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2023 Conference Agenda
10/12/2023 & 10/13/2023
October 12th, 2023 - Thursday
7:00-8:00 Registration & Breakfast
7:45-8:00 Welcome
8:00-9:00 Suzanne Baird
Anticipation of Neonatal Compromise
9:00-10:00 Sean Morris, Trial Attorney
Legal Observations and Implications in Perinatal Nursing: Case Studies
10:00 -10:30 BREAK - 30 minutes
10:30- 11:30 Breakout Sessions
Mike Kurz, NNP - Too Much of a Good Thing: Oxidative Stress & Free Radicals
Dr. Mitchell - Managing Sepsis in Labor and Delivery
Maggie Thorness, RN - Foster Care in Montana
11:30-12:30 Lunch
12:30- 1:30 Breakout Sessions
Repeated
1:30-2:00 BREAK - 30 minutes
TRICK o' TREAT with Vendors
2:00-3:00 Dr. Saesim
Combining Surfactant with Less Invasive Ventilation Strategies
3:00-4:00 Suzanne Baird
When a Mother Dies: Supporting Family and Care Providers
5:30 - 6:30 Social Event
October 13th, 2023 - Friday
7:15-8:00 Registration & Breakfast
7:45-8:00 Welcome
8:00-9:00 Suzanne Baird
Cardiac Disease in Pregnancy: A Case Study
9:00-10:00 Shannon Brown
Human Trafficking in the HealthCare Context
10:00 - 10:15 BREAK/ Hotel Checkout (15 minutes)
10:15- 11:15 Breakout Sessions
Andrea Smith - Understanding Social Determinants of Health: A Perinatal Perspective
Dr. Mitchell - Iron Replacement during the Antenatal and Postpartum Period
Hannah Christensen - Domestic Violence in Pregnancy
11:15-12:30 Lunch
Raffle & Silent Auction
12:30-1:30 Breakout Sessions
Repeated
1:30 - 1:45 BREAK (15 minutes)
1:45-2: 45 Suzanne Baird
Perinatal Quality and Safety
2:45 -3:00 - Closing
Contact hours are provided by Kendra Schreiner, RN, an independent provider approved by the CA Board of Registered Nursing. Provider #15828. This activity is approved for 13 contact hours.
2023 Speakers
Suzanne Baird
Recognized for her expertise in the care of women who become critically ill during pregnancy and/or childbirth. She is a recognized expert in electronic fetal monitoring, legal, high risk and critical care obstetric issues making her a sought after speaker and chair at international, national and regional conferences each year. Since there is such a limited number of nurses and physicians who are trained to care for these women, her research and publications are focused in this much needed, highly skilled clinical area. She serves on several women’s health and neonatal nursing education and development committees. https://nursing.vanderbilt.edu/about/history/centennial/top100/baird.php
Shannon Brown
Shannon Brown is a registered nurse who focuses on improving the incorporation of public health issues into clinical care. She received her BSN from Johns Hopkins in 2011, and her nursing experience includes working in the Emergency Department; Patient Safety/Quality; creating and running the COVID Employee Surveillance Program at Bozeman Health; teaching ENPC and working with the Clinical Research Department. Prior to her nursing career, Shannon was a Public Information and Advocacy Officer with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the agency responsible for developing the international legal framework on trafficking in persons. In this role, she worked on advocacy and prevention campaigns related to human trafficking. Shannon helped create global awareness-raising campaigns; developed outreach tools for NGOs around the world; crafted materials for the launch of the UN Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT); and edited the UN’s Global Report on Trafficking in Persons. Most recently, she has been highlighting the nexus between human trafficking and healthcare and has been a speaker on panels and at training events and community forums throughout the Rocky Mountain West. She started Aspire Health Consultancy with a focus on developing programs and protocols for healthcare institutions to train healthcare providers to recognize and support trafficking survivors. Shannon has worked on trafficking-related issues for over 20 years.
Hannah Christensen
Hannah Christensen is a first-year PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Montana under the mentorship of Dr. Julie Olomi. She attended Regis University where she earned her BS in Psychology and BA in Women’s and Gender Studies. Her research interests are focused on family violence, specifically the impact of trauma and violence on child development and best practices for reducing the risk of victimization in children and their families. In addition, Hannah is interested in the associations of IPV and child maltreatment in risk of victimization later in life and seeks to inform and implement interventions to improve the health of neurodiverse individuals impacted by interpersonal violence.
Dr. Timothy Mitchell
Dr. Mitchell is a maternal-fetal medicine physician based out of Missoula Montana. He attended Carroll College in Helena Montana and New York Medical College in New York, NY. He spent 7 years at the University of Washington where he completed his obstetrics and gynecology residency and maternal-fetal medicine fellowship. His research has focused on fetal origins of adult disease. In Washington he served as the obstetrics representative for airlift northwest. In addition to his clinical duties at Community Medical Center he is also the Medical Director for the Montana Perinatal Quality Collaborative.
