Geriatric Care Certification Course

Lois A. Fenner McBride, RN, MS, JD, is an honor’s graduate of the University of Maryland Graduate School of Nursing, Undergraduate School of Nursing, and University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. She is an attorney admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Federal Bar and the Maryland Bar. Nurse-Attorney Fenner is a compact licensed registered nurse and a certified clinical nurse specialist.

She is a founding member of The American Association of Nurse Attorneys, past president of the Monumental Bar Association, a member of the Women’s Bar Association, and the Trial Lawyers Association. Nurse-Attorney Fenner has been recognized by the Alliance of Black Women Attorneys with the Distinguished Women in Law award and has been recognized as a Baltimore Business Journal’s Who’s Who in Law, with a selection as a Super Lawyer twice.

Nurse-Attorney Fenner’s law practice today focuses on medical/healthcare litigation and consulting including medical malpractice, licensure, credentialing, administrative and litigation matters. She is a dynamic speaker with a realistic hands-on approach to resolving issues and minimizing risks for patients, clients and health care professionals.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Lois Fenner maintains a private practice. She receives compensation as a Nurse Attorney, Consultant, Educator-Lecturer, and Nurse Clinical Specialist. Lois Fenner receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Lois Fenner is a member of the Maryland Bar Association, the American Nurse-Attorney Association, the American Bar Association, and others. For a complete list, please contact info@pesi.com.

Lores J. Vlaminck, MA, BSN, RN, CHPN, LALD
Principal, Lores Consulting, LLC

Lores Consulting, LLC has been a leading provider of consulting, training, and mentoring for hospice, assisted living, home care and related health care providers for the past 17 years. "Lores has the heart of a teacher, and her passion is to support others in the hospice, palliative, and the home care industry."

Lores Consulting, LLC provides providers with education training and mentoring as well as mock surveys, agency analysis and audits. Drawing on her 45 years of nursing experience, Lores seeks to empower all her client providers to utilize their skills and expertise to reach their greatest potential. Her extensive nursing background includes clinical practice in cardiac and intensive care, outpatient clinic services, as well as serving as a home care and hospice administrator/director for 19 years in greater Minnesota.

In addition to being a certified hospice and palliative care nurse, Lores is also a trainer for the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) curriculum that encompasses palliative and hospice care. She was named the "2010 Geriatric ELNEC Educator of the Year" by ELNEC.

Speaking topics include end-of-life care, grief and loss, compassion fatigue, professional boundaries, pain and symptom management, and many health and employee related topics. Lores also offers national, international consulting and mentoring services – encompassing education, training and compliance evaluations – to hospice and home care agencies, assisted living providers, and long-term care facilities.

As Principal of Lores Consulting, LLC, Lores sees her company’s mission to coach and encourage care providers to work to the ‘top of their license’ to ensure excellence in their delivery of care.

Currently, Lores serves as a board member of three non-profit health care organizations, and is a national speaker for PESI Healthcare and ELNEC. Lores is a graduate of Bethel University in St Paul, MN and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, as well as a master’s degree in nursing education.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Lores Vlaminck receives compensation as an independent consultant, coach, and educator. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Lores Vlaminck is a member of the American Association of Palliative Medicine, the Minnesota Network for Hospice and Palliative Care, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Nurses Association.

Shelly Denes, PT, C/NDT, CFPS, CGCP, is an expert in fall prevention and neuro-rehab with more than 30 years of experience treating patients with hemiplegia, neurological diseases, neuromuscular disorders, TBI, and SCI. She has a special interest in Long COVID, autoimmunity and the impact of chronic inflammation and sleep deprivation in rehab. She has been involved extensively with neuroprosthetic devices, lower extremity orthotics, and exoskeleton devices at the Rehab Institute of Michigan. Mrs. Denes travels nationally to present seminars on fall prevention, Long COVID and geriatric rehabilitation. Additionally, her expertise has been presented through expert witness work and consulting both nationally and locally. She also sits on the State of Michigan Fall Prevention Coalition committee. Shelly Denes is a graduate of University of Michigan’s PT program, and she earned her certification in Neurodevelopmental Treatment for Adult Hemiplegia (NDT) at the Rehab Institute of Chicago. She helped create the certifications for ‘Fall Prevention Specialist’ and ‘Geriatric Care Professional’ with Evergreen Certifications, holds these two certifications and sits on their advisory board.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Michel Janet (Shelly) Denes is the owner of Denes Physical Therapy Consulting LLC. She is a consultant with Experts in Therapy LLC and previously with NewGait™. She receives a speaking honorarium from Motivations, Inc. Michel Janet (Shelly) Denes receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Michel Janet (Shelly) Denes is an advisory board member for Evergreen Certifications. She serves on the Fall Prevention Coalition Committee at Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Rachel Henderson, PhD, MS, RN, HCRM, is a nationally recognized expert on healthcare law, nursing documentation, and regulatory compliance. With over two decades of experience as a legal nurse consultant, senior leadership roles, and healthcare risk manager, she brings real-world case studies to life in her engaging and informative presentations.

