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
Thursday, April 23
Times and locations are subject to change.
This breakout track offers a comprehensive look at recovery, resilience, and the evolving challenges facing today's healthcare professionals. Sessions will explore a faith-integrated approach to PTSD recovery through the five pillars of growth, examine the critical role of connection and relationship in the healing journey — with practical takeaways for both those in recovery and the providers who serve them — and equip attendees with a clinical understanding of Kratom as an emerging substance of abuse, covering its pharmacology, risks, and treatment implications. Grounded in both evidence-informed practice and a biblical worldview, this track blends interactive discussion with real-world application, offering valuable insights for counselors, healthcare professionals, and anyone invested in the future of holistic, compassionate care.
Christian Post-traumatic Growth
No CE credits available
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Don Middleton, DO, was board certified in family medicine and currently works in the field of addiction medicine, which he has done for the last decade. He is an author of five books on Christian addiction, serves as director of an international support group ministry and is a widely sought after national speaker. He and his wife have four children and three grandchildren, and they love love to travel the world. | |
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Abstract Description: Learning to develop the five pillars of growth is a mindset and an actual gameplan to emerge from PTSD that is becoming well known in the counseling world. In this talk, we discuss them and their application through a biblical worldview. |
Healing the Whole Person: Integrating Physical Health into Recovery Housing
No CE credits available
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Elizabeth A. Delaney, DNP, RN, CNS, FNP-BC, OCN, ACHPN, is a respected nurse leader, educator, and advocate whose work bridges clinical excellence, whole-person wellness, and Christ-centered recovery support. She serves as Chief Wellness Officer for Her Story House, where she helps advance a nurse-led model of care for women in recovery, and as Lead Program Evaluator for The Cleft/GOODLIFE, supporting evidence-informed prevention, wellness, and recovery initiatives that strengthen individuals, families, and communities. With more than 30 years of experience in oncology, palliative care, hospice, and supportive services, Dr. Delaney has served in leadership and advanced practice roles at 4CancerWellness, The Ohio State University’s James Cancer Hospital, Dayton Physicians Network, and Miami Valley Hospital. She has also invested in the next generation of healthcare professionals through nursing education and academic leadership at Cedarville University. Known for bringing compassion, credibility, and practical wisdom to complex spaces, Beth has helped develop and evaluate innovative wellness and recovery models that honor both dignity and healing. Her work with Her Story House and GOODLIFE reflects a deep commitment to caring for the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—while equipping organizations and communities to respond with excellence. Dr. Delaney earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from The Ohio State University and holds board certifications as a Family Nurse Practitioner, Oncology Certified Nurse, and Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse. She is a frequent speaker, collaborator, and contributor to initiatives that advance health, recovery, and hope. |
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Abstract Description: Individuals entering recovery housing often carry a heavy burden of untreated physical illness—malnutrition, sleep disruption, infection risk, nicotine dependence, chronic disease, and low confidence navigating the healthcare system. While recovery residences provide essential structure and peer support, physical health frequently remains fragmented or overlooked, quietly weakening long-term recovery stability. This session introduces a nurse-led Recovery Wellness model developed inside recovery housing that intentionally reconnects physical health, behavioral recovery, and spiritual restoration. Grounded in SAMHSA’s wellness and recovery frameworks and informed by behavioral change science, the program translates complex health concepts into simple, literacy-appropriate practices residents can apply immediately. Drawing from implementation across multiple recovery residences and more than 500 participant evaluations, the presentation demonstrates how small, structured wellness interventions—nutrition awareness, sleep restoration, infection prevention, tobacco cessation, and improved healthcare engagement—can strengthen both recovery outcomes and overall health. For physicians, dentists, and healthcare professionals who care deeply about whole-person healing, this session offers a practical view of how recovery housing can become a powerful partner in restoring health, rebuilding dignity, and supporting lasting recovery in body, mind, and spirit. |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Identify common physical health conditions and lifestyle risk factors frequently present among individuals entering recovery housing—including nutrition deficits, sleep disruption, infection risk, tobacco use, and barriers to healthcare navigation—and evaluate how these factors influence recovery stability and overall patient health outcomes. 