2026 Annual Meeting
Hot Topics Program
This one-hour session features three Hot Topic presentations, each delivering focused insights in 20 minutes – 15 minutes of presentation followed by 5 minutes of Q&A. Join us for the opportunity to engage directly with experts and explore timely, high-impact topics.
Schedule
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- Hot Topics I – Preventative/ Mental Health – Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at 10:10 AM
- Hot Topics II – Drugs Decreasing Risk? – Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at 9:50 AM
- Hot Topics III – The Latest in Policy Developments – Thursday, March 5, 2026 at 10:15 AM
Hot Topics I - Preventative/ Mental Health
Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at 10:10 AM
Presenter: Tracey Keane, American Academy of Pediatrics
Description: Expanding suicide prevention into pediatric care: Suicide remains a leading cause of death among youth, with disparities driven by social determinants and systemic inequities. Pediatric primary care is often the first, and sometimes only, point of contact for at-risk youth, positioning it as critical for early identification and intervention.
Developing a scalable SPPC framework: This session will introduce the AAP’s Integration of Suicide Prevention into Primary Care (SPPC) protocol, an evidence-based training framework aligned with the Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention. It outlines practical, equity-driven steps to establish practice readiness, the suicide prevention clinical pathway, and elements of quality improvement and implementation refinement in pediatric environments.
Empowering clinicians for sustainable change: Attendees will learn how multidisciplinary partnerships, formative research, and existing resources and guidance are being leveraged to advance implementation in a practical way. Discussion will highlight lessons from early-phase development and offer actionable guidance for pediatricians, mental and behavioral health professionals, clinic staff, and systems leaders seeking to embed suicide prevention across pediatric settings.
Educational Objectives:
- Describe the critical role of pediatric primary care in youth suicide prevention and the barriers and facilitators that contribute to integration within the pediatric primary care setting.
- Explain key components of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) Suicide Prevention into Primary Care (SPPC) training framework designed to embed suicide prevention protocols into pediatric workflows.
- Apply practical, equity-focused strategies to implement and sustain suicide prevention practices across pediatric primary care settings.
Presenter Expertise: Tracey Keane brings expertise in pediatric mental health, suicide prevention, and public health program management. As a Program Manager of Suicide Prevention at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Tracey has led initiatives focused on workforce training, health systems transformation, and equitable access to mental and behavioral health care. Tracey currently leads the Integration of Suicide Prevention into Pediatric Primary Care (SPPC) project, which develops evidence-based protocols and training collaboratives to embed suicide prevention into pediatric practice workflows. Previously, as a Program Manager for Mental Health Initiatives at the AAP, Tracey had served as a core member of the AAP Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) Technical Assistance team supporting pediatric care professionals utilizing PMHCA programs and addressing youth mental health concerns within pediatric primary care. Tracey is committed to advancing practical, sustainable solutions that empower pediatric teams to identify and support youth at risk for suicide.
Presenter: Kyrra Engle MD, ScM, University of California San Francisco
- Describe the current epidemiology of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) use, in the United States including prevalence trends and populations at risk.
- Explain the adverse effects and addiction potential of 7-OH, including its pharmacological mechanisms and comparison to traditional kratom.
- Identify signs and symptoms of 7-OH use in adolescents and young adults.
- Discuss management strategies for adolescents and young adults presenting with 7-OH use disorder.
Presenter: Janis Sethness, MD, MPH, Seattle Children’s Hospital | University of Washington | Seattle Children’s Research Institute
Description: InNovative methods for data extraction: This session will highlight emerging applications of large language models (LLMs) and natural language processing (NLP) in adolescent health research, with a focus on using unstructured electronic health record (EHR) data to identify patterns of substance use, overdose events, and related risk factors.
Case series study in King County: We will present early findings from an ongoing study using a large, diverse EHR dataset of adolescents in King County, Washington (where the 2026 SAHM annual meeting is being held), to extract clinically relevant data on opioid and substance use, overdose outcomes, and co-occurring mental health conditions. Different pheNotypes of health care utilization will be described among decedent patients within a health system, highlighting opportunities for identification of substance use disorder among adolescent populations as well as point-of-care quality assurance.
Ethical and practical implications: Presenters will explore opportunities and challenges in implementing AI-driven approaches in adolescent medicine, addressing data privacy, bias mitigation, transparency, and collaboration between informaticians, clinicians, and public health professionals. This interactive session will provide attendees with conceptual and practical tools to evaluate and apply LLMs in their own adolescent health research.
Educational Objectives:
- Describe how large language models (LLMs) and natural language processing (NLP) can be applied to extract adolescent health data from electronic health records.
- Compare traditional data abstraction methods with LLM-assisted approaches in identifying substance use and overdose risk.
- Identify evidence-based points for intervention as well potential missed opportunities among a unique cohort of patients 11-24 years old who died of fatal opioid overdose in King County from 2018-2025.
