-Superstorm Sandy, distribution of vaccines such as H1N1 Influenza and COVID-19 and providing on-site medical care in two hotel shelters located on Staten Island for several hundred migrant asylum seeker families who arrived in New York City in October 2022. The health center is the only facility in their community that offers all of these services under one roof and is the culmination of many hours of prayer to see this come into reality! Though she was born in Seoul, South Korea, she lived in the suburban Chicago area before heading to Emory University for college, Trinity Graduate School for her bioethics degree, then to New York Medical College for her MD and MPH degrees. Coming to New York City for medical school was God's ultimate perfect plan which is where she met David, her husband of nearly 20 years, and where they have raised their four children, including a seven-year journey as a homeschooling family. Dr. Kim is actively a member of CCHF and CMDA. She is also a past Medsend grantee and had the honor to serve on Medsend's board for eight years. She is honored and humbled to be on the CMDA Board of Trustees. | |
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Nicole D. Hayes, MPA serves as the Director of Federal Public Policy with the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA) in Washington, D.C., where she helps to advance life-affirming and biblical principles of CMDA ethical positions at the federal level. |
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Abstract Description: As asthma and allergy rates soar, the unhoused, farm worker and migrant populations of Southern California are struggling to breathe through congested nostrils and inflamed airways while many live and work outdoors. The Salton Sea has become an environmental disaster with its effects stretching from the Arizona border through Riverside County and into Orange and Los Angeles County. Check out how our team is bringing the healing of Jesus, our very "Breath of Life," to the breathless and dying with in our street medicine work and domestic missions outreaches. |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Recognize how the Inland Empire in Southern California is being affected by poor air quality and toxins from the dissolving Salton Sea. |
A Child Psychiatrist's Defense of Truth
No CE credit available
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Allan M. Josephson, MD, is a lifetime member of CMDA, serving as president of the psychiatry section for three years. His successful career in academic psychiatry included chairing divisions of child and adolescent psychiatry in Georgia, Minnesota and Kentucky. His book: Handbook of Spirituality and Worldview in Clinical Practice (coedited with J. Peteet, MD) has been used in psychiatry residencies throughout the country. Dr. Josephson recently received a $1.6 million award from his former university for impeding his free speech regarding the care of transgender youth. | |
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Abstract Description: This session covers the experience of a seasoned academic child and adolescent psychiatrist. His career ended in his successfully bringing a lawsuit against his university for impinging his free speech on the issue of transgenderism. The session will address being faithful in a secular environment. |
Friday, April 24
Times and locations are subject to change.
This breakout track weaves together clinical excellence, missional purpose, and spiritual identity for the Christian dental professional. Sessions provide practical frameworks for navigating complex restorative cases with confidence, explore how minimally invasive techniques can serve patients faithfully in both high-resource and mission-field environments, and call attendees to root their work in a deep kingdom identity and Great Commission purpose. Together, these sessions invite dentists to see their craft not merely as a profession, but as a powerful vehicle for healing, stewardship, and the love of Christ.
Staging Complex Restorative Cases: Putting Things in the Proper Order
1 Hour CE credit available
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Thomas R. McDonald, DMD, received his dental degree from the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry. He maintains a full-time restorative practice in Athens, Georgia. Since 1983, Dr. McDonald has served on the faculty of Augusta University Dental College of Georgia as Clinical Instructor of Oral Rehabilitation. A frequent lecturer in the area of occlusion, esthetics, complex restorative dentistry and treatment staging. Dr. McDonald has lectured and presented hands-on courses at most national meetings over the last 30 years. A dedicated clinician and teacher, he mentors three residency programs and teaches complex restorative-occlusion for the AAID Implant Maxi Course. | |
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Abstract Description: Modern dentists have developed vast knowledge in esthetics, occlusion and restorative dentistry. However, when presented with a complex case, many clinicians have difficulty deciding where to start and the proper sequence for treatment. Dr. McDonald will outline a time-tested system for diagnosis and treatment sequencing of complex esthetic-restorative cases with emphasis on long-term provisionalization and segmental restoration. This approach is often more technically achievable for the clinician and more feasible for the patient. |
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Educational Objectives: 1.Identify techniques to achieve a stable, repeatable starting point for the occlusion. |
Minimal Invasive Dentistry
1 Hour CE credit available