Dr. Henderson is a published author in peer-reviewed journals and textbooks and a sought speaker known for her ability to simplify complex legal and regulatory issues. She is a proud member of the National Speakers Association and a past president of the Florida Speakers Association.

In addition to leading Medical Legal Concepts, LLC, she collaborates with law firms and healthcare organizations, analyzing medical records for compliance with standards of care and applicable regulations. She has served as an expert witness in medical negligence for both plaintiffs and defendants.

Dr. Henderson holds a PhD in Public Policy and Administration, with a focus on Law and Policy. This degree equips her with deep expertise in healthcare regulations, ethics, and legal accountability.

Steven Atkinson, PA-C, MS, is a board-certified Physician Assistant specializing in Geriatric Internal Medicine. He practices medicine in the greater Minneapolis area. In addition to his private practice, he has been on the faculty at the University of Utah since 1994 and has been involved in medicine for over 30 years.

Steven is the co-founder of Twin Cities Physicians, which serves older adults at nearly all levels of their care. He has presented nationally for over 15 years, primarily speaking about geriatric-related syndromes.

Steven is the author of Geriatric Pharmacology: The Principals of Practice & Clinical Recommendations, Second Edition, and also sits on several boards whose purpose is to elevate the level of care in medicine for the patients they serve. Steven has been described as a “dynamic” educator and one of the most engaging presenters around.

Dr. Eric Wombwell is a board-certified infectious diseases pharmacist and clinical associate professor for the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administration at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, School of Pharmacy. Eric completed his PharmD degree at the University of Missouri Kansas City, followed by an ASHP accredited pharmacy practice residency at the Kansas City VA Medical Center. Following residency, he accepted a full-time non-tenured clinical faculty position at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, School of Pharmacy. His teaching responsibilities include infectious diseases topics throughout the curriculum. Eric also has a clinical appointment at Centerpoint Medical Center rounding with the infectious diseases consult team and supporting antimicrobial stewardship efforts at the facility.

Eric is regularly published in pharmacy and infectious diseases research and is frequently invited to deliver continuing education presentations locally and nationally to various health-professional audiences. He is recognized for excellence in teaching through various awards, including the “Missouri Pharmacist Association – UMKC Faculty Member of the Year”, and the “University of Missouri – Kansas City Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching”.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Eric Wombwell has an employment relationship with the University of Missouri. He receives a speaking honorarium, recording royalties, and a consulting fee from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Eric Wombwell is a member of the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists, the Missouri Pharmacists Association, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Centerpoint Medical Center.

Latasha Ellis, PhD, LCSW, LISW-CP, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, entrepreneur, and educator with over 24 years of post-graduate experience in the field of medical social work and mental health. For over 16 years, she has committed her career to working in an acute care hospital serving patients with chronic illness, more specifically patients with end stage renal disease, cancer, cardiac disease, and chronic lung disease. During her tenure, she developed the hospital’s psychosocial oncology program which provides programs and services to assist oncology patients in adjusting to the emotional challenges of a cancer diagnosis. Currently, Dr. Ellis serves as a regional mental health director for a national advanced primary care company. In this role, she works closely with primary care providers to develop collaborative care programs to help patients manage chronic illness, understand advanced care planning, and bridge the gap between physical and emotional health.