- Discuss ethical, equity, and implementation considerations for integrating LLM tools into adolescent medicine research and clinical workflows.
Presenter Expertise: This interdisciplinary team unites clinical, research, and technical expertise to pioneer the use of large language models (LLMs) in adolescent health research. The primary presenter, Janis Sethness, MD, MPH, is an adolescent medicine physician and health services researcher who collaborates with the rest of the team to apply NLP and EHR data to identify and mitigate overdose risk among youth.
Meliha Yetisgen, PhD, Professor of Biomedical and Health Informatics, and Zhaoyi Sun, PhD Candidate, are recognized experts in natural language processing and clinical informatics, developing LLM tools to extract meaningful patterns from complex health data. Emergency physicians Lauren Whiteside, MD, MS; Chris Buresh, MD, MPH, DTM&H; and M. Kennedy Hall, MD, MHS contribute deep expertise in opioid-related research, access to medications for opioid use disorder, predictive modeling, and the intersection of health systems and social determinants. Together, this team is advancing a Novel, data-driven framework to transform how adolescent substance use and overdose risk are identified and addressed across care settings.
Hot Topics II - Drugs Decreasing Risk?
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at 9:50 AM
Presenter: Joseph T. Whelihan, MD, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Description: Clinical InNovation: Lenacapavir, a first-in-class capsid inhibitor given subcutaneously every six months, was FDA-approved in mid-2025 as a new form of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV (PrEP). This represents a potential breakthrough in HIV prevention for adolescents and young adults (AYA) given challenges with daily dosing and frequency of visits with other injectable medications. Recent trial data demonstrate exceptional efficacy, including zero HIV transmissions and data for cisgender women, with ongoing trials in diverse populations.
Implementation for use in AYA: Our team is adapting a successfully implemented cabotegravir long-acting injection protocol for AYA to lenacapavir, addressing practical considerations such as developmental context, injection logistics, pharmacy billing (medical vs. pharmacy benefit), choice-based prevention, and care coordination across disciplines. The presentation will highlight lessons learned from early implementation and institutional workflow design.
Interdisciplinary and Equity Lens: Nursing, social work, and case management perspectives will address adherence tracking, education, confidentiality, financial barriers, and youth empowerment. Equity discussions will explore strategies to ensure that new PrEP inNovations do Not widen disparities, particularly for Black and Latinx sexual miNority youth, transgender youth, and youth who use substances.
Educational Objectives:
- Describe the mechanism, efficacy, and safety data of lenacapavir for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and compare it with existing PrEP modalities for adolescents and young adults.
- Identify key implementation strategies for introducing long-acting injectable PrEP into adolescent care using interdisciplinary models.
- Discuss psychosocial, nursing, and case management considerations in supporting adherence, confidentiality, and equitable access.
Presenter Expertise: Dr. Joey Whelihan is an Adolescent Medicine Fellow at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). He gave the 2022 SAHM Hot Topic Session on PrEP.
Presenter: Ashley Ebersole, MD, MS, FAAP, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Description: The availability of new contraceptives and guidance around prescribing have changed, therefore providers should have ongoing education about the contraception landscape. This hot topic will review the 2024 US MEC/SPR updates as they apply to adolescents, such as veNous thromboembolism and DMPA, recommendations for gender inclusive language, pain management for IUD placement and patient-centered contraception counseling.
Patients are seeing advertisements about lawsuits regarding the risks of meningiomas after using DMPA. Recent studies from France and US report increased risk of meningioma in DMPA users, however the US study Noted this risk was Not found among those who started DMPA in adolescence. Providers should be prepared to discuss these studies with patients as part of patient-centered-contraception counseling.
New and improved contraceptive methods continue to become available. The FDA approved a three-year Copper IUD, which is expected to be available in the US in 2025. It contains a flexible nitiNol frame with elastic properties and less than half the amount of copper as the copper 380 IUD. Similarly, the currently available copper 380 IUD in the US, has a new single-hand insertion device allows for an improved placement process. Finally, while the new over-the-counter contraceptive pill became available in early 2025, most adolescents have never heard of it. Access to contraceptives can be expanded Not just through physicians, but through the collective efforts of social workers, educators, nurses, and other frontline professionals. By empowering these groups to educate, guide, and advocate for individuals, we can make contraceptive access more equitable and inclusive.
Learning Objectives:
- Analyze the updates to the 2024 US Medical Eligibility Criteria/Selected Practice Recommendations for contraceptive use (US MEC/SPR) as they apply to adolescents and young adults (AYA).
- Critique the available data about risk of meningioma with depo medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) use.
- Summarize new contraceptive methods including the three-year copper intrauterine device (IUD) and the over-the-counter contraceptive pill.
