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Forward2026 Donald B. Middleton, MD Refresher Course in Family Medicine
The 48th Annual Family Medicine Refresher Course conference provides quality continuing education to family physicians, primary care physicians, students, residents, fellows, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals interested in primary care. This two-and-a-half-day event features continually changing topics and speakers, with an agenda developed by a multidisciplinary collaboration of expert faculty and practicing providers. It continues to yield a robust attendance “in our own backyard” from Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and New York. The conference will offer special breakout sessions designed to meet the needs of busy practitioners including lifestyle medicine, diabetes monitoring technology, and point-of-care ultrasound.
We are pleased to feature a board review course designed to help participants prepare for the ABFM Board Examination. This focused session will review key topics across the breadth of family medicine and provide practical test-taking strategies to support success on the boards. Family medicine residents, fellows, and practicing physicians are welcome to attend, with residents especially encouraged to participate. Whether you’re preparing for your first certification exam or pursuing recertification, this session offers valuable insight and preparation to boost your confidence and performance.
Nexplanon Training (Friday, February 27, 2026 from 8:30 - 10:30 am)
We are pleased to offer a Nexplanon Training Session as part of this year’s course. This hands-on workshop will provide participants with the opportunity to receive clinical training on the insertion and removal of Nexplanon. Attendees who complete the session will be eligible to obtain certification for Nexplanon placement. Free to attend (included with course registration)
Space is limited, and participation will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for registered course attendees.
Special Event
UPMC has generously sponsored a suite for the Pittsburgh Penguins game on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. The suite will host 22 attendees. Participants who register among the first 50 course registrants will automatically be entered into a random drawing to attend the game. Winners will be notified by Friday, January 30, 2026.
Target Audience
Primary Care Physicians
Resident Physicians
Nurse Practitioners
Physician Assistants
Clinical Pharmacists
Physical Therapists
Medical Students
Nurses
Learning Objectives
Implement a community-first approach in family medicine to enhance population health and effectively address local health priorities.
Integrate knowledge and skills from the course to optimize patient-centered care in diverse clinical settings.
Identify and engage in interprofessional collaboration to advance team-based care and improve health outcomes.
Program Course Schedule
THURSDAY, February 26th
7:00am Registration / Continental Breakfast / Visit Exhibits
7:25am OPENING CEREMONY and WELCOME
7:30am PLENARY 1 - Women’s Health and/or General Affirming Care - Molly Fisher (AHN)
8:00am Question / Answer PANEL
8:10am PLENARY 2 - Steroid treatment and benefit/harm on various infectious disease outcomes - Raymond Pontzer
8:40am PLENARY 3 - Nutrition - Lindsay Nakaishi
9:10am Question / Answer PANEL
9:20am Keynote Speaker #1: Whole Health and the evidence for this comprehensive approach to benefit diverse populations - Jeanette South-Paul
10:10am Question Answer PANEL
10:20am BREAK / Visit Exhibits
10:45am BREAKOUT SESSION 1
A1 OMT - Jeff Lineman, Laura Bucci and Justine Bensur
A2 Assistive Technology - Rebecca Russell and Emily Pauley
A3 EPIC Tips and Tricks - Rebecca Halvorsen
11:25am Transition Time
11:30am BREAKOUT SESSION 1
(A1-E1 Repeated)
A1 OMT - Jeff Lineman, Laura Bucci and Justine Bensur
A2 Assistive Technology - Rebecca Russell and Emily Pauley
A3 EPIC Tips and Tricks - Rebecca Halvorsen
12:10pm Lunch / Visit Exhibits
1:00pm PLENARY 4 - Top 10 Scholarly Articles - Greg Castelli
1:30pm PLENARY 5 - Diabetes - Scott Brown
2:00pm Question / Answer PANEL
2:10pm BREAK / Visit Exhibits
2:25pm BREAKOUT SESSION 3
B1 Primary Care Dermatology - Winfred Frazier
B2 Minimizing Bias in Documentation - Gretchen Shelesky
B3 POCUS - Jim Liszewski and Erin Meier
3:05pm Transition Time
3:10pm BREAKOUT SESSION 3
(B1-B3 Repeated)
B1 Primary Care Dermatology - Winfred Frazier
B2 Minimizing Bias in Documentation - Gretchen Shelesky
B3 POCUS - Jim Liszewski and Erin Meier
3:50pm Break / Visit Exhibits
4:00pm Plenary 6 - Immunization Update - Rick Zimmerman
4:30pm Plenary 7 - Hypertension Update - Laura Novak
5:00pm Question / Answer PANEL