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David Ciesla, DDS, MS, MAS, is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Program Director of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry. A U.S. Army veteran and former private practice owner, he has dedicated his career to improving access to care for children and underserved populations. Holding advanced degrees from Baylor College of Dentistry and Johns Hopkins University, his work bridges education, clinical care and global service. Guided by his Christian faith, Dr. Ciesla leads annual dental mission trips to Latin America and Africa, mentoring students to serve compassionately and advance oral health worldwide. | |
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Abstract Description: This lecture integrates the principles of Minimally Invasive Dentistry (MID) with the heart of mission-driven care. Drawing from clinical experiences in both academic and global outreach settings, Dr. Ciesla will discuss how conservative, evidence-based approaches can be applied effectively in diverse environments—from advanced clinical facilities to mission field settings with limited resources. Emphasis will be placed on prevention, risk assessment, remineralization and selective caries removal as means of preserving natural tooth structure while maximizing long-term outcomes. Participants will explore how MID supports stewardship of materials and resources, aligning clinical excellence with a broader purpose: equipping clinicians to deliver compassionate, sustainable and culturally sensitive oral healthcare that reflects a commitment to service. |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Integrate Principles of Minimally Invasive Dentistry: 3. Promote Sustainable and Missional Oral Health Care: Evaluate how minimally invasive approaches can enhance stewardship, cultural sensitivity and long-term oral health outcomes, aligning professional practice with the broader goals of service, compassion and community empowerment. |
Kingdom Assignments in the Workplace
1 Hour Dental Credit only
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Linda L. Huang, DDS, MD, FACS, is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who graduated from Columbia University Medical Center in 2016. She is in full-time private practice in Queens, New York. She is a volunteer faculty at Columbia University School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Huang and her husband host and lead a home church that began during the COVID shutdown. She is a wife, a mom, a doctor, a caretaker, an entrepreneur, a mentor, an intercessor and a kingdom warrior. Her calling is to minister to those whom the Lord leads into her life, to love as Jesus loves and do as Jesus does. | |
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Abstract Description: How are we to grow deeply in spirituality so heaven can invade earth wherever we go? What is kingdom identity? This talk will encourage the audience into kingdom destiny that Jesus has called us into according to the Great Commission. |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Identify the believer’s calling according to Scripture. |
Friday, April 24
Times and locations are subject to change.
This breakout track calls Christian healthcare professionals to an honest, courageous, and faith-informed engagement with health equity and disparity. Sessions examine how systemic inequities manifest across clinical settings and patient populations — from disabled individuals to Black communities to prenatal and pediatric patients — while tracing the historical roots that continue to shape disparate outcomes today. Grounded in a biblical vision of justice and enriched by practical, community-driven strategies, this track challenges attendees to move beyond awareness and toward meaningful, compassionate action in pursuit of equitable care for all.
Healthcare Equity as Biblical Justice: Reimagining What It Means to Do Justice in the Modern Medical Context
1 Hour CE credit available
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Jessie Sage Cheng, MA, RN, is a registered nurse who divides her professional time between serving as a legal nurse consultant on complex clinical ethics cases, and using her clinical history in oncology to support research aimed at learning from every person's experience with cancer. Being witness to challenging ethical issues in healthcare was pivotal to Jessie obtaining her master’s degree in bioethics at The Ohio State University. Her areas of interest include law and policy, disability rights, healthcare equity and the intersection of bioethics and the Christian faith. Of particular concern to Jessie is navigating discourse around the church’s role in justice-oriented policymaking and identifying ways in which the church has marginalized individuals and communities, especially regarding disability. | |
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Abstract Description: “Health and healthcare equity” are buzzwords we can’t seem to escape hearing in U.S. healthcare today. Systemic inequities in access to and quality of healthcare are persistent and have contributed to differences in health outcomes between patient populations. In this session, we will characterize ways that healthcare disparities are manifested at the system and practice levels. We will consider their real-life impact on patients—with a particular focus on those who are disabled—and discuss how practitioners can be responsive to the impacts of these disparities. Ultimately, we will turn to the Bible for an overview of several fundamental themes of niblical justice and how we might reimagine what it means to do justice as Christians working in the healthcare context. |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Identify and analyze specific manifestations of healthcare disparities at both the system and clinical practice levels, particularly as they affect patients with disabilities. Measured by: Participant’s ability to list at least three examples of systemic or practice-level inequities and describe their corresponding patient impacts. |
Are You a Psychiatrist? I Have Some Questions.
