SAHM Annual Meeting: Virtual Sessions

The SAHM Program Committee offers a limited annual series of virtual sessions featuring live virtual encore presentations of sessions originally held in person, along with highly rated proposals that were not included in the in-person program for that year’s SAHM Annual Meeting.

Both the live sessions and session recordings are available to all SAHM members. A list of upcoming 2026 sessions is provided below, and recordings from virtual offerings associated with the 2025 SAHM Annual Meeting can also be accessed within our archive below.

2026 Annual Meeting Virtual Workshops & Hot Topics

The SAHM Program Committee is pleased to announce the 2026 limited virtual series, featuring live virtual encore presentations of sessions originally held in person, along with highly rated proposals that were not included in the in-person program.

2026 Schedule

Disorder of Gut-Brain Interaction: New Approaches to an Old Problem

Thursday, June 4, 2026: 2:00 - 3:00 pm PT / 5:00 - 6:00 pm ET
Speaker: Hannibal Person, MD, Seattle Children's Hospital
Register Here

Disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI), formally called functional gastrointestinal disorders, are common in adolescents, leading to bothersome and sometimes debilitating gastrointestinal symptoms. This workshop will explore the evolving conceptualization of these disorders, including their biopsychosocial conceptualization. Real-world case discussions will provide practical considerations in their diagnosis and evidence-based management of DGBI.

Learning Objectives:

    1. Integrate previous understanding of functional gastrointestinal disorders with emerging research redefining disorders of gut-brain interaction
    2. Differentiate common symptomatic manifestations of gastrointestinal diseases and disorders of gut-brain interaction to appropriately apply diagnostic criteria
    3. Analyze symptom patterns in disorder of gut-brain interaction to create multimodal and comprehensive acute and chronic treatment plans

Empowering Youth for Tobacco-Free Futures: Practical Workshop for Youth Tobacco Prevention and Cessation

Monday, June 8, 2026: 9:00 - 10:00 am PT / 12:00 - 1:00 pm ET
Speakers
    • Sinem Akgül, MD, Hacettepe University
    • Melis Pehlivantürk Kızılkan, MD, Hacettepe University
    • Zeynep Tüzün, PhD, Hacettepe University 
Register Here

Tobacco use remains a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, and adolescents are at heightened risk for initiation and long-term dependence. In addition, adolescents are disproportionately targeted by the tobacco industry and often underserved by cessation programming.

This virtual workshop brings together a multidisciplinary team of physicians, psychologists, and emerging professionals in adolescent health who have extensive experience in working in adolescent tobacco cessation clinics and are committed to providing comprehensive support to help young people quit tobacco use successfully.

Rooted in evidence-based practice and youth-centered design, this session offers a developmentally appropriate model for tobacco prevention and cessation. Participants will be introduced to an array of practical tools and interventions tailored to meet the needs of diverse adolescent populations. These include standardized screening methods to identify tobacco use and dependence early, brief intervention techniques to engage youth in meaningful conversations about tobacco, motivational interviewing strategies that foster intrinsic motivation to quit, and family counseling approaches that involve caregivers in the cessation process.

The content is designed for multidisciplinary audiences working with adolescents across medical, educational, and community-based settings. Interactive elements, including case-based discussions and brief audience input, will be incorporated to enhance engagement in the virtual format. Case examples will cover a spectrum of adolescent experiences. By attending this workshop, participants will gain not only a deeper understanding of the complexities of adolescent tobacco use but also practical, scalable tools to effectively support youth in quitting.

This session supports SAHM’s strategic goals by:

    • Integrating evidence-based clinical models with lived experience of youth in tobacco prevention and cessation program
    • Equipping clinicians and youth-serving professionals from multidisciplinary backgrounds with scalable, culturally responsive tools
    • Promoting clinical practices aimed at reducing tobacco-related harm among adolescents and supporting long-term behavior change

Learning Objectives:

    1. Understand the key factors influencing adolescent tobacco use and identify barriers to effective prevention and cessation strategies
    2. Apply evidence-based clinical tools such as the 5 A’s (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange) and motivational interviewing to support youth in tobacco cessation within culturally and developmentally appropriate frameworks.
    3. Incorporate family, peer, and digital resources to develop tailored cessation plans that address barriers and promote sustained behavior change.

Eating Disorders and Young Adulthood​

Friday, June 12, 2026: 10:00 - 11:00 am PT / 1:00 - 2:00 pm ET
Speakers
    • Nicole Cifra, MD, MPH, MHPE, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
    • Laurel Weaver, MD, PhD, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
    • Alexis Fertig, MD, MPH, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
    • Katrina Lenz, PsyD, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
    • Rebecka Peebles, MD, Monte Nido and Affiliates
Register Here

Young adults with eating disorders comprise a significant portion of patients treated within many divisions of adolescent medicine. Patients in this age group have unique needs and challenges that may not be shared by patients in the pediatric population. This workshop will discuss the medical and psychological considerations that often surface with young adult patients.   

