Cuoghi Edens, MD, FAAP

Session:

Reproductive Health Pearls for Rheumatic Patients

Date & Time:

7/30/2026  8:45 AM – 9:45 AM

Wendy Simmons

Session:

Beyond Dryness: Neurological Clues and Emerging Therapies in Sjögren’s Disease

Date & Time:

7/30/2026  10:30 AM – 11:25 AM

Amanda Karam, NP

Session:

Little Patients, Big Differences: A Pediatric Perspective for Adult Providers

This “Pediatrics for Adults” session will be led by pediatric nurse practitioner Amanda Karam and will offer a candid, practical look at how rheumatic diseases differ across the age spectrum. Designed from a pediatric perspective, this session will highlight what pediatric providers want adult-focused clinicians to understand when evaluating and managing patients with rheumatic disease. Through a clinically grounded discussion, attendees will gain insight into key differences in presentation, disease behavior, and overall approach to care, helping bridge the gap between pediatric and adult rheumatology practice.

Date & Time:

7/30/2026  1:00 PM – 1:45 PM

Virginia Vecchio

Session:

Infusing Care: Biologics at a Glance

Date & Time:

7/30/2026  1:00 PM – 1:45 PM

Katie Taylor, CMPM, CRH-c, CRMS and Tiffany Tsosie, SHRM-CP

Session:

Prior Authorizations: Navigating Access and Advocacy

This session will provide an overview of the prior authorization processes for rheumatology medications. You will receive information on what a prior authorization is, why it is required, how the process works, how long it takes, and what comes next to ensure that your patient receives the therapy prescribed by the provider. You will learn how to distinguish which benefit each therapy is accessed through, including where to start, how to submit requests, how to check status, file appeals, and draft letters of medical necessity. Once a therapy is approved, that does not always mean it will be paid for—we will provide a brief overview of best-practice tips for identifying patient affordability options and aligning with available resources so that cost is not a barrier to care.

Date & Time:

7/30/2026  1:55 PM – 2:40 PM

Christopher Title, NP

Session:

The APRN Playbook: Navigating Career Growth, Practice, and Leadership Realities

This APRN-focused mentorship session offers an honest, real-world look at navigating the many transitions that occur across an APRN career. Drawing on experience as a clinician, practice owner, and employer, the session will address topics such as career progression, compensation and negotiation, collaborative practice agreements, and managing evolving practice expectations.

Designed to be practical and approachable, this session will provide guidance, perspective, and actionable takeaways to help APRNs make confident, informed decisions, whether early in practice or considering their next professional step.

Date & Time:

7/30/2026  1:55 PM – 2:40 PM

Shelby Jones, MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC & Kara Schiavone Moates, MSN, BS, RN and Ellanora

Session:

Growing Up With JIA: A Pediatric Perspective from Clinic to Real Life

This session will explore juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) through both a clinical and lived-experience lens. Topics will include pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment considerations, alongside the real-life impact of JIA on children and families. Ellanora, a pediatric patient diagnosed at one year of age, and her mother, Kara, will share their journey to provide meaningful patient and family perspectives. By integrating clinical insight with lived experience, this session will emphasize the importance of shared decision-making and patient-centered pediatric rheumatology care.

Date & Time:

7/30/2026  3:30 PM – 4:25 PM

Iris Zink, NP

Session:

20 Helpful Herbs for the Rheumatology Patient

We will be discussing 20 helpful simple herbs that the rheumatology patient may try to help with a variety of symptoms that may affect the rheumatology patient. We will discuss the 4 herbs that the autoimmune patients should never take as they can worsen the immune system response. We will briefly discuss complementary and alternative medicine and integrative medicine and simple suggestions that a rheumatology nurse can suggest as ultimately, food is medicine and herbs have been used for more than three thousand years for their medicinal benefit.

Date & Time:

7/30/2026  4:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Iris Zink & Andrea Rosik

Session:

Psoriatic Disease at the Intersection of Rheumatology and Dermatology

Date & Time:

7/31/2026  10:15 AM – 11:10 AM

Rachael Lea Busch-Feuer DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, NP-C, NE-BC

Session:

Immunology Essentials for the Rheumatology Nurse & APP

This session is an intro to immunology discussing the innate and adaptive immune system and discussing the areas of the immune system that impact us overall and in rheumatology. 

Date & Time:

7/31/2026  2:15 PM – 3:10 PM

Nayimisha Balmuri, MD, MS,MSE, FAAP, FACR

Session:

Frontline Impact: The Role of Nurses and APPs in Reducing Rheumatology Disparities

Rheumatic diseases are often difficult to recognize and can lead to significant morbidity when diagnosis and treatment are delayed. These challenges are compounded by health inequities that influence who gets diagnosed, when they receive care, and how they ultimately fare.

This session will explore the intersection of rheumatic disease and health inequity, highlighting how social determinants of health, environmental exposures, and barriers to specialty care shape outcomes for patients. Through clinical cases and practical strategies, participants will gain tools to recognize early signs of rheumatic disease, identify patients at higher risk for delayed care, and implement equitable approaches in everyday practice.

Designed for nurses and advanced practitioners, this talk emphasizes actionable steps to improve access, advocacy, and outcomes for patients.

Date & Time:

8/1/2026  10:10 AM – 11:05 AM

Andrea Rosik

Session:

Interesting Cases from the Clinic

Through real-world clinical scenarios, the interesting cases presentation examines how cutaneous manifestations can serve as critical indicators of underlying systemic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Attendees will gain insight into diagnostic challenges, overlapping disease processes, and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to patient care. Cases will emphasize conditions illustrating how skin findings can guide early detection, influence management strategies, and improve patient outcomes. This session is designed to enhance clinical recognition, deepen understanding of pathophysiologic connections, and foster collaboration between specialties.

Date & Time:

8/1/2026  11:45 AM – 12:40 AM