No CE credit available
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Kerry-Ann Williams, MD, is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and Chief Medical Officer at Justice Resource Institute, a mental health organization with a social justice mission. She specializes in the psychiatric management of complex traumatic stress in children and adults. Dr. Williams is on faculty at the Harvard Medical School Cambridge Health Alliance program where she teaches psychiatry residents and fellows. Additionally, Dr. Williams hosts a podcast called Black Mental Health Matters with Dr. Kerry-Ann. | |
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Abstract Description: Psychiatry, as a branch of medicine, has always stumbled over the question of how to think about race. In this session, we will review some surprising facts about the history and evolution of psychiatry and reflect on how our history continues to leave traces, particularly related to Black mental health. |
Seeking the Good of the City: Addressing Health Disparities Through Community Practice
1 Hour CE credit available
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Danielle S. Avula, MD, is a family medicine physician with 10 years of experience caring for underserved communities in Richmond, Virginia. She currently serves as associate medical director at CrossOver Healthcare Ministries, where she enjoys practicing full spectrum family medicine providing pediatric, adult and prenatal care. When she is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her four children and husband Jon, who is also a family physician. | |
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Abstract Description: This session will explore health disparities and barriers present in the U.S. in pediatric, adult and prenatal populations, along with examples of how to address these disparities in partnership with community groups, national organizations and innovative practice management. |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Identify and discuss common health disparities present in adult, pediatric, and obstetric populations. 2. Review role of collaboration with faith communities and literature of the role of spirituality in healthcare. 3. Identify practice management strategies that allow clinics and healthcare professionals to easily address health disparities and spiritual care within the context of a medical visit. |
Friday, April 24
Times and locations are subject to change.
This breakout track offers a breath of encouragement and a wealth of practical wisdom for couples navigating the unique demands of life in medicine. Sessions anchor attendees in the faithful keeping of God through Scripture and story, then create space for honest, peer-to-peer conversation around the real pressures of finances, career, calling, and family. Together, they offer both spiritual grounding and practical footing for couples who want to keep climbing — and keep climbing together.
Streams & Summits: Building a Family That Lasts
No CE credit available
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Dr. Joshua and Rebecca Lehman, from Tampa, Florida, have been married for 18 years and delight in serving together within CMDA. Joshua is a family practice physician, medical director and residency faculty member. Rebecca serves as the Executive Director of Side By Side. Together, they speak on gospel-centered marriage and biblical community while raising four children, supporting medical families and encouraging couples to pursue resilience, grace and joy in Christ. | |
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Abstract Description: In the climb of medical life, marriage and family can feel the steepest parts of the journey. In this session, Joshua and Rebecca Lehman unpack Psalm 121 and explore how God, our Keeper, strengthens, steadies and sustains families in medicine. Through story, Scripture and practical rhythms, they invite couples to lift their eyes, rest in God’s faithful keeping and keep climbing together with courage and hope. |
Shared Ground: Practical Wisdom for Finance, Field and Faith
No CE credit available
Panel Discussion Facilitator: Emily Clark
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Mike Chupp, MD, FACS, (and Pam Chupp) a U.S. board certified general surgeon who completed his BA at Taylor University in 1984, his MD at Indiana University in 1988 and a general surgery residency at Methodist Hospital of Indiana in 1993. He worked at Southwestern Medical Clinic in Michigan until 2016. From 1996 to 2016, Mike and his wife Pam served as healthcare missionaries at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya. In 2016, they moved to Bristol, Tennessee, where Mike became Executive Vice President of Christian Medical & Dental Associations. In 2019, he was commissioned as CEO, a position he holds to the present. |
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Matthew and Krystal Mattox, married for seven years, have two young children, Novian (2) and Iris (<1). They live in Richmond, Virginia, where Matthew is a physical therapist and Krystal is a general dentist. Together, they run In Alignment, a company dedicated to helping dental professionals reduce chronic pain through postural rehab and ergonomics. Passionate about service, they actively contribute to the national CMDA, serving on various committees and in their local CMDA and church community. |
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Arthur Germakovski is a fifth-year MD/PhD candidate at the University at Buffalo, where he is currently completing his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences. He earned his bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and biology from Le Moyne College. His doctoral research focuses on drug metabolism and transport, with particular emphasis on elucidating mechanisms to prevent chemotherapy‑induced toxicities. Arthur currently serves as the Northeast Regional Student Representative for CMDA. With a strong commitment to integrating clinical practice with scientific discovery, he is interested in pursuing residency training in Psychiatry and Neurology, with a long‑term goal of a career centered on pharmaceutical research and movement disorders. |
