Annual Meeting Program Highlights

Barbara Barnes Plenary: Back to the Future: How Can Data-Informed Learning Change Practice?

Sanjeev Sockalingam, MD, FRCPC, FACLP, FSACME

We are excited to welcome Sanjeev Sockalingam as the 2026 Barbara Barnes Plenary Speaker.  Dr. Sockalingam is the Senior Vice President, Education; the Chief Medical Officer; and a Senior Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Learn more...

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CPD Past, Present and Future

Past: Jack Kues, PhD, FSACME;
Present: Adrienne Ross, MEd;
Future: Terry Soleas, PhD

A panel discussion regarding the history of CPD and how the past can inform the future, followed by large group discussion and table activity.

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State of the Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions

Simon Kitto, PhD, JCEHP editor-in-chief

Join us for a virtual session with JCEHP editor-in-chief, Simon Kitto, moderated by Brian McGowan.

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From Vision to Action: Introduction to SACME's Strategic Plan

Joyce Fried, FSACME; and David Wiljer, PhD, FSACME

After celebrating 50 years of accomplishments, learn how SACME plans to advance in the years to come! 

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Storytelling through Data
Brian Tomczyk, Barbara Anderson 

Everything you ever wanted to know about your data but were afraid to ask; using your data to tell the story of your program.

Looking for a REACTION? Evaluate Your CPD Activities Like a Scholar
Martin Tremblay, Linda Caples

You have an administrative role at your organization? You are interested to evaluate the outcomes of your activities in a scholarly way? The other workshops are full already? Don’t look any further, this activity is for you.

This workshop will introduce you to CPD-REACTION, a reliable and validated tool designed to measure healthcare professionals’ behavioral intention following an educational intervention. Grounded in Godin’s integrated theoretical framework, this 12-item instrument can be easily integrated into your evaluation strategy to assess behavioral intention and the socio-cognitive factors (moral norm, beliefs about capabilities, beliefs about consequences, and social influence) that influence it. Through real-world case studies, you will discover how to implement CPD-REACTION, analyze your data, and interpret results to improve your programming. By the end of this session, you will be equipped to design evaluations that generate scholarly insight and generate meaningful REACTION.

Thriving as a CPD Educator and Professional: Charting Your Growth and Strategic Impact
Janine Shapiro, Suzan Schneeweiss, Joyce Fried

Are you ready to take your growth as a CPD educator and professional to the next level? This dynamic session will help you explore two powerful tools—the Clinician Educator Milestones and the Future of Medical Education CPD initiative—to guide your professional development and amplify your impact. Through interactive discussions and reflective exercises, you will discover how these complementary frameworks can help you deepen your professional identity as a CPD educator and professional, strengthen your ability to self-assess, develop professionally with purpose, and target key competencies that enhance your effectiveness and leadership. Join us to chart your pathway to excellence and thrive as a CPD educator and professional who leads change and drives quality improvement in continuing education.

Business of CPD Part 1
1. Aligning with your Institution’s Priorities 
Facilitators: Joshua Noe, MD, and Karin Swartz, MD 
How does CPD/CE fit into your institution’s strategic plan and priorities, mission, and values? How can your program support and contribute to what’s important to the key decision-makers? This interactive session will help you identify what’s important at your organization and how you can ensure your program is aligned with those priorities. Be sure to bring your laptop! 

2. Identifying Your Available Resources and Your Gaps
Facilitator: Jennifer Alessi, MA, CHCP 
Now that you have an idea of what’s important to your institution and ways you can align with those priorities, what are you currently doing, measuring, planning that will be useful? What resources do you have, and what else could you access easily? We will brainstorm and get creative in ways to use what you currently have and identify where your gaps are. 

3. Defining Your “Ask”—What Do You Really Need From Your Leadership?
Facilitator: Lori Deitte, MD
You’ve got a plan in place. Now, what support do you need from your leadership? How can you differentiate between “want” and “need”? And what is realistic to ask for? This session will guide you through the process of separating the wants and needs and help you formulate your “ask” in a way that will resonate with your organizational leadership.  