Challenges this workshop will discuss are the concepts of autonomy and capacity in young adults with eating disorders, and the involvement of parents in decision-making regarding treatment for their child’s eating disorder, particularly when using family-based treatment (FBT) or FBT-informed models.  Although autonomy may be diminished in some respects, such as choice of college setting or other parent decisions that do not support normative young adult independence with an actively ill youth, autonomy is enhanced in other respects when a recovered individual is able to fully return to normative young adult functioning.  

Young adults who missed critical years of developing independence due to active illness requiring intensive parental and psychosocial support, including support with eating, may need greater than expected parental support in navigating social difficulties, academic challenges, and accessing and using services “on their own” as they switch to adult models of care. Young adults may feel conflicted about parental involvement, as they may want support while also seeking independence and autonomy in decision making.  

Clinicians experienced with both child/adolescent and adult models of care must also change their approach to care, with increased centering of the young adult as young adulthood proceeds. Pediatric and adult healthcare systems often have different treatment philosophies, with adult care placing greater emphasis on individual responsibility than the family. This shift can unintentionally exclude parents and families, which may be problematic for young people with eating disorders who often continue to depend on parental support to manage their treatment and navigate the healthcare system.  

Given that many young people have eating disorders that persist into adulthood, transfer to adult care is often needed, but can be disruptive and result in dropout from treatment. Potential solutions this workshop will discuss include preparing both adolescents and parents for differences in systems before transition (i.e., change from deciding for the child vs supporting the young adult in making the best decision for themself), and continuing to involve parents as helpful supports for young adults (which can reduce caregiver burnout and increase parental efficacy). 

Adult eating disorder treatment also presents challenges in terms of managing medical complications of longstanding malnutrition, which are unlikely to be present in pediatric patients who have a shorter duration of weight suppression. This includes consequences of prolonged estrogen deficiency, longstanding purging behaviors, and chronic weight suppression. We will discuss concepts such as the young adult with decade-long amenorrhea, the patient who develops chronic kidney disease due to purging behaviors, and the complexity of determining a goal weight for a young adult patient when growth curves may or may not be available.

Learning Objectives:

    1. Formulate recommendations for patients who wish to attend college.
    2. Identify challenges and potential solutions related to transition from pediatric to adult care.
    3. Describe aspects of a capacity evaluation for an adult patient with malnutrition.

Virtual Hot Topics Session

Monday, June 15, 2026: 1:00-2:00 pm PT / 4:00-5:00 pm ET
Register Here

This virtual Hot Topics session will feature the following three presentations: 

Jack C. Rusley, MD, MHS, Alpert Medical School of Brown University 

Description: Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are increasingly used by youth globally to seek health information, including guidance on sensitive topics such as mental health, eating disorders, reproductive health, and gender identity. While these tools hold promise for expanding access to support, they also raise important questions about accuracy, bias, safety, and equity. This session will engage participants in critically evaluating real and hypothetical chatbot responses to adolescent health questions. Through interactive discussion, participants will explore both the potential benefits and the risks of adolescents using chatbots to obtain health information.

Specific case scenarios will highlight difficult contexts including those outside the US, such as mental health crises, body image concerns, region-specific reproductive health laws, or providing affirming guidance to LGBTQIA+ youth. By examining these examples, participants will learn strategies to coach youth in responsible use of chatbots and to advocate for safer, more equitable digital health tools. Using the conference app, we will collect real-time data from audience as they prompt chatbots, as a method to rapidly assess the output using word-cloud applications.
This session is timely as chatbots become more deeply embedded in clinical and everyday settings. The content will serve to build youth health professional’s AI literacy skills, while also guiding them on best practices for educating their patients, families, and communities on AI literacy.  It is designed to equip adolescent health providers with the knowledge and skills to navigate this rapidly evolving landscape, ensuring that chatbots serve as complements to—not replacements for—trusted, evidence-based care.

Hannah Odom, The University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine

Description: Legislation regarding firearm restrictions remains a topic of debate, making it eminently important to establish ways to protect our patients and prevent harm from firearms. Currently, missing from firearm injury scientific discourse is prevention counseling informed by adolescents.

Although self-reported firearm carrying has decreased, injuries have not, and adolescents in communities of color continue to disproportionately experience injuries related to firearms. Trauma due to firearms continues to perpetuate physical harm, and adolescents who live within the vicinity of accidents experience disproportionate mental health conditions. The number of unintentional firearm accidents that happen to youths in the home is alarming, and they require a higher inpatient and ED resource utilization than even blunt trauma or burn incidents. This prompts curiosity around patient knowledge regarding understanding the dangers of handling firearms and what to do upon contact. It is also important to consider conversations providers are having with families regarding firearm safety.
 
Using information provided by adolescents, we are more equipped to understand their perspectives on firearms and use this to inform provider-led education on firearm safety. Just as abstinence-only sex education is ineffective in reducing STIs and unplanned pregnancies, firearm abstinence-only conversations have not decreased death and injury rates. Rather than ignoring what some consider an uncomfortable topic, we need to openly address the risks associated with firearms to keep our patients safe from injury. Addressing these risks through the lens of our patients allows us to promote best practices for our patients and their families in the face of firearms.