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Karina Germakovski is a Pharm.D. and M.S. in Clinical and Translational Therapeutics candidate at the University at Buffalo. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of New Hampshire. With a strong commitment to clinical innovation and health equity, she aspires to become a clinician-scientist dedicated to integrating translational research with community-focused leadership. Karina previously served as chapter president of the Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International and currently serves on the Local Ministry Council for CMDA of Western New York. Through her leadership, she has successfully united students from diverse health professions to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, mentorship, and service initiatives centered on faith and healthcare. Karina, along with her husband Arthur, is passionate about supporting young couples interested in pursuing ministry through medicine together. They have both participated in missions and are deeply committed to serving others through compassionate care, mentorship, and global outreach. |
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Abstract Description: Hear real-life stories from those in the trenches of different stages of medical marriage. Panelists Dr. Mike and Pam Chupp, Drs. Mathew and Krystal Mattox and students Arthur and Karina Germakovski share practical wisdom on finances, career decisions and sustaining spiritual rhythms. Grounded in Scripture, this session equips couples to navigate life’s currents with steadiness. |
Trail Talk: Real Conversations for Real Challenges in Medicine (Rotating Table Talk)
No CE credit available
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Seth and Lindsay Ilgenfritz met during Seth’s medical school years and have been joyfully married for 18 years. Together they are raising seven children. Four years ago, they felt the Lord calling their family to step out in faith and take life on the road. Since then, Seth has served communities through locum tenens medical work, while Lindsay has ministered through Side By Side, encouraging and supporting those in the medical field. Together, they are passionate about loving the medical community well and pointing physicians and healthcare workers to the hope of a Lord who knows them personally and loves them deeply. | |
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Abstract Description: Medicine places unique pressures on couples navigating career, finances, faith, and family life. This interactive session creates space for honest conversation and shared wisdom among couples on the journey. Using a guided speed-table format, participants will rotate through three facilitated discussions on finances, career and calling, while integrating faith, marriage, and family. Framed by a trail theme, the session invites couples to learn from fellow “hikers” navigating similar terrain—gaining encouragement, perspective, and practical insight for the road ahead. |
Friday, April 24
Times and locations are subject to change.
CMDA Student Life is a network of campus chapters helping students live out the character of Christ on their campuses. We now have more than 300 campus ministries, representing 90 percent of the nation's medical and dental schools. We are here to help you THRIVE with a purpose during your healthcare training. Also, The National Resident & Fellow Community (NRFC) is the section of CMDA dedicated to connecting, mentoring, and empowering those of us in post-graduate training. Spread out across the US and a few other countries as well, we are a resident and fellow-driven ministry within CMDA designed to connect, mentor and empower Christian residents and fellows.
VIE Poster Session
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CMDA’s VIE Poster Session to challenge the perceived divide between Christianity and science, demonstrating that Christian professionals can excel academically while honoring God. Launched in 2017 at the TRANS-FORM National Convention, the initiative encouraged student and resident participation by offering a platform similar to academic conferences, complete with presentation opportunities and prizes. The inaugural session featured 12 diverse research posters and successfully increased attendance and funding support for participants. Building on this success, the 2018 session expanded to 26 submissions, improved its format, and showcased a wide range of medical research topics, further strengthening academic engagement, collaboration, and CMDA’s reputation while continuing its mission to integrate faith and scholarly excellence. |
VIE Poster Session
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CMDA’s VIE Poster Session to challenge the perceived divide between Christianity and science, demonstrating that Christian professionals can excel academically while honoring God. Launched in 2017 at the TRANS-FORM National Convention, the initiative encouraged student and resident participation by offering a platform similar to academic conferences, complete with presentation opportunities and prizes. The inaugural session featured 12 diverse research posters and successfully increased attendance and funding support for participants. Building on this success, the 2018 session expanded to 26 submissions, improved its format, and showcased a wide range of medical research topics, further strengthening academic engagement, collaboration, and CMDA’s reputation while continuing its mission to integrate faith and scholarly excellence. |
The Long View: Building a Life in Medicine That You Won’t Regret
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Gordon L. Chen, MD. As a board-certified cardiologist and internal medicine physician, Dr. Gordon Chen’s leadership is shaped by his invaluable experience as Chief Medical Officer at ChenMed, where he and his family built a personalized approach to healthcare that empowers individuals to live healthier, longer lives. With two decades of outcomes-based care experience helping adults across the country live longer, Gordon and Jessica embarked on a journey to integrate the 5 Drivers of Health and Wellness (Personal, Community, Physical, Nutrition and Spiritual) with the best of evidence-based longevity medicine. As the Chief Executive Officer of ThriveWell® and BLU by ThriveWell®, Gordon is driven by a vision: to create longevity communities where people can optimize their healthspan and be connected to their purpose. |
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Abstract Description: Coming soon... |
Friday, April 24
Times and locations are subject to change.
