RhAPP Conference | 2025 Agenda*
WEDNESDAY, September 24, 2025
5:00 - 7:00 PM
Step Into Rheum Welcome Reception*
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7:00 - 8:00 PM
RhAPPARDY - Trivia Night*
Naomi Amudala, MSN, FNP-BC; Erin Siceloff, PA-C; and Lindsay Tom, PA
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THURSDAY, September 25, 2025
8:30 - 9:15 AM
Industry-Sponsored Event
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9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Bootcamp Block
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Ask the Experts: Challenging Cases
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​Naomi Amudala, MSN, FNP-BC; Philip Mease, MD; Peter Merkel, MD; Amanda Mixon, PA-C;
Eric Ruderman, MD; and Christy Vath, PA-C
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New APP Bootcamp: Clinical Pearls for New APPs
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Kyle George, PA-C and Brittany Sedlacek, PA-C
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Pediatric: Bootcamp & Knowledge Bowl JIA, SLE, JDM, Autoinflammatory Syndromes
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Holly Reid, CPNP; Ingrid Pan, PharmD; and Michelle Sutter, CPNP
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11:00 - 4:00 PM
Industry Forum
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11:45 - 12:30 PM
Lunch
11:45 - 12:30 PM
Industry Sponsored Event*
Sponsored by Eli Lilly
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1:00 - 3:00 PM
IMID & Obesity Bootcamp
Naomi Amudala, MSN, FNP-BC; Amber Blair, PA-C; Jennifer Geremia, PA-C; and Jennifer Mackey, CNP
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3:00 - 5:00 PM
Rheum-Pulm ILD: Case-Based Insights Bootcamp
Heather Bachert, NP; Shannon Benesh, NP-C; Rachael Busch-Feuer, DNP; Heather Finlayson, PA-C;
Cori Fratelli, FNP-C; Jessica Glenie, CNP; Jeanette Hart, PA-C; Heather Mambretti, PA-C; Lanier O'Hare, CRNP;
Candace Ryan, PA-C; Wendy Simmons, PA-C; and Corinne Young, NP
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5:00 - 6:00 PM
Medical Symposium
Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson
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6:00 - 7:00 PM
Dinner
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6:15 - 7:00 PM
Industry-Sponsored Event*
Sponsored by Mallinckrodt
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7:00 - 8:30 PM
Welcome Reception & Exhibit Hall*
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FRIDAY, September 26, 2025
7:45 - 8:30 AM
Workshop Block 1
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Ultrasound
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McKenna Cornforth, BSN and Nate Mathews, RMSK
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Joint Injections
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Shannon Ghizzoni, PA-C; Andrea Mace, PA-C; and Jennifer Mylod, DNP
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DEXA
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Michele Volansky, PA-C​
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Pediatric: Mental Health Screening and Resources
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Shelby Brooks, CPNP​
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Rheumatology Emergencies
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Julie Keegan Strosser, PA-C​
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Fibromyalgia Mimics
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Vanessa Hill, NP-C and Christine Stamatos, DNP​
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Gout
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Jessica Michaud, PharmD and Shayla Sanders, APRN​
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A Clinician's Guide to Sarcoid
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Claudia Rivera Salas, DNP, NP-C, APRN
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Rheumatology Labs
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Rana Aoufe, PA-C and Jackie Fritz, RN, BSN, MSN
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8:45 - 9:30 AM
Breakfast
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8:45 - 9:30 AM
Industry-Sponsored Event*
An FDA Approved Therapeutic Option For RA, PMR, and pJIA: Efficacy and Safety Across Indication
Heather Finlayson, MS, PA-C
Sponsored by Sanofi Regeneron
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9:45 - 9:50 AM
Opening Course Directors' Welcome
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9:50 - 10:50 AM
Plenary: Year in Review: Pharmacotherapy with Q&A
Jessica Farrell, PharmD and Audrey Gibson, PA-C
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10:50 - 11:20 AM
Exhibit Hall & Break
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11:20 - 11:55 AM
Plenary: Dude, Where’s my B cell: Advances in Lupus Nephritis Management and B- Cell Targeted
Therapies with Q&A
Danielle Gatti Palumbo, PharmD and Monica Richey, MSN, ANP-BC
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12:00 - 12:45 PM
Lunch
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12:00 - 12:45 PM
Industry-Sponsored Event*
ACHIEVING YOUR TREATMENT GOALS: Consider When a Treatment Switch in RA May Be the Right
Transition for Your Patients
Audrey Gibson, MsPAS, PA-C
Sponsored by AbbVie
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1:00 - 1:45 PM
Parallel Sessions
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Rheum-GI Connection
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Patrick Horne, FNP-BC and Heather Mambretti, PA-C
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Skin in the Game: Bridging Rheumatology and Dermatology
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Laura Bush, PA-C
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Pediatric: Year in Review
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Hannah Curry, PharmD and Kerry Hurlbut, CPNP​
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1:45 - 2:15 PM
Exhibit Hall & Break
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2:15 - 3:00 PM
Parallel Sessions
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An Introduction to IgG4- Related Disease
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Naomi Amudala, MSN, FNP-BC
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​Osteoporosis
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Heather Mambretti, PA-C
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​The Use Of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound In Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
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Heather Benham, DNP
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3:05 - 3:50 PM
Workshop Block 2
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Cross-Specialty: Rheum – HemOnc
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Peter Hakos, PA-C
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​Inflammation at the Heart of it All
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Laura Ross, PA-C
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​Rheumatic Disorders and the Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors on Mental Health
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Heidi Brown-Posey, PA-C and Talia Sierra, PA-C
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Pediatric: Hands-on Pediatric MSK Ultrasound