Presenter Expertise: Dr. Ebersole is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH). She is triple-board certified in Pediatrics, Adolescent Medicine, and Addiction Medicine. She is the medical director of the Young Women’s Contraception Program at NCH. She was recently awarded the 2024 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on AYA Emerging Leader Award. She’s written multiple review articles and book chapters about contraception and was a co-author on a national society committee statement: Society of Family Planning Committee Statement: Contraception and body weight. Dr. Ebersole serves on the AAP Council on Adolescents and Young Adults and is their liaison to the ACOG Committee on Clinical Consensus-Gynecology. Finally, she serves as the Executive Champion for the teen pregnancy prevention arm of the NCH Pediatric Vital Signs (PVS) Initiative as well as for the Contraceptive Access Quality Improvement Collaborative (CAC). The aim of the PVS Preventing Unintended Teenage Pregnancy initiative is to leverage internal strengths and collaborations with community partners to accelerate the decline in the teenage birth rate in Franklin County using evidence-based programming, community engagement, and QI science. The goal of the CAC is to increase the use of prescription contraceptives among female adolescent patients at NCH.
Presenter: Lauren Hartman, MD, Aspen Grove Adolescent & Young Adult Medicine
Description: The Critical Evidence Gap: Pediatric GLP-1 prescriptions increased 594% between 2020-2023,1 yet long-term adolescent safety data remains limited2 and No evidence-based discontinuation protocols exist. Given that rapid weight loss can trigger the emergence of eating disorders among vulnerable adolescents regardless of how weight loss occurs,3 establishing systematic screening approaches for psychological risk factors warrants consideration. Attendees will review what is kNown, what remains unkNown, and priority areas for developing safer prescribing practices.
Proposed Screening and Monitoring Frameworks: In the absence of evidence-based guidelines, we present expert-recommended screening frameworks that include growth history, body image concerns, psychological comorbidities, and family history.4 Critically, we address the entirely unstudied challenge of discontinuation: given that studies with adults suggest that most regain weight and experience return of cardiometabolic comorbidities after cessation of the medication, how do we prevent adolescents from losing cardiometabolic benefits they may have incurred, and from misinterpreting subsequent weight regain as failure?
Building Collaborative Care Systems: The presentation outlines potential strategies for creating collaborative care approaches: establishing bidirectional referral networks or opportunities for joint care delivery between weight management and eating disorder specialists, implementing eating disorder screening tools, developing multidisciplinary clinic models, and creating warm handoff protocols. Challenges and opportunities across diverse practice settings to bridge historically siloed specialties will be discussed, recognizing that optimal models remain to be tested.
Educational Objectives:
- Appraise key safety concerns and contraindications when prescribing GLP-1 receptor agonists to adolescent patients, including eating disorder risk factors and developmental considerations.
- Formulate screening approaches to assess eating disorder history and psychological readiness before initiating GLP-1 therapy in youth.
- Discuss potential collaborative care approaches integrating adolescent medicine, weight management, and mental health expertise to optimize biopsychosocial outcomes for youth receiving GLP-1 agonist therapy.
Presenter Expertise: Dr. Lauren Hartman brings nearly 20 years of clinical and leadership experience as a double board-certified pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist, with expertise in treating and preventing eating disorders across hospital and outpatient settings. She has directed regional and national eating disorder programs, and served as the Chair of Adolescent Medicine at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. As an active member of the Eating Disorder Committee for the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, she brings critical insight into emerging trends, including the impact of GLP-1 medications on adolescents, and emphasizes preventing weight stigma in care. In her private practice in Berkeley, California, she specializes in eating disorders and promotes collaborative, evidence-based approaches to care. Dr. Hartman is the author of the forthcoming book Freeing Children and Young Adults from Shame, Scales, and Stigma: A Practical Guide for Parents, Educators, and Clinicians (Routledge, Spring 2026). Her extensive training: University of Virginia School of Medicine, pediatric residency and chief residency at Brown University, and adolescent medicine fellowship at UCSF supports her practical guidance on managing complex, emerging challenges in adolescent health.
Hot Topics III - The Latest in Policy Developments
Thursday, March 5, 2026 at 10:15 AM
- Identify current federal policies impacting adolescent health and well-being.
- Analyze how recent policy changes affect adolescent health and well-being.
- Describe short- and long-term impacts of federal funding cuts on adolescent health and well-being.
- Analyze how recent disruptions in US vaccine governance and policy have created barriers to adolescent and young adult immunization access worldwide, including identification of the most vulnerable adolescent and young adult populations
- Identify evidence-based strategies that clinicians and health systems can implement to maintain adolescent and young adult vaccine access when vaccine processes are delayed or inconsistent
- Demonstrate advocacy strategies that adolescent and young adult clinicians can employ to protect immunization programs, including engaging policymakers and partnering with medical organizations, coalitions and parents.
- Explain the context of Australia’s new social media bans
- Critique the approach that the Australian government is undertaking to evaluate its new social media legislation
- Appraise the range of policies (from individual, to school to technological interventions) that can be implemented to reduce potential harms from social media engagement
- Compare the new Australian legislation with what other countries are doing (or considering doing) to regulate adolescents’ access to social media