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ForwardUPMC St. Margaret 21st Annual Clinical Research Forum| July 31, 2026
The UPMC St. Margaret Evidence-Based Practice and Research Council is honored to present the 21st Annual Clinical Research Forum. This conference will be held in person and virtually on Friday, July 31, 2026, and will highlight impactful projects from throughout UPMC.
Target Audience
This conference is open to all healthcare providers interested in learning about current clinical nursing research and a variety of evidence-based and quality improvement projects.
Learning Objectives
At the completion of this conference, the learner will be able to:
- Describe ways to improve clinical outcomes, patient safety, and the patient experience based on current evidence and research.
- Identify strategies for enriching the patient experience and quality of patient care, drawing from current research and evidence-based frameworks.
- Explain the critical role of evidence-based research in shaping and implementing clinical process improvements to advance patient care.
8:30 AM | Registration and Breakfast |
9:00 AM | Executive Welcome and Conference Overview Karen Bell MSN, RN, NE-BC |
9:15 AM | Keynote CeCe Zamarripa, PhD, RN, CWON |
10:15 AM | Building a Better Barrier: A Quality Improvement Project Standardizing Use of a Cyanoacrylate-Based Skin Protectant to Reduce Pressure Injuries Sarah Frank BSN, RN, CCRN Kayla McCormick MSN, RN Valerie Vater MSN, RN, CNRN, SCRN |
10:35 AM | Ready When It Counts: Improving Confidence Through Off-Shift Mock Codes. Nicole Hood, DNP, RN, MEDSURG-BC Sarah Londono, MSN, RN, CCRN |
10:55 AM | Break - Poster Review |
11:05 AM | Tradition to Truth: Introduction – Fact or Fiction #1 Jennifer Vonada, MSN, RN, PCCN, CNIM |
11:15 AM | Holistic Heroes: Promoting Wellness & Gratitude on an Inpatient Nursing Unit |
11:35 AM | Feel The Heat: Prevention of Hypothermia in Trauma Patients Through a Nurse-Driven Protocol Kristen Sandridge MSN, RN, CPEN, CPN |
11:55 AM | A Quality Improvement Initiative to Expand Ultrasound-Guided IV and Phlebotomy Skills Among Bedside Nurses Edward Baitt BSN, RN Timothy Herzer MSN, RN |
12:15 PM | Lunch & Pittsburgh Trivia |
1:15 PM | Tradition to Truth: Fact or Fiction #2 Emily Wickline, PhD, MSN, RN, CMSRN |
1:30 PM | From Reactive to Proactive: Resource Intensive Care Nurse Rounding Jordan Lisiecki MSN, RN, CCRN |
1:50 PM | Increasing Independence and Oral Intake Using Adaptive Feeding Equipment Courtney G. Riedel, MS, RDN, LDN, NWCC, CNSC |
2:10 PM | Break - Poster Review |
2:20 PM | A quality improvement initiative utilizing HELP to reduce delirium, improve patient outcomes, and provide age friendly care for patients 65 years of age or older with delirium risk factors Maggie Blake, MSN, RN |
2:40 PM | Tradition to Truth: Fact or Fiction #3 Marilu Piotrowski, PhD, MSN, RN Denise Kral, BSN, RN, CCRN, CEN |
2:50 PM | Basket Raffel, Poster Winners, Evaluation, and Closing Remarks Jennifer Vonada MSN, RN, PCCN, CNIM |
3:00 PM | Adjournment |
If attending from another UPMC facility, please park in visitor lot BC and your parking will be validated during registration.
Karen Bell MSN, RN, NE-BC
Podium Presenters:
Jennifer Vonada, MSN, RN, PCCN, CNIM
CeCe Zamarripa, PhD, RN, CWON
Sarah Frank BSN, RN, CCRN
Kayla McCormick MSN, RN
Valerie Vater MSN, RN, CNRN, SCRN
Nicole Hood, DNP, RN, MEDSURG-BC
Sarah Londono, MSN, RN, CCRN
Maria Hamidi, MSN, RN, NPD-BC
Kristen Sandridge MSN, RN, CPEN, CPN
Edward Baitt BSN, RN
Timothy Herzer MSN, RN
Emily Wickline, PhD, MSN, RN, CMSRN
Jordan Lisiecki MSN, RN, CCRN
Courtney G. Riedel, MS, RDN, LDN, NWCC, CNSC
Maggie Blake, MSN, RN
Marilu Piotrowski, PhD, MSN, RN
Denise Krall BSN RN CCRN CEN
Poster Presentations:
- Stacey Adzima DNP, RN
- Debbie Tan, MD
- Alexandria Taylor, PharmD, BCPS & Camryn Molnar, PharmD
- Kerri Sikina MSN, RN
- Clare Blanchette BSN, RN
Jennifer Bitz MSN, RN, PCCN, CPHQ
- Lindsey Swain MSN, RN
- Brittiny Dzuricky RN
Courtney Ross MSN, RN, CEN
Linda Yelen BSN, RN, SCRN
- Teresa O’Malley, MSN, RN, CCRN
Melissa Murphy, BSN, RN, IBCLC
Adrienne Marcinick, MSIRT, BSN, RN, NI-BC
Jenna Stefin, MS, RD, LDN
Carla Harris, BS, MBA
Abeer Azzuqa, MD
*No members of the planning committee, speakers, presenters, authors, content reviewers and/or anyone else in a position to control the content of this education activity have relevant financial relationships with any companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
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.
This activity is approved for the following credit: ANCC. Other healthcare professionals will receive a certificate of attendance confirming the number of contact hours commensurate with the extent of participation in this activity.
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 5.0 contact hours.
Available Credit
- 5.00 ANCCUPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
- 5.00 Attendance
Registration is complimentary and available by clicking on the Register/Complete Course button. Please indicate if you will be attending the conference in person or virtually. For assistance with registration or claiming your continuing education credits, please contact Jennifer Vonada at [email protected].