Rebecka Peebles, MD, FAAP, DABOM, Monte Nido and Chinwe Efuribe, MD, MPH, Centered Youth Clinic and Consulting

Description: Despite numerous impressive career achievements, recent adolescent medicine fellowship program graduates have struggled more than prior generations to succeed in board certification, with a significant decline in the 2024 exam pass rate. As US political shifts strain training programs nationwide, causing stress for faculty and fellows alike, it is critical that future generations of adolescent medicine leaders are supported after years of training to cross the finish line and become board certified.
Our field is unique, with broad mastery required that encompasses both primary and specialty care areas. Our training programs have changed considerably over the past two decades; many no longer offer inpatient service or primary care, and programs often center clinical work on a few niche subspecialty areas of strength. Board review courses formerly offered by the American Academy of Pediatrics are no longer available. Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic forced all training programs to pivot overnight in their teaching strategies, incorporating virtual and asynchronous learning tools as well as necessitating telehealth and online precepting.  Meanwhile, the board certification exam remains a similar exam process to what it has always been: offered online, once every two years, with only minor changes to content specifications over time.
 
This hot topic proposes changes to the way we support our trainees in board review and test-taking, while making the case for broader advocacy for change in the frequency and flexibility of testing.  The future of our field depends on these promising and engaged learners becoming the board-certified leaders they deserve to be.

A Multidisciplinary Patient-Centered Approach to Management of Adolescents with Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Thursday, June 18, 2026: 4:00 - 5:00 pm PT / 7:00 - 8:00 pm ET
Speakers
    • Martha Perry, MD, Children’s National Hospital
    • Colleen Cotton, MD, Children’s National Hospital
    • Julie Heier, PhD, Children’s National Hospital
    • Yash Shah, MD, Children’s National Hospital
    • Elizabeth Klein, PA-C, Children’s National Hospital
Register Here

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a debilitating inflammatory skin condition with multiple psychosocial and medical comorbidities. Adolescents are frequently underdiagnosed resulting in delays in treatment. With hormonal and metabolic underpinnings, HS requires evaluation and regular monitoring for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, PCOS, and thyroid disease. Skin lesions and scarring not only impact quality of life, but also negatively impact self-esteem, exacerbate mental health and mood disorders, limit physical activity and sports participation, and impact sexual health and relationships due to malodorous discharge from lesions and/or location of lesions in intertriginous regions. In adolescent females, disease flares are frequently linked to menstrual cycle timing requiring hormonal regulation with contraceptives that do not exacerbate HS lesions. Hormonal/endocrine comorbidities have implications for current and future complications, including genitourinary and reproductive impairment. This workshop will present the multi-disciplinary approach to medical monitoring for complications and recommended treatment. A comprehensive, patient-center approach that includes ongoing medical, nutrition and psychosocial monitoring and interventions will be shared.  HS-specific interventions to improve psychosocial well-being, sexual function, physical activity access, contraceptive guidance, and more will also be presented. Finally, attendees will learn a variety of strategies for relapse prevention that allows patients to choose from an array of options that matches their health risk factors, and lifestyle needs.

Learning Objectives:

    1. Explain the impact of Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) on quality of life, including physical, social, and mental well-being: a multidisciplinary model of care that is essential to maximizing treatment in this population will be introduced.
    2. Describe the relationship between the menstrual cycle, hormonal regulation, and contraceptive use in patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS): This includes explaining how menstrual cycle timing is linked to disease flares and the need for hormonal regulation using contraceptives.
    3. Develop counseling strategies for adolescents with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) including strategies to minimize exacerbating HS lesions while still addressing adolescent focused concerns such as sexual, physical, and emotional health in a multidisciplinary setting.
    4. Examine challenges in communication and rapport-building with adolescents with HS: This includes the elements of shared decision making that assist adolescents with choosing a treatment and prevention approach that optimizes treatment adherence and quality of life.

Cultivate & Bloom: Nurturing Your Path to Career Advancement​

Friday, June 26, 2026: 9:00 - 10:00 am PT / 12:00 - 1:00 pm ET
Speakers
    • Paritosh Kaul, MD, FSAHM, Atrium Health Navicent
    • Glenda Church Smith, Pediatric Search Partners
Register Here

Healthcare professionals who work with adolescents and young adults face unique challenges at the intersection of clinical care, education, and psychosocial development. Whether practicing in academic hospitals, outpatient clinics, or community-based programs, they must also navigate critical professional milestones—such as job interviews, career decisions, and offer negotiations—often without formal training. This interactive workshop addresses these needs by equipping healthcare professionals from all disciplines and regions with essential skills to confidently manage their career trajectories.

Combining foundational principles with hands-on learning, this session delivers practical strategies tailored to professionals across global healthcare systems. The content supports physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and allied health providers, ensuring relevance across diverse institutional and cultural settings. The workshop incorporates globally informed perspectives, allowing participants to apply tools in varied organizational contexts and healthcare environments.

Session Content:

  1. Interviewing Skills for Healthcare Professionals: Effective interviews