Maggie Thorness, NICU RN
Lifepoint Health Mercy Award Recipient
“My name is Maggie Thorness. I grew up in Montana, and became a NICU nurse in 2013. God moved our family to become a licensed foster family. Our first placement was in 2019. Since then we strive to be a safe home and advocate for foster kids and families in Montana.”
Sean Morris, Trial Attorney
After graduating from Montana State University with a degree in Chemical Engineering, went to University of Montana law school and graduated in 1996. Very soon afterwards, was pushed into working in medical malpractice defense. Working at the Williams Law Firm in Missoula, has had the honor and privilege to defend multiple Montana hospitals, doctors, and nurses in medical legal panels, state trial courts, and the Montana Supreme Court.
Dr. Saesim
Dr. Daniel Saesim is board certified in pediatrics and neonatal-perinatal medicine. He attended medical school, completed his residency training and served his fellowship at Loma Linda University School of Medicine.
During fellowship, Dr. Saesim’s research areas of interest included prevention of retinopathy of prematurity in neonates and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Currently he enjoys participating in quality improvement projects in the NICU.
He has lived and worked in the Inland Empire since 2003. He has been active in and continues to enjoy being a part of the expansion and growth in this area. He is currently the Medical Director of Parkview Community Hospital NICU. Dr. Saesim is also an assistant clinical professor at UC Irvine.
“Neonatology is an ever changing field and we must continue to tweak our practice to ensure that we are providing the best care to our babies.” – Dr. Saesim
Daniel D Saesim MD is on staff at CHOC Hospital in Orange .
Andrea Smith
Andrea has called Missoula, Montana home for the last 13 years. Prior to moving to Missoula, Andrea lived in British Columbia and Washington while receiving her BA in Psychology. Andrea has since received her master's in social work from the University of Montana and has been working with children and families for over a decade with a focus on preventative and early intervention services. When Andrea isn't busy snuggling babies in the NICU, you can find her outside exploring the mountains with her husband and 6-year-old-son.
Mike Kurz, NNP
Mike has worked in the Community Medical Center NICU since 2010. Initially as an RN-C and, after completing his doctorate in nursing at Rush Medical Center College of Nursing, as an NNP-BC. Additionally, he is an enthusiastic member of our neonatal transport team and a STABLE Program instructor.
Learning Objectives
Suzanne Baird
Anticipating Neonatal Compromise
1.
When a Mother Dies: Supporting Family and Care Providers
1. Describe effective and compassionate communication techniques with families experiencing maternal death.
2. Identify appropriate end of life and bereavement care in the event of a maternal death.
3. Describe processes and supports for healthcare providers after a maternal death
Cardiac Disease in Pregnancy: A Case Study
1. Review cardiac anatomy and how physiologic changes of pregnancy affect cardiac disease.
2. Discuss assessment strategies for a woman with cardiac in pregnancy and preparation for plan of care at birth.
Perinatal Quality and Safety
1.
Andrea Smith
Understanding Social Determinants of Health: A Perinatal Perspective
1. Learners will be able to identify at least three categories of Social Determinants of Heath and how they impact pregnancy outcomes.
2. Learners will understand the concept of implicit bias and identify an area of bias they hold.
Dr. Saesim
Early Rescue Surfactant
1. Why consider early surfactant therapy.
2. What should you consider prior to initiating early surfactant therapy.
Dr. Mitchell
Managing Sepsis in Labor and Delivery
1. The diagnosis of maternal sepsis remains a challenge as the normal physiologic adaptations of pregnancy can mask the recognition of common signs and symptoms.
2. Understand the concept of the "golden hour".
Iron Replacement During the Antenatal and Postpartum Period
1. Review iron replacement options for the pregnant patient
2. Understand the indications for oral vs. IV iron replacement.
Maggie Thorness, RN
Foster Care in Montana
1. Understand the CPS process for children in MT.
2. Understand foster care in MT.
Sean Morris, Trial Attorney
Legal Observations and Implications in Perinatal Nursing: Care Studies
1. Appreciate how medical documentation is used in litigation.
2. Understand the types of legal claims against nurses.
Hannah Christensen
Domestic Violence in Pregnancy
1. Recognizing signs of domestic abuse during pregnancy or post-birth.
2. Research on domestic violence and pregnancy.
Mike Kurz
Oxidative Stress & Free Radicals
1. Understand how oxidative stress can lead to long term damage in premature infants.
2. Identify how free radicals can cause significant cell injury and how antioxidants can prevent oxidative damage.
Shannon Brown
Human Trafficking in the HealthCare Context
1. After participating in this session, attendees should be able to explain the three components involved in human trafficking and the specific vulnerabilities to human trafficking found in the Rocky Mountain region.
2. After participating in this session, attendees should be able to describe the unique role healthcare providers have in identifying and supporting victims/survivors of human trafficking and be able to integrate the knowledge shared in this presentation (e.g., trauma-informed care; vulnerable populations; red flags) into their daily practice of patient care.