Dr. Ellis values the impact of culture on healthcare practices, outcomes, and the patient-provider relationship. Her research titled, Culture in Practice: African American Doctor-Patient Dyad, explored the subjective experience of African American general practitioners as they treated same race patients with depression.

In addition to her clinical experience, Dr. Ellis is a faculty member at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. She has also presented live seminars on topics like “Managing Challenging Patient and Family Behaviors” and “Challenging Geriatric Behaviors.”

Dr. Ellis holds a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from Morgan State University, a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from the University of Maryland at Baltimore, and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the Institute for Clinical Social Work in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Ellis also holds a Certificate of Clinical Supervision from the National Association of Social Workers, and a Certificate in Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care from the University of Michigan School of Social Work.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Latasha Ellis maintains a private practice and has employment relationships with Marathon Health, University of North Carolina-Charlotte, and Walden University. She receives a speaking honorarium, recording royalties, and a consulting fee from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Latasha Ellis is a member of the American Association of Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work, the Association of Oncology Social Workers, and the National Association of Social Workers.

M. Dolores Farrer, DPM, MBA, CWS®, is a surgically trained podiatrist involved in wound care and limb salvage for over 32 years. She has been board-certified by the American Board of Wound Management (ABWH) since 2003 and proudly serves as secretary on the board of directors for the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC) for over four years.

Dr. Farrer works with a comprehensive multi-specialty wound care and hyperbaric oxygen therapy clinic in Columbia, South Carolina. She trains new wound care clinicians and uses real-world evidence with patient-centered outcomes that have resulted in above-average healing rates and decreased amputation rates. Dr. Farrer has experience in private practice, hospital inpatient, outpatient wound clinics, and nursing homes.

She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience as a wound care expert in national speaking engagements. Dr. Farrer graduated from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine and obtained her MBA in her hometown of New Orleans, LA.

Sherrie All, PhD, is a neuropsychologist and an engaging speaker and writer whose expertise in the principles of neuroscience, functional neuroanatomy, and diagnostics give her a unique insight into the correlation between mental health disorders, therapeutic approaches, and what happens to the brain itself.

Dr. All is the owner of the Chicago Center for Cognitive Wellness where she combines her strong background in CBT with mindfulness techniques, motivational interviewing and dynamic interpretations to help her clients manage depression, stress, anxiety, mental illness and cognitive challenges. A trained neuropsychologist who received her PhD from Rosalind Franklin University, she also brings her detailed understanding of the brain to uniquely address the needs of people with traumatic brain injuries, dementia, and other conditions.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Sherrie All is the owner of Chicago Center for Cognitive Wellness. She receives royalties as a published author. Sherrie All receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-Financial: Sherrie All is a member of the American Psychological Association. the Illinois Psychological Association, and the International Neuropsychological Society. She serves on the American Society on Aging editorial review board.

Mr. Quellier is a retired clinical specialist in traumatic brain injury and communication disorders from a 450+ bed level 1 trauma hospital in Saint Paul, MN with over 28 years of acute, residential, and outpatient rehabilitation experience. Throughout his career, he focused on neuro-based diagnostics and intervention for dysphagia, cognitive-linguistic deficits, head and neck cancer management, patient advocacy, and curriculum development. Mr. Quellier completed advanced training in brain dissection at Marquette University, actively engaged in curriculum creation and staff development training, and collaborated with a neurosurgery team in preserving language function during tumor resections.

Mr. Quellier is excited to bring this topic to the forefront after working with the interdisciplinary team’s challenges in understanding the “what and why” of aberrant cognitive control that places patients at heighten dysphagia risk.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Jerome Quellier receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Jerome Quellier is a member of the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association.

Benjamin White, PT, DPT, MBA, C/NDT, LSVT BIG, is an expert in neurological rehabilitation and clinical leadership. He has experience in leadership within multiple clinical settings including home health, skilled nursing, outpatient, acute, and inpatient rehab. He is known for generating both employee and patient satisfaction as they move toward their desired goals. His expertise lies specifically in the following diagnoses: stroke, Parkinson’s, concussion, and vestibular rehabilitation.

Dr. White has a history of physical therapy in the state of Texas for over a decade. He has owned his own practice and worked within multiple healthcare settings. He now serves as the market director representing inpatient rehab in the state of Tennessee for HCA Healthcare.