Advancing Scholarship with Generative AI
Sofia Valanci Aroesty, Heather MacNeill and Ken Masters

This hands-on workshop invites participants to actively explore how generative AI can enhance scholarly work in medical education. Through guided activities and small-group exercises, attendees will experiment with GenAI tools to brainstorm research ideas, draft scholarly products, and identify ethical and effective uses of AI in academic work. Participants will leave with practical strategies and resources to integrate GenAI into their own scholarship.

Scholarship Isn’t Just for Research: Applying Scholarship Principles to Day-to-Day CE Program Management
Laura Werts and Jennifer Reino

Running (or being part of) an accredited continuing education (CE) program requires continuous decision-making - about processes, staffing, prioritization, funding models, accreditation strategy, sustainability, etc. While these decisions are often framed as administrative or compliance-driven, they must be shaped by data, evidence, interpretation, and reflective practice. This workshop shows how scholarship can be a practical discipline embedded in the day-to-day management of CE programs. Participants will explore how scholarly principles - such as systematic inquiry, integration of information, responsible application of knowledge, and organizational learning—can guide operational and strategic decisions beyond educational design alone. Through discussion and real-world examples, this session will help participants co-create a model of embedding scholarship into their CE program. Learning Objectives:

• Identify core scholarship principles that apply to the operational and strategic management of accredited CE programs
• Distinguish between routine administrative tasks and those that could benefit from a scholarly approach
• Apply evidence-informed and systems-based approaches to common CE management challenges

Publishing Your Work: Tips on Writing and Manuscript Submission

Jack Kues

This workshop will introduce you to important concepts and skills needed to write and submit manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals. You will learn how to link your project with the focus of one or more journals, work with an author group to draft the manuscript, prepare that manuscript for submission, and respond to reviewer and editor notes and questions. At the end, you’ll have increased confidence in the process. 

Business of CPD Part 2

1 - Professional Development Pathways in CPD/CE
Facilitator: Adrienne C. Ross, M.Ed, CHCP 

Navigating a career in CPD/CE rarely follows a single, clearly defined path, and formal guideposts for professional growth are limited. Many professionals enter the field from diverse backgrounds, shaping their careers through experience rather than linear progression.

This interactive workshop brings together SACME members across roles and career stages to share real-world insights on professional development, leadership growth, and evolving career pathways. Through brief reflections and facilitated discussion, participants will explore practical strategies to strengthen core competencies and identify next steps.

Whether early in your career or preparing for leadership, this session offers actionable takeaways and shared wisdom to support continued growth.

 

2 - Joint Accreditation in Practice: Real-World Perspectives from the Field

Panelists: Stacy Atkinson, MS, CMP, CHCP, Elizabeth Drury, and Cynthia Juarez
Facilitator: Adrienne C. Ross, M.Ed, CHCP 

This interactive panel brings together JA-accredited providers at different stages of the accreditation journey - from experienced organizations to those preparing to apply or recently receiving decisions. Panelists will share real-world insights, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies, with opportunities for audience questions and practical takeaways. 

Whether participants are exploring Joint Accreditation, preparing an application, or strengthening IPCE within an established JA framework, this session offers practical guidance, peer perspectives, and an honest, informative discussion.

 

3 - From Story to Practice: The Power of Storytelling in Medical Education and Patient Care 

Facilitators: Diana J. Durham, PhD, FACEHP and Adrienne C. Ross, M.Ed, CHCP

Storytelling is a powerful yet often underutilized tool in medical education. This interactive workshop explores how storytelling and narrative medicine can deepen learner engagement, foster empathy, and strengthen patient-centered care. Through compelling personal stories from the facilitators, participants will experience the impact of narrative firsthand and gain practical strategies for intentionally integrating storytelling into CPD/CE activities to enhance learning and care delivery.