5:10pm Adjourn
Program Course Schedule
FRIDAY, February 27th
8:30am to 10:30am – Nexplanon Training
7:00am Registration / Continental Breakfast / Visit Exhibits
7:25am Opening Remarks
7:30am PLENARY 8 - Rural Medicine - John Boll
8:00am Question / Answer PANEL
8:10am KEYNOTE SPEAKER 2 - Physician Advocacy - Arvind Venkat
9:00am Question / Answer PANEL
9:10am BREAK / Visit Exhibits
9:25am PLENARY 9 - HIV and/or Anal Dysplasia - Steve Wolfe
9:55am PLENARY 10 - Pediatric Rashes - Bridget K Peterson
10:25am Question / Answer PANEL
10:35am BREAK / Visit Exhibits
10:45am BREAKOUT SESSION 1
C1 Precision Medicine - Kevin Lee
C2 Men’s Health Topics in Lifestyle Medicine - Nick Dominick
C3 Rheumatology in Primary Care - Adam Dore
11:25am Transition Time
11:30am BREAKOUT SESSION 2
(C1-C3 Repeated)
C1 Precision Medicine - Kevin Lee
C2 Men’s Health Topics in Lifestyle Medicine - Nick Dominick
C3 Rheumatology in Primary Care - Adam Dore
12:10pm Lunch & Visit Exhibits
1:00pm PLENARY 11 - Teen Sleep Loss in a Public Health Crisis: Here’s what you can do - Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse
1:30pm PLENARY 12 - COPD Management - Frank Sciurba
2:00pm Question / Answer PANEL
2:10pm BREAK / Visit Exhibits
2:25pm BREAKOUT SESSION 4
D1 Physician Leadership - Eric Frankel
D2 CGM Management in Primary Care - Heather Sakely & pharmacy team
D3 Approach to Neuropathies - Joshua Smith
3:05pm Transition Time
3:10pm BREAKOUT SESSION 4
(D1-D3 Repeated)
D1 Physician Leadership - Eric Frankel
D2 CGM Management in Primary Care - Heather Sakely & pharmacy team
D3 Approach to Neuropathies - Joshua Smith
3:50pm BREAK / Visit Exhibits
4:00pm PLENARY 13 - Neuropsych aspects of the reproductive lifespan - Em Ketterer
4:30pm PLENARY 14 - Delirium - Lyn Weinberg
5:00pm Question / Answer PANEL
5:10pm Adjournment
Program Course Schedule
Saturday, February 28th
Board Review Breakout – Martin Johns (8am to 11am) - FM Residents (audience)
7:00am Registration / Continental Breakfast / Visit Exhibits
7:25am Opening remarks
7:30am PLENARY 15 - Common Eye Problems - Evan Waxman
8:00am Question / Answer PANEL
8:10am BREAK / Visits Exhibits
8:25am PLENARY 16 - Lifestyle Medicine - Michelle Thompson
8:55am PLENARY 17 - Pediatric Pearls - Don Middleton
9:25am Question / Answer PANEL
9:35am BREAK / Visit Exhibits
9:50am PLENARY 18 - Physician Wellness - Arthi Chawla
10:20am PLENARY 19 - Concussions - Donald Ours
10:50am PLENARY 20 - Common Pediatric Illnesses - Andrew Nowalk
11:20am Question / Answer PANEL
11:30am Adjournment
Hotel(s) offering your special group rate:
Sheraton Pittsburgh Hotel at Station Square for 179.00 USD per night - Last Day to Book: Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Book your group rate for The University of Pittsburgh-Department of Family Medicine
In support of improving patient care, the University of Pittsburgh is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Physician (CME)
The University of Pittsburgh designates this live activity for a maximum of 19.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit[s]™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity
Nursing (CNE)
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 19.5 contact hours.
Pharmacy (CPE)
This knowledge-based activity provides TBD contact hours of continuing pharmacy education credit.
Other Healthcare Professionals: Other health care professionals will receive a certificate of attendance confirming the number of contact hours commensurate with the extent of participation in this activity.
Price
Registration Fees:
MDs, DOs, - $550
Nurses, NPs, PAs, PharmDs, and other HCPs - $325
Fellows, Residents - $300
Students - $100
Coordinators, Administrative Staff - $175
Virtual Attendance - $350
One-day Attendance* - $275
Same Day Registration - $600
Nexplanon Training (Friday, February 27, 2026 (from 8:30 - 10:30 am)
We are pleased to offer a Nexplanon Training Session as part of this year’s course. This hands-on workshop will provide participants with the opportunity to receive clinical training on the insertion and removal of Nexplanon. Attendees who complete the session will be eligible to obtain certification for Nexplanon placement. Free to attend (included with course registration)
Space is limited, and participation will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for registered course attendees.
To Register for the Nexplanon Training: CLICK HERE
Special Event
UPMC has generously sponsored a suite for the Pittsburgh Penguins game on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. The suite will host 22 attendees. Participants who register among the first 50 course registrants will automatically be entered into a random drawing to attend the game. Winners will be notified by Friday, January 30, 2026.