As the sun rose over the Rockies on the morning of Thursday, Jan. 13, Alliance 2022 Annual Conference participants in Aurora, Colorado, and online were preparing for a day full of innovative learning and reconnection with colleagues. While Alliance Live participants were brewing their morning coffee and outlining their session schedule for the day, participants on-site watched the sunrise during yoga and connected for breakfast in the Exhibit Hall.
Good Morning, Alliance!
After participants were fueled and caffeinated, they gathered for the welcome, award ceremony and keynote presentation. Alliance Executive Director Kathleen Weis welcomed all participants — both near and far — and thanked our conference partners and sponsors. Alliance President Rebecca DeVivo joined virtually to welcome friends, old … well, “seasoned” … and new and emphasized that no matter how the healthcare CPD community gathers, “we are truly better together.” Then, Pam Beaton and Jacob Coverstone celebrated the 2022 Alliance Award recipients with the on-stage presentation of awards. Congratulations to all awardees! Keep an eye on the Almanac in the coming weeks for profiles and case studies from the winning teams.
Next, keynote speaker Julie Dirksen took the stage for the anticipated presentation, “The Science of Attention and Engagement.” With plenty of opportunities for audience participation both in the session room and online, Dirksen sure did keep everyone engaged and entertained! Dirksen used key concepts like cognitive load theory and the information processing model to explain how learners’ brains work. What’s one way to help working memory and long-term memory work together? Dirksen says leveraging current experience puts ideas in terms of what a learner already knows and extends their capacity of working memory. Want to hear more from Dirksen? Recently, she joined Brian McGowan for an episode of the Legends Interview Series on the Alliance Podcast. Listen in here.
A Morning of Interactive Sessions
Is there anything more exciting than watching the healthcare CPD community collaborate and work through scenarios and potential challenges together? After the keynote presentation, Annual Conference participants chose their own paths for the first round of concurrent sessions. Things were heating up in “Outcomes Wars,” where Dustin Ensign, Pam Beaton, Ann Lichti, Andrew Crim and Sharon Cathcart invited participants into the “kitchen” with a goal of designing an outcomes measurement plan that incorporates educational design “with the end in mind.” Participants were encouraged to team up and converse as they used the “ingredients” to bake an outcomes report for the judges’ evaluation.
“Microlearning and Audience Participation in the Virtual Classroom” presented another interactive experience, asking teams to create their own microlearning activity. Presenters Aubrey Shoe, Matthew Stern and Chantel Crowl first shared how microlearning tidbits can fit into fun and engaging gamification activities — which then leads to positive outcomes.
In a live and livestreamed session, recipients of the Alliance and Pfizer Pneumococcal Vaccination QI Partnership grant presented their projects, along with primary challenges and strategies for enhancing quality improvement. If you happened to miss this live session, visit the Almanac for deep dive case studies into these projects and their successes and challenges.
As providers are implementing the new ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence, some key skills and strategy deficits have been identified among providers’ staff and planning committee members. In “Disclosure Dilemmas 2022: Are Your Skills Up to the Task?,” Jan Schultz and Susan Yarbrough led an conversation-based, small-group work session to walk through case scenarios. A key takeaway from the session? “If in doubt, disclose,” Yarbrough advised.
An Afternoon With the Alliance
After a lunch in the Exhibit Hall, Annual Conference participants dove into another round of breakout sessions, with six sessions to choose from. In “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Global CME/CPD/IPCE,” Lawrence Sherman discussed the why, who, what, where, when and how of sharing the importance of continuing professional development beyond the North American borders. Plus, there’s a lot that United States-based providers can learn from outside the country as well. Dimitra Travlos, Jan Schultz, Jennifer Graebe, Kathy Chappell and Kate Regnier answered questions from participants and shared their experienced insights during “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Joint Accreditation and More!” Plus, they described the importance of team-based education, noting how it can have a positive impact on competence, performance and outcomes.
Meanwhile, participants tuned into discussions on the ABMS Continuing Certification Standards, how root cause analysis informs CME planning, tips for first-time reaccreditation applicants and those new to accreditation and a learning collaborative session about a familiar topic in the CPD world — hybrid meetings.
After a refreshment break in the Exhibit Hall, it was back to breakout sessions. Participants tapped into new knowledge from learning ways to measure and evaluate the overall CPD program to navigating the world of CME credit. In “Addressing Discriminatory Behavior: Can Health Systems Make Positive Change?,” Jann Balmer started the session by asking participants to pair up and share if they’ve experience or witnessed situations of prejudice, bias or discriminatory behavior. Balmer went on to explain how organizations and institutions should consider the four areas of education, resources, policy and messaging when taking steps toward positive change in the healthcare space. In “Using Data From Case Vignettes for Gaps and Outcomes,” Andrew Crim highlighted two key takeaways for both in-person and livestream attendees: Integrate vignettes into what you’re already doing, and “Don’t just collect data, use it!”
Finally, Allison Kickel moderated a panel discussion, “Trail to the Summit: Is Medical Education Making a Real Difference?” Panelists David Beuther, Dalana Bernt and Ted Bruno covered top-of-mind topics in CME, including physician leadership, how to have better relationships with physician and nursing teams, reviewing the clinical journey and how the COVID-19 era has impacted education design. A main takeaway from this panel? When discussing resilience, Bernt said that we have two hands for a reason — one to sustain ourselves and one to reach out and help someone else, colleagues and patients alike.
The healthcare CPD community wrapped up Day 2 with a networking reception and poster presentation in the Exhibit Hall — the perfect way to decompress after an interactive and informative day. We’ll see you back here tomorrow for a Friday full of innovation and connection!