2. Describe the structure and implementation of a nurse-led Recovery Wellness model that integrates health literacy education, behavioral change strategies, and lifestyle risk-reduction practices within recovery housing environments without medicalizing the residential setting. 3. Apply practical strategies to strengthen collaboration between healthcare providers and recovery housing programs by integrating small, evidence-informed wellness interventions that improve patient engagement in care, support healthier behaviors, and reinforce sustained recovery outcomes. |
The Opposite of Addiction is Connection
No CE credits available
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Brad Bauer resides in Buffalo, New York. He is a full-time project coordinator for a worldwide manufacturer and a volunteer recovery coach. Brad is a widowed father of one adult son. Active in the local Wesleyan church, he is also a bass guitar player, rollerblader / rollerskater and motorcycle rider. He is grateful every day for God's grace and kindness.Brad Bauer resides in Buffalo, New York. He is a full-time project coordinator for a worldwide manufacturer and a volunteer recovery coach. Brad is a widowed father of one adult son. Active in the local Wesleyan church, he is also a bass guitar player, rollerblader / rollerskater and motorcycle rider. He is grateful every day for God's grace and kindness. | |
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Abstract Description: Under an overarching theme of the importance of connection and relationship during the recovery journey, we will examine two principles directly helpful for the person in recovery and one principle of self care for the healthcare professional. Interaction will be encouraged. |
Kratom: A Trojan Horse
1 Hour CE Credit Available
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Kurt R. Bravata, MD, FASAM, grew up in a Christian home where his parents were very involved in ministry outreaches to the poor, outcast and downtrodden. From a young age, he was impressed by the joy and fulfillment of seeing lives restored and hope given to the hopeless. He determined early on that he wanted to follow Christ and make a real and lasting difference in people's lives. Although Dr. Bravata did not initially set out to become an addictionologist, he soon felt called by God to share His grace by helping to lead people out of lives of deeply rooted hurt, dysfunction and addiction. As a family physician, Dr. Bravata simply responded to the need for effective, evidence-based treatment of substance use disorders in his rural patient population. This growing passion led Dr. Bravata to seek education in addiction medicine, become DATA 2000 waivered to prescribe buprenorphine and eventually obtain Addiction Medicine Board Certification through the practice pathway provided by the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM). Along the way, Dr. Bravata has been involved in local and national family and addiction medicine leadership, education and publication. | |
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Abstract Description: Discussion will focus on Kratom as a substance of abuse, including pharmacology, prevalence, availability, risks and addiction treatment. |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Discuss the pharmacology of Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa). |
Thursday, April 23
Times and locations are subject to change.
This breakout track explores the evolving landscape of mental health practice through four dynamic sessions. From tackling clinician burnout through a digital well-being lens, to the cutting-edge promise of Precision Psychiatry, providers will gain forward-looking tools for individualized patient care. Sessions also equip clinicians to engage today's youth with greater understanding of the worldviews driving their healthcare choices and suicide risk, while a final session presents an integrative, whole-person approach to depression that extends well beyond traditional treatment. Together, this track offers a bold, evidence-informed vision of mental healthcare honoring the full complexity of mind, body, and spirit.