Presented by Barnabas Foundation's Philip Admiraal, JD, and Kurt Knoll, this breakout track offers straightforward, practical guidance for Christians who want to give wisely and plan well. Sessions introduce a powerful, tax-smart tool for simplifying and amplifying charitable giving, and provide a timely reminder that estate plans need regular attention as life evolves. Together, they equip attendees to be faithful, strategic stewards of the resources God has entrusted to them.
7 Reasons to Review Your Will
No CE credit available
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Philip Admiraal, JD, is Director of Planning at the Barnabas Foundation. He joined the Barnabas Foundation team in June 2025, bringing extensive tax law and planning experience to the role. Previously, Philip was an attorney at the IRS’s Office of Chief Counsel, representing the IRS in Tax Court and providing legal advice to the IRS. Prior to that, he spent 15 years at two large multinational companies providing tax counsel services. Philip is a graduate of Calvin University and holds a Juris Doctor degree and LLM in taxation from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Philip resides in Northwest Indiana with his family and attends Redeemer United Reformed Church in St. John, Indiana. He works out of Barnabas Foundation’s headquarters in Crete, Illinois. | |
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Kurt Knoll is Director of Investments and Member Relations at the Barnabas Foundation. In his role, Kurt provides strategy and overall direction for membership services and is the primary contact for new ministries seeking to partner with Barnabas Foundation. Kurt previously served as Barnabas Foundation’s director of finance and administration, and prior to that, held positions of chief financial officer, VP of finance and administration and corporate controller with various companies. He graduated cum laude with a bachelor of science in accounting from Northeastern Illinois University. | |
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Abstract Description: Life changes—and so should your will! During this session, Barnabas Foundation’s Philip Admiraal, JD, and Kurt Knoll will cover some of the most common situations that warrant an update to your estate plan, and they will provide practical next steps for getting it done. |
Smart, Streamlined Giving Through the Stewards Fund
No CE credit available
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Philip Admiraal, JD, is Director of Planning at the Barnabas Foundation. He joined the Barnabas Foundation team in June 2025, bringing extensive tax law and planning experience to the role. Previously, Philip was an attorney at the IRS’s Office of Chief Counsel, representing the IRS in Tax Court and providing legal advice to the IRS. Prior to that, he spent 15 years at two large multinational companies providing tax counsel services. Philip is a graduate of Calvin University and holds a Juris Doctor degree and LLM in taxation from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Philip resides in Northwest Indiana with his family and attends Redeemer United Reformed Church in St. John, Indiana. He works out of Barnabas Foundation’s headquarters in Crete, Illinois. | |
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Kurt Knoll is Director of Investments and Member Relations at the Barnabas Foundation. In his role, Kurt provides strategy and overall direction for membership services and is the primary contact for new ministries seeking to partner with Barnabas Foundation. Kurt previously served as Barnabas Foundation’s director of finance and administration, and prior to that, held positions of chief financial officer, VP of finance and administration and corporate controller with various companies. He graduated cum laude with a bachelor of science in accounting from Northeastern Illinois University. | |
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Abstract Description: Streamline your giving and amplify your kingdom impact! Join Barnabas Foundation’s Philip Admiraal, JD, and Kurt Knoll as they share how the Stewards Fund, a Christ-honoring donor-advised fund, can help you reduce taxes, hassles and headaches as you support the causes that matter most to you. |
Friday, April 24
Times and locations are subject to change.
TBD
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Gordon L. Chen, MD. As a board-certified cardiologist and internal medicine physician, Dr. Gordon Chen’s leadership is shaped by his invaluable experience as Chief Medical Officer at ChenMed, where he and his family built a personalized approach to healthcare that empowers individuals to live healthier, longer lives. With two decades of outcomes-based care experience helping adults across the country live longer, Gordon and Jessica embarked on a journey to integrate the 5 Drivers of Health and Wellness (Personal, Community, Physical, Nutrition and Spiritual) with the best of evidence-based longevity medicine. As the Chief Executive Officer of ThriveWell® and BLU by ThriveWell®, Gordon is driven by a vision: to create longevity communities where people can optimize their healthspan and be connected to their purpose. |
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Abstract Description: Coming soon... |
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