Dr. White is an award-winning clinical instructor, a renowned national speaker, and has published numerous articles on the topics of neuroplasticity and stroke. He has a history of serving the Parkinsonian population in their homes and in the community assisting them to return to their own desired optimal function from an emotional and functional realm.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Benjamin White receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Benjamin White has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Kiplee Bell MD, PA, is a practicing physician, international keynote speaker, author, and founder of a multi-brand healthcare enterprise built at the intersection of clinical medicine, caregiving, and care leadership. She is the Founder and CEO of Impactful Care®, an innovative primary care and house-call practice, and the companion brands Impactful Caregiving® and Impactful Concierge, which together serve older adults, medically complex patients, and the caregivers who stand beside them.

Dr. Bell practices in parallel across two clinical environments rarely held by one clinician: emergency medicine within a major regional health system and longitudinal primary care in her own practice. That dual vantage point - seeing both the decisions primary care clinicians make for older adults, and the acute needs that surface in the emergency department - shape every piece of clinical education she delivers. Her teaching is not theoretical. It is drawn from what happens at 3:00 AM in the ED and the office visit that took place at 3:00 PM. 

She is the host of CAREPOD, a podcast focusing on the care economy, caregiving, and clinical leadership, and the author of The Work of My Mother's Hands: A Caregiver's Journey, a widely read book that reframes caregiving to shift the experience away from that of a private burden. Additionally, Dr. Bell is the founder of the philanthropic entity, Kevin John McAleese Foundation, and the architect of CareCab®, a medical-model nonprofit transport initiative serving older adults and children. 
 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Kiplee Bell has employment relationships with Impactful Care/Impactful Caregiving, Jefferson University, and Virtua Hospital. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Kiplee Bell has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Edward G. Shaw, MD, MA, is dually trained as a physician and mental health counselor. He was the primary care partner for his late wife, Rebecca, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2007 at age 53 and died in 2016 after a 9-year journey. Ed was a practicing academic radiation oncologist for 23 years, specializing in the treatment of adults and children with brain cancer. In 2010, inspired by Rebecca’s journey, his medical interest shifted to dementia diagnosis and treatment, and with his additional training in mental health counseling, he founded the Memory Counseling Program in 2011, part of the Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine and the Sticht Center on Healthy Aging and Alzheimer's Prevention at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The program serves individuals, couples, and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia.

He is the author of four books. Along with coauthors Deborah Barr and Dr. Gary Chapman, he wrote Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade: The 5 Love Languages and the Alzheimer’s Journey, which describes his moving personal story of care for Rebecca coupled with an innovative use of the 5 love languages in dementia counseling. He also wrote The Dementia Care Partner’s Workbook, a support group manual and self-study guide for dementia care partners, providing understanding, education, and hope for the long journey of dementia caregiving from diagnosis through end-of-life. He has also co-authored two resources for support group leaders, A Leader’s Manual for Dementia Care Partner Support Groups and A Support Group for People Living with Dementia: The Leaders Manual.

Dr. Shaw now devotes more time to public speaking, educating, and encouraging seniors, people living with dementia and their care partners, and medical/mental health/other healthcare professionals working in the fields of aging and dementia. He is also a part-time geriatric mental health counselor at New Salem Counseling in Winston-Salem and a PESI speaker for many years, on a variety of topics related to geriatrics and dementia.

Micheal Shafer Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of people with dementia. Dr. Shafer holds multiple teaching positions in the Michigan State University School of Medicine in the departments Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Radiology.

Dr. Shafer lectures nationally on a variety of clinical and research issues, and has conducted numerous trainings for physicians about medication utilization and mechanisms of actions, particularly for those used to treat Alzheimer's Disease. His primary research/clinical interests include the assessment of neuropsychological disorders (e.g., stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), Alzheimer’s) and the study of localized brain functioning. Prior to earning his Ph.D., Dr. Shafer provided hospital-based counseling services and conducted research at the University of Maryland Medical School.