Burnout and Well-being in the Digital Age
1 Hour CE Credit Available
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Elizabeth Brown, DO, completed her undergraduate degree at Covenant College, studied medicine at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences and trained in psychiatry at Banner University Medical Center in Arizona. A resident of the Phoenix area, she practices psychiatry among the tribal population as well as in a private practice setting. | |
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Abstract Description: Clinician burnout is a widely recognized phenomenon, but less recognized is the impact of healthcare's digitization on clinician burnout. In this session, an overview of burnout and individual and organizational solutions to burnout will be explored, with a special emphasis on digital well-being as an antidote to burnout. We will also briefly examine the spiritual dimensions of digital well-being. |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Summarize clinician burnout and remedies. |
Precision Psychiatry: Beyond Trial and Error Treatment
1 Hour CE Credit Available
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Mizyl Damayo, MD, ABPN, ABAM, ABPM, is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the Board of Preventive Medicine in Addiction Medicine. She is the owner of Paradise Behavioral Health, a mental health clinic in Florida and creator of the Brain Well Program. She uses the integrative and the precision psychiatry model in treating her patients, using biomarkers such as labs and genetic testing to get to the root cause of psychiatric symptoms with an emphasis on supplements, lifestyle and therapy for primary treatment. She is also an adjunct professor at Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine. | |
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Abstract Description: This activity will explore Precision Psychiatry, an emerging paradigm that leverages advancements in neuroscience, 'omics (genomics, proteomics), advanced neuroimaging, digital phenotyping, and artificial intelligence (AI) to move toward individualized patient care. We will examine how these data-driven approaches enable clinicians to better stratify patients, predict treatment response (including pharmacogenomics), and develop targeted interventions for complex conditions like depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. The presentation will feature actionable clinical insights, case examples illustrating the use of specific precision tools, and a critical discussion of the current barriers and future trajectory of integrating these cutting-edge strategies into routine clinical practice. |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Define precision psychiatry and differentiate it from traditional diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. 2. Identify key biological and digital biomarkers (e.g., genetic variants, neuroimaging findings, digital passive data) being investigated for use in patient stratification and treatment prediction. 3. Evaluate the clinical utility and current limitations of pharmacogenomic testing in psychopharmacology. |
The Weight of Nothing: Nihilism's Influence on Youth Mental Health and Lifestyle Choices
1 Hour CE Credit Available
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Jessie N. Rice, MD, ABPN, ABOIM, earned her medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine. She completed her psychiatry residency at University of Washington in Seattle, Washington; her child psychiatry fellowship at University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, Michigan; and her integrative psychiatry fellowship at University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. She is board certified in general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, as well as in integrative medicine through the American Board of Integrative Medicine. She practices psychiatry at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. | |
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Kristen Pagel, MD, MPH, is a child and adolescent psychiatrist practicing in Utah. She primarily works in the inpatient setting, but she has recently been able to serve the broader community more by adding work with schools and primary care practitioners. She spends her free time with her husband and five homeschooled children, traveling, enjoying the outdoors or reading a good book. | |
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Abstract Description: Clinician burnout is a widely recognized phenomenon, but less recognized is the impact of healthcare's digitization on clinician burnout. In this session, an overview of burnout and individual and organizational solutions to burnout will be explored, with a special emphasis on digital well-being as an antidote to burnout. We will also briefly examine the spiritual dimensions of digital well-being. |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Describe approaching patients who have a nihilistic worldview and have the skills to engage them in their treatment.
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Depression: Mind-Body-Spirit Approach to Healing
1 Hour CE Credit Available
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Ria Battaglino, MD, FAPA, is a board-certified psychiatrist and integrative mental health physician, as well as Medical Director of Natural Mind MD, PLLC in Cary, North Carolina. She integrates medication management, psychotherapy and holistic healing, bridging conventional medicine with attention to spirituality, including Christian perspectives, as well as nutrition and lifestyle intervention. She has additional training in emerging areas of mental healthcare, including research-informed psychedelic-assisted therapy. She is a MAPS-trained psychedelic therapist and holds certificates in psychedelic therapy and research from the California Institute of Integral Studies and other institutions. Dr. Battaglino has lectured widely on integrative approaches to mood disorders and emerging areas of psychiatric care and is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. | |
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Abstract Description: Depression is a complex disorder affecting the mind, body and spirit. Achieving optimal outcomes requires a holistic, evidence-based framework that extends beyond conventional pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic treatments. Integrative modalities—including nutritional psychiatry, exercise, spirituality, gut-brain interventions and emerging psychedelic-assisted therapies—offer new pathways for improving mood, reducing side effects and enhancing overall health and functioning. |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Examine the evolving role of psychedelic medicine as an adjunctive treatment modality. |
Thursday, April 23
Times and locations are subject to change.