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Heather Benham, DNP; Clara Lin, MD; and Kelley Sherrard, US Tech​
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PharmD Roundtable
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Tanya Golovanoff, PharmD; Amber Hudgins, PharmD; and Wendy Ramey, PharmD​
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Ultrasound
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Nate Mathews, RMSK and McKenna Syphus, BSN​
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Artificial intelligence, The Future
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Rachael Busch-Feuer, DNP, APRN and Eric Campbell, PA-C
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​Basic and Advanced Joint Injection Workshop
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Shannon Ghizzoni, PA-C; Andrea Mace, PA-C; and Jennifer Mylod, DNP
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4:00 - 5:00 PM
Accredited Symposium: Beyond the Dryness: Unraveling Sjögren's Disease Pathophysiology, Systemic Manifestations, and Evolving Treatments
Betsy Kirchner, DNP and Amanda Mixon, PA-C
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5:00 - 5:45 PM
Dinner
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5:15 - 6:00 PM
Industry-Sponsored Event*
Sponsored by Novartis
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6:00 - 6:45 PM
Posters & Prosecco*
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SATURDAY, September 27, 2025
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7:30 - 8:15 AM
Workshop Block 3
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Ultrasound
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Nate Mathews, RMSK and McKenna Syphus, BSN​
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ZEBRAS
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Lorena Wilson, PhD, CRNP​
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Goals of Care and Treatment GCA/PMR
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Will Saalfeld, DNP and Amanda Sell, PA-C
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​Hold That Dose! Clinical Pearls for Managing Immunosuppression in Pediatric Rheumatology
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Tara Bergland, PharmD and Courtney Kremer, ARNP
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Rheum Pain & Low Back
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Vaheed Sevvom, PA-C​
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Optho/Cap
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Brandon Runyon, OD​ and Brandon Ko, DNP​
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What you Earn, and How you Earn it
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Kyle George, PA-C; Robert Laugherty, PA-C; and Wendy Simmons, PA-C​
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Joint Injections
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Shannon Ghizzoni, PA-C; Andrea Mace, PA-C; and Jennifer Mylod, DNP
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​Raynauds - Refractory
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Lisa Asfahani, PA-C
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8:30 - 9:15 AM
Breakfast
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8:30 - 9:15 AM
Industry-Sponsored Event*
From Diagnosis to Action: Early Treatment in Lupus and Lupus Nephritis
Alfred Kim, MD, PhD
Sponsored by GSK
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9:25 - 9:30 AM
Opening Course Directors’ Welcome
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9:30 - 10:05 AM
Plenary: Sjogren’s Disease: Beyond the Dryness
Robert Laugherty, PA-C and Tiffany Terrell, NP-C
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10:05 - 10:40 AM
Plenary: Spectrum of Arthritis: Peds to Adult Arthritis All Grown Up
Brandon Ko, DNP and Amanda Mixon, PA-C
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10:40 - 11:15 AM
Plenary: Difficult to Treat RA
Cassie Dolecki, PharmD and Jeannette Hart, PA-C
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11:15 - 11:45 AM
Exhibit Hall & Break
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11:45 AM - 12:30 PM
Parallel Sessions
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Show Me the Way: Myositis Mysteries
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Daric Mueller, PA-C ​
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Scleroderma
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Jessica Farrell, PharmD
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​Pediatric Morphea: Beyond Skin Deep – A Comprehensive Review
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Quoc Do, MSN, PNP-BC
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12:45 - 1:30 PM
Lunch
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12:45 - 1:30 PM
Industry-Sponsored Event*
VISIBLE Results Across All Skin Tones with Tremfya
Douglas DiRuggiero PA-C​
Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson
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1:40 - 2:25 PM
Parallel Sessions
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Vascular Exam for the Rheumatology APP: Takayasu Arteritis
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Alice Fike, FNP
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​PsA Cases and Comorbidities
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Eileen Lydon, ANPC-BC
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​Key Concepts in Pediatric ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
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Jessica Bloom, MD and Holly Reid, CPNP
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2:30 - 2:45 PM
Exhibit Hall & Break
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2:45 - 3:30 PM
Workshop Block 4
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Immunology to Include CAR-T - Changing Landscape
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Betsy Kirchner, DNP​
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Nephrology
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Mandy Trolinger, PA-C​
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MFM/Fertility/IVF
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Michele Cerra, MSN, FNP-BC and Laura Kennedy, PA-C
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​Connecting the Dots: Putting Together a Problem List for a Unifying Diagnosis
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Jamie Puschnig, APNP and Bethany Walker, CPNP​
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Radiology
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Wendy Simmons, PA-C
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​Behçet's Disease, the Basics and Beyond
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Stacey Johnson, NP-C
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​The Invisible Struggle: Understanding EDS
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Heather Finlayson, MS, PA-C and Candace Ryan, PA-C​
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Helpful Herbs for the Rheumatology Patient and 30 Min Intro to Qi Gong for Providers and Patients
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Chris Title, MSN, BSN, NP and Iris Zink, NPRC
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