UPMC Hamot 2026 APPalooza APP Pearls for Practice

September 25, 2026

Join your colleagues to learn about the most recent updates related to a variety of fields affecting your patients.  Workshops throughout the day allow opportunities to build skills for success.  Ample time for questions from the audience has been built into each presentation.

Target Audience

This program is designed specifically for advanced practice providers interested in updating their practice and refreshing their knowledge related to common disease states, comorbidities and complications.

Course summary

Available credit: 
  • 5.50 AAPA Category I CME
  • 5.50 ANCC
    UPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
  • 5.50 Attendance
Course opens: 
05/21/2026
Course expires: 
12/31/2026
Event starts: 
09/25/2026 - 3:00am EDT
Event ends: 
09/25/2026 - 6:00pm EDT
Cost:
$1.00
Add to calendar: 

APPalooza Conference Program:

7:30 – 8

Registration/Continental Breakfast

 

8 – 8:05

Introduction

Katie Watson, DNP, CRNP

8:05 – 8:35

Community and Professional Engagement as an APP

Karin Wickwire, DNP

8:35 – 9:15

Antibiotic Time-Outs: De-escalating, Durations, and Discharge Decisions

Joseph Welch, PharmD

9:15 - 9:55

Optimizing Outpatient Hospice Care: Services, Access, and Patient Needs

Sharon Heidecker

9:55 – 10:10

Refreshment Break

 

10:10 – 10:50

Encephalopathy Workup

Eric Nturibi, MD

10:50 - 11:30

LGBTQ Outpatient Clinic Services

Nicole Ohmer

11:30 - 12:10

Reducing Length of Stay – Closing the Economic and Financial Gaps in Healthcare

Nicole Bennett, CRNP

12:10 – 12:40

Lunch/Networking

 

12:40 – 1:20

Best Practices in Outpatient Low Back Pain Management

Ian Osburn, MD

1:20 – 2

Early Onset Recovery for Psychosis Program

Elizabeth Sanders, MSSA, LCSW; Morgan Hilinski, PA-C

2 – 2:15

Refreshment Break

 

2:15 – 2:55

Neurosurgery Consults

Katherine Getty, CRNP

2:55 - 3:35

The APP Ladder and How to Climb it

Katie Watson, DNP, CRNP

3:35

Closing Remarks and Adjournment

 

Lincoln Education Room (UPMC Hamot Magees Women's Hospital)
Erie, PA
United States

APPalooza Conference:

  • Lincoln Education Room located inside of UPMC Hamot Magee-Womens in Erie, PA

SPECIAL NEEDS

 Advance notification of any special needs (i.e. gluten free or vegan meal, private room for nursing mothers, handicap accessibility) will help us provide better service. Please notify us of your needs at least two weeks in advance of the program by e-mailing the Hamot CME office at [email protected] or calling 814-877-5691.

 

Travel

If you are traveling from out of town and would a hotel stay, please e-mail [email protected] for a link to our discounted room rates.

Course Director:

Catherine Watson, DNP, CRNP

Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Critical Care Medicine/ Intensivist Department

UPMC Hamot

Faculty

  • Nicole Bennett, CRNP
  • Sharon Heidecker, CRNP
  • Morgan Hilinski, PA‑C
  • Allison McDonald, PA‑C
  • Ian Osburn, MD, MPH
  • Nicole Ohmer, CRNP
  • Elizabeth M. Sanders, MSSA, LCSW
  • Katie Watson, DNP, CRNP
  • Joseph Welch, PharmD
  • Karin Wickwire, DNP, CRNP, SANE-A, SANE-P

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

No relationships with industry relevant to the content of this educational activity have been disclosed.

Authors disclosure of relevant financial relationships with any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services, used on, or consumed by, patients is listed above. No other planners, members of the planning committee, content reviewers and/or anyone else in a position to control the content of this education activity have relevant financial relationships to disclose.

ACCREDITATION

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 ASSISTANT (AAPA)

The University of Pittsburgh has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 6.0 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation. 

NURSING (CNE)

The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 6.0 contact hours. Nurses should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation. 

 

Available Credit

  • 5.50 AAPA Category I CME
  • 5.50 ANCC
    UPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
  • 5.50 Attendance

If you are interested in exhibiting at this conference, please e-mail Haylee Esposito at [email protected], or call 814-877-5691.

Price

Cost:
$1.00
Please login or register to take this course.

Questions? Please reach out to [email protected] or call 814-877-5691.