This breakout track explores the intersection of faith, medicine, and culture, equipping Christian healthcare professionals to navigate today's complex landscape. Sessions examine how faith should inform ethical practice and advocacy in an increasingly consumer-driven medical culture, how the historic divide between the church and healthcare can be healed for the benefit of both, and how to engage graciously with those who hold differing viewpoints — listening well, asking good questions, and speaking truth in love. Together, these sessions offer a practical, faith-rooted framework for integration, advocacy, and courageous dialogue across every arena of healthcare.
Is There No Balm in Gilead? Taking Back the Healing Profession
1 Hour CE Credit Available
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Catherine J. Wheeler, MD, FACOG, is an OB/Gyn physician who practiced in Salt Lake City, Utah for 24 years. She was an originating shareholder of a private OB/Gyn practice. Later, she developed a midlife women’s health clinic at the University of Utah, followed by a gynecology clinic with HCA St. Mark’s Hospital. She served a term as Utah Medical Association President. Dr. Wheeler now lives in Colorado, where she is a frequent speaker for life and regarding the reality of abortion, provides testimony, writes informational opinion pieces, gives interviews, serves on the AAPLOG Board and as the Colorado chapter President. | |
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Abstract Description: In this session, we will explore the intersection of faith, medicine and advocacy. We will examine the purpose of medicine and faith’s unique role in informing the practice of medicine in a culture that has turned medicine into a consumer model of medicine based on “social contract” and autonomy, rather than a healing profession who swear to the Hippocratic Oath for each patient. We will explore the questions: Is it a medical professional’s ethical and professional duty to engage in advocacy? How does faith inform any potential engagement? Who are we responsible to in advocacy? What might advocacy look like for a Christian medical professional? The speaker’s experience in pro-life advocacy will inform the discussion, yet it will be applicable to other areas needing advocacy. |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Identify one area in their expertise to engage in advocacy for. |
A Biblical View of Health: How the Church Can Inform Medicine and Medicine Can Inform the Church
No CE credits available
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Bob Cutillo, MD, is a family physician who has worked for most of his career in faith-based healthcare for the uninsured and underserved, spending several years in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) as a medical missionary. He writes and teaches on the how a biblical view of health can inform our culture’s view of sickness and death, leading to a wiser and more just healthcare system. He is the author of Pursuing Health in an Anxious Age (Crossway, 2016) and Holding on in the Storm (Read the Spirit Books, 2025). | |
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Abstract Description: There has long been confusion and conflict in our current age between faith and medicine. This separation has been unhealthy for both the church and the health care practitioner. It is particularly challenging for students in medicine and health care who follow Jesus as Lord, as it contributes to a de-formation of the integration they seek between their faith and their work. In this workshop, we will explore how bonds can be re-formed, how the church can support those who serve in health care, and how those in our congregations who work in health care can strengthen the church's witness in our common hope for healing. |
These Three Things as Friend and Foe: Scientific Medicine, Government and the Church
No CE credits available
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Mark A. Pearson, MA (Oxon), DMin, was born and raised in Leominster, Massachusetts. He attended Williams College, receiving a BA honors in history, Phi Beta Kappa, from Oxford University, MA in Theology, Boston University, and a Doctorate in Ministry. He served as an Anglican priest for 50 years, doing a combination of local church work and seminary teaching. He is an author of five books, especially Christian Healing: A Practical and Comprehensive Guide. Co‑founder with CMDA leader Dr. Mary Pearson of New Creation Healing Center, Kingston, New Hampshire—intentionally Christian, bringing together family practice medicine, massage, Christian counseling. He has been serving for 10 years in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, including six years chairing Department of Health and Human Services Oversight Committee. They have three adult children and four grandchildren. He loves the Boston Red Sox and basset hounds. | |
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Abstract Description: We will examine how these three sometimes work together, sometimes oppose each other throughout history, as a background to what we face today. As a 50-year clergy member/theology professor and veteran 10-year state legislator, and a part-time medical center CEO married to a physician, Mark Pearson live in this tension constantly. What can we do to honor God's will and enhance people's health. |
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Educational Objectives: Here we are as Christians in a medical field and with governments that are not as supportive as they once were. How to we navigate the mind field? We will examine historically (my honors bachelor's degree from Williams was in history -- Graves Essay Prize winner in History, I teach Church History at the graduate school level) how science/the church/governments intertwined, sometimes cordially, sometimes not, to examine how we can function today.