Dr. Shafer earned his M.A. degree in applied psychology from the University of Baltimore and his Ph.D. in clinical psychology with an emphasis on neuropsychology from the University of North Texas.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Micheal Shafer has employment relationships with Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Lansing Neuropsychology, and PAR Rehab Services. He receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Micheal Shafer is a member of the Functional Neurological Disorder Society, the Clinical Neuropsychology, the American Psychological Association, the National Academy of Neuropsychology, and the Michigan Psychological Association. He is a journal reviewer for Neuropsychology, the Journal of Head Trauma, and the Journal of Primary Prevention.

Susann Varano, MD, is a Yale University-trained physician who is double board certified in internal medicine and geriatric medicine. Her expertise is sought currently as a geriatric consultant for medically complex residents/patients and as an adjunct professor teaching geriatric coursework to physician assistant students. Additionally, Dr. Varano is the principal investigator at Clinical Research Consulting. As such, she has completed over 200 clinical trials, has presented findings at numerous national/international conferences and her written articles have been featured in US News and World Report.

Dr. Varano has served as geriatrics course director and lecturer for the Yale University School of Medicine Physician Associate Program. Additionally, she was selected to work in the Yale University Hospital Affiliated Program, a position where she would give the prestigious Medical Grand Round Lectures to medical staff as well as community physicians.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Susann Varano is the principal clinical investigator with Clinical Research Consulting, LLC, and a geriatrician consultant with Maplewood Senior Living and Hamden Health and Candlewood Valley Rehabilitation. Dr. Varano receives a consulting fee, speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Susann Varano has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Kara Welke, OTD, OTR/L, CLT, CAPS, SHSS, has had a wide variety of experiences and has worked with pediatrics through geriatrics in various settings. She even ventured away from traditional occupational therapy for a few years and had the privilege of starting an Early Head Start program from the ground up and was the director of the EHS program. Kara taught in an OTA program as well as served as the academic fieldwork coordinator for approximately 8 years. In order to provide client-centered, occupation-based, and evidence-based practice, Kara started her own Mobile Hybrid Practice to help older adults age in place in 2018. This business has grown significantly over the years, and she now has over 15 employees and contractors providing a wide array of services. Her business not only has its own client population, but they also provide services to other agencies and businesses. Due to the lack of resources for helping therapy professionals start their own business, Kara created the Next Level Occupational Therapy Facebook group. It was through this group that it became apparent that all therapy professionals needed assistance in starting their own business and that is when the Therapy Business Builder program was started. Kara has helped hundreds of therapists get to the next level in their career through her programs.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Kara Welke is the owner of Home Therapy Solutions, LLC and Next Level Occupational Therapy. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. Kara Welke has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Kara Welke has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Amy Siple, APRN, has been working as a nurse practitioner, serving the primary care needs in long-term care for over 25 years. Amy has been appointed by three Kansas Governors to serve on boards and task forces to represent the needs of older adults and serves as chair of the Kansas Board for Adult Care Home Executives. Amy is a TEDx speaker, a sought-after national presenter on a variety of geriatric topics, and a content expert for Project Echo, delivering best practice updates to rural and underserved communities.

Under her leadership as president of the Kansas Advanced Practice Nurses Association, Kansas became the 26th state to pass full practice authority for APRNs. She was given the AANP state award for excellence in 2023 and the Healthcare Hero Award by the Wichita Business Journal in 2024. Additionally, Amy is a certified John Maxwell leadership speaker, coach, and trainer. Her most recent article The ABCD Approach for Managing Neuropsychiatric Symptoms of Dementia was published in the August 2023 issue of Nursing.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Amy Siple is the owner of AmySipleNP, LLC. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Amy Siple is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the Geriatric Advanced Practice Nurses Association.

Lizette Cloete, OTR/L, CADDCT, CDP, is a Skills2Care certified occupational therapist, who graduated from the University of Pretoria (South Africa) in 1992. She and her husband moved to Greenville, SC, to be closer to her parents, who are both aging with cognitive impairment. Her primary goal is to help her parents age in place.

With an international educational background and upbringing, Lizette brings a unique perspective to the table, incorporating her occupational therapy training from South Africa with her 30 years of experience in caring for people with dementia in the USA.

In 2020, Lizette established her company, Think Different Dementia, LLC with the goal of helping families committed to keeping their loved one with dementia at home, with greater ease and less difficulty.

