The week is wrapping up, and the Almanac editorial team is following the conversations shaping the final day — read the recaps for Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3! 

The morning opened with Greselda Butler, CCEP, FACEHP, chair of the Conference Planning Committee, reflecting on the thinking behind this year’s theme, “Future Ready.” She noted that health care is increasingly strained and fragmented, with rising demands placed on every professional. Being “future ready,” she said, is about taking responsibility for improving or reimagining the system itself — not only educating within the one that exists today. The goal is always best patient care at lowest cost.  

The morning’s keynote speaker, Doctor Mike (Mikhail Varshavski, DO), lives out the idea of reimagining the system. As the world’s most followed doctor, he has over 30 million followers across social media while still maintaining part-time clinical practice. He fights medical misinformation and promotes health education by meeting people where they are — online. Despite it being the final day of the conference, Alliance attendees filled nearly the entire room for his talk, “Health Care Communication in the Digital Age.” 

He opened with an inspiring video on how his digital career began: going viral by posting a photo with his dog. The internet quickly dubbed him the “hot doctor,” and early TV appearances focused more on that label than on the medical information he hoped to share. So, he took a risk and hired a video team, slowly building a presence through trending videos, reactions to Grey’s Anatomy and breaking down health topics with accuracy and humor. 

Maximizing the Pros on Social Media 

Doctor Mike said he feels lucky to live in both worlds — medicine and online communication. As a family medicine physician, he thinks holistically, starting with human connection. During what he called a “dark time” in medicine — marked by fear, anxiety and even major leaders denying well-established science — he believes social media is where practitioners need to show up. Not everyone agrees; he gets plenty of pushback from professionals who “turn up their nose” at his approach. 

Yes, social media has cons. But he focuses on maximizing the pros. And for him, human beings must be the ones engaging. AI can’t replace physicians, nor can it meaningfully change minds. Even when he asks AI what percentage of RFK’s claims are inaccurate (it usually says 70–90%), plenty of people still won’t trust it. “AI isn’t human,” he said — and that matters. 

If doctors aren’t on social media, someone else will be. People look for health advice where they already scroll. If he’s not there debunking myths — who is? “Influencer” can sound negative, yet he argues all doctors, parents and educators are influencers by nature. Human-first communication means meeting people where they are, and 58% of adults use social media to answer health questions. A key part of his work is engaging with those who disagree. He has twice appeared on Jubilee, debating vaccine-hesitant individuals and RFK supporters, and he showed clips of participants expressing genuine surprise at accurate information — proof that minds can change when met with empathy.  

Many doctors assume patient conversations alone can “vaccinate” people against misinformation, but a brief appointment can’t compete with the volume of inaccurate posts patients see all week. He shared an example of debating someone who had claimed grapes are terrible for you. The same guest also said smoking was healthy. Without pushback from experts, he warned, misinformation thrives in a vacuum. That vacuum is filled with “grifters.” 

Advocacy Online Can Lead to Change 

Doctor Mike has used his platform to spur real change. After saving a passenger in anaphylactic shock on a flight — where the medical kit lacked an EpiPen — he shared the story online, ultimately reaching Senator Chuck Schumer. That advocacy helped lead to EpiPens being added to 70% of commercial flights. He also encouraged support for funding more residency slots, a critical need in today’s healthcare system. 

Creativity is essential to this approach. His ongoing bit about inaccurate chest compressions in TV shows led him to partner with the American Heart Association on CPR kiosks in LAX airport. 

The Anatomy of Social Media 

He offered practical advice for those interested in creating a social presence: competition is fierce; accuracy must outweigh sensationalism; shorts help drive views; and sometimes using lighter content helps the algorithm surface serious topics. At the same time, risks exist — from cease and desists to deepfakes to the emotional toll of talking with people who disagree. Humility, he said, is essential: own past mistakes and stay transparent. 

He also debunked a few myths: 

• Good patient communication does not equal good mass communication. 
• Censorship won’t fix misinformation. 
• Social media isn’t “easy.” 
• People do change their minds. 

Human-first Conversations 

The session ended with a strong Q&A. To a question about losing control once something is posted, he acknowledged the fear but argued that silence cedes control to bad actors. Another question asked when he recognized his emotional impact. He said the Jubilee debates made him realize how many people had been hurt by past medical encounters; empathy is the key to being heard. Some criticize him for “amplifying” misinformation by responding to it. But for him, human connection comes first.  

Incoming Alliance President Vince Loffredo, EdD, closed the session by asking whether Doctor Mike might one day make a video on continuing medical education. Doctor Mike said he’d consider it — if he can find a way to make the concept engaging for people unfamiliar with it. Perhaps the Alliance could join the conversation? 

Almanac Editorial Board and team members spent the rest of the morning in a few final sessions. The following session on vaccine hesitancy in health care providers connected strongly to the themes presented by Doctor Mike. 

Vaccine Hesitancy as a Lens: Designing CPD to Address Challenging HCP Attitudes 

Presenters: Quentin Minson; Jeanne Forrester, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP; Allison T. McElvaine, PhD 

The presenters examined how vaccine hesitancy is showing up among both patients and clinicians, noting declines in routine vaccination rates since the COVID19 pandemic. Uptake remains high overall, but small decreases in coverage for vaccines such as MMR are significant. They also highlighted recent disruptions in The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’s proceedings, irregularities that may contribute to confusion about which guidance clinicians should rely on. 

Survey data from more than 500 health care practitioners showed that while strong support for vaccination remains the dominant view, a smaller but noteworthy portion of respondents expressed some level of hesitancy. Participants cited a range of reasons, including concerns about the approval process, political influence and data transparency. Despite this mixed trust, ACIP remained the top source clinicians use for vaccine updates, followed by continuing medical education (CME) and continuing education (CE) activities, underscoring education’s continued role as a stabilizing resource. 

The survey also asked what clinicians want from CME related to vaccines. Hesitant providers expressed particular interest in education that examines studies and evidence through a critical lens, along with debates and opportunities to ask experts direct questions. Many respondents — regardless of confidence level — said they want to strengthen communication skills to better manage conversations shaped by misinformation and patient anxiety. These preferences point toward CME approaches that acknowledge the pressures clinicians face and help rebuild confidence by making scientific and procedural rigor more visible. 

During small group work, participants developed potential educational strategies for clinicians who fall into the “uncertain” middle or even the antivax category. Groups suggested formats that encourage active engagement, such as roundtables, structured debates and exercises where participants temporarily argue an opposing view. Doctor Mike’s morning session was referenced several times as an example of how open, nonjudgmental dialogue can create space for learning. Story-driven content also emerged as a priority. While vaccine-hesitant messaging often uses emotionally charged narratives, medical professionals tend to lead with data — and participants noted that data alone is rarely the more persuasive format. One group recommended highlighting the experiences of families affected by vaccine-preventable diseases, potentially even inviting them to share their stories firsthand. 

The session presenters concluded noting clinicians with questions still actively seek credible education, and CME programs are well positioned to meet this need by offering transparent evidence, open discussion and formats that build confidence. 

A Golden End to the Alliance’s 50th Anniversary Celebration 

 #Alliance26 came to an end Thursday afternoon through a casual game of “Golden Pyramid,” facilitated by the Alliance past and current president. Two teams of players asked each other trivia around continuing professional education. Congrats to the winners! 

Thank you for joining us as we walked through the week. If you enjoyed a session, share your takeaways, and encourage the presenters to write a follow-up on the Almanac. 

Disclosure: Artificial intelligence was used lightly in this article to refine session takeaways.