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Dialogue and Disagreement
1 Hour CE Credit Available
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Brick Lantz, MD, retired after 34 years in private practice in orthopedics. He is a lifetime CMDA member, is medical director of a local pregnancy center, leads an undergraduate chapter of CMDA at the University of Oregon, is the Oregon State Director of the American Academy of Medical Ethics, is a previous member of CMDA’s Board of Trustees and currently serves as CMDA's Vice President of Advocacy and Bioethics. He recently finished his master’s of bioethics at Trinity International University. He facilitated the development of CMDA's Bridging the Gap curriculum for churches. | |
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Abstract Description: This will be an interactive training session how to engage in conversation with others that have a different viewpoint and/or different worldview. This may include fellow believers, colleagues, patients, progressive "Christians" or policy makers. Listening and asking good questions are essential. Speaking the truth in love is not always easy. We will use examples how to convey truth and respect the other individual(s). We must examine our own hearts as we espouse truth. |
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Educational Objectives: 1. Recognize patient care can be improved with good listening skills, curiosity, respect and conveying truth. |
Thursday, April 23
Times and locations are subject to change.
Barnabas Foundation's Philip Admiraal, JD, and Kurt Knoll, this breakout track offers practical, accessible guidance on estate planning and strategic generosity. Sessions cover how to avoid the most common mistakes in wills and trusts to ensure your estate truly reflects your values, and how to leverage smart giving strategies — including tax-reducing gifts, income-generating gifts, and legacy gifts — to multiply the impact of your generosity in ways that benefit both your family and the causes closest to your heart. Whether you are just getting started or looking to be a better steward of what you have been given, this track equips you with the knowledge and tools to plan wisely and give generously.
Hidden Mistakes in Your Estate Plan
No CE credits 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: Most people understand the importance and power of having a completed will or trust in place. But knowing what you need to do, and knowing how to do it, are two very different things. Listen as Barnabas Foundation’s Philip Admiraal, JD, and Kurt Knoll share how you can ensure your will reflects your personal values and goals by avoiding common mistakes in your estate plan. |
Smart and Powerful Giving
No CE credits 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: Did you know there are smart and powerful ways to increase the impact of your giving—often while benefiting your family, too? By understanding the available options, you can multiply the end results of your generosity in ways that are simple, flexible, cost-effective and powerful. Join Barnabas Foundation’s Philip Admiraal, JD, and Kurt Knoll as they discuss gifts that reduce taxes, gifts that pay income and gifts in a will. |
Thursday, April 23
Times and locations are subject to change.
Lift Up Your Eyes and See
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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: The global landscape of mission is rapidly changing. New geopolitical realities, technological advances and shifting patterns of healthcare are reshaping how medical mission happens. Yet the needs remain immense. Around the world, Christian healthcare professionals are uniquely positioned to serve through clinical care, teaching, leadership, innovation and witness. By lifting our eyes beyond traditional models of mission, we can recognize the new ways God is working—through partnerships, tentmaking, training and the strengthening of national Christian medical movements. The challenge for this generation is to remain open to God’s leading and to participate boldly in His mission to bring both healing and the gospel to every nation. |
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