Lizette has been a frequent guest lecturer on various dementia related topics at various state level conferences over the past decade. She has been a guest on numerous podcasts and interviewed for the newspaper, educating people on dementia and dementia care. She is a Certified Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Trainer (CADDCT) and Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) through the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP). She is also a FitMinds certified cognitive coach. She volunteers as an Alzheimer’s Resource Coordination Center (SC Area Agency on Aging) to develop an innovative, online dementia education and longitudinal support/coaching platform for family caregivers to help people living with dementia stay at home.

Douglas Stephens, DNP, CRNP, ACNP-BC, is an associate professor in the graduate program at Jacksonville State University. He is the lead faculty for the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner track and is nationally certified as an adult acute care nurse practitioner, with clinical practice experience in critical care medicine. He continues to pursue opportunities to improve patient outcomes for imminent declining patients, using ACLS evidence in all patient populations.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Douglas Stephens has employment relationships with Birmingham Hospital and Jacksonville State University. He receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Douglas Stephens is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Sonya Dunbar, MPH, RDH, AKA the Geriatric Toothfairy, is a Registered Dental Hygienist, TEDx, and international public speaker guided by over 30 years of dental experience in private practice, skilled nursing facilities, and academia. Sonya and her husband, Gerald Dunbar, are the owners of Mobile Dental Xpress, providing comprehensive dental care to long-term care facilities. In addition, Sonya is a Geriatric Oral Care Educator and trainer. Sonya works diligently to educate as many people as possible on the importance of oral health as we age. Sonya is a US Navy Veteran and is pursing a PhD in Gerontology.

Sonya is a serial entrepreneur, podcast co-founder, brand ambassador with over 100k social media followers, business coach, and mindset coach for business owners and entrepreneurs.

Sonya Dunbar has authored Golden Nuggets for Life, and co-authored The Tooth and Nothing but the Truth, A Geriatric Dental Hygienist and Geriatric Dentist’s Guide to Oral Care for the Aging Population, and An Introduction to Mobile & Teledentistry: How Technology, Consumer Demand & Prevention Are Shaping the Future of Dentistry.

Sonya is also a recipient of the 2020 Philips Heart to Hands Award and the 2022 Sunstar Award. As if that is not enough, the National Day Archives, LLC has proclaimed November 9th of each calendar year as Geriatric Toothfairy Day.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Sonya Dunbar has an employment relationship with Mobile Dental Xpress. She receives royalties as a published author. Sonya Dunbar receives royalties as a published author and receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Sonya Dunbar is a member of the American Dental Hygiene Association.

Ms. Harchut is a doctoral prepared advanced practice nurse who is board certified as an adult nurse specialist (ACNS-BC), advanced nurse executive (NEA-BC), and certified by the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association as an advanced clinical hospice and palliative nurse (ACHPN). Additionally, she is certified as an end-of-life nursing education consortium trainer (ELNEC trainer). She has a combined 16 years of advanced practice nursing experience and clinical nursing experience spanning across multiple care settings from home based care to outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, and inpatient acute care/hospitals. She has dedicated her nursing practice to providing expert advanced nursing care to those receiving palliative care and end of life care. Ms. Harchut resides in San Antonio, Texas with her family. She currently is the lead advanced practice provider for the Envision Physician Services hospital-based San Antonio Palliative Care Program.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Nicola Harchut has an employment relationship with Envision Physician Hospitalist Services. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Nicola Harchut has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Stacey Woodson, MS, RD, LDN, is a registered dietitian-nutritionist, speaker, and author on the topics of nutrition and wellness, with over twenty years of professional experience.

Stacey holds a Bachelor of Science in biology from Hampton University, a Bachelor of Science in dietetics from LaSalle University and a Master of Science in clinical nutrition from New York University.

Stacey’s mission is to help improve physical and mental well-being through food. Stacey specializes in using food and medicine to fuse nutrition, nature and cultural foodways into an anti-diet approach while teaching her clients to eat foods that improve health and bring them joy. She also has a passion for gardening, plant medicine and foraging.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Stacey Woodson maintains a private practice and receives compensation as a consultant and national speaker. She receives royalties as a published author. Stacey Woodson receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Stacey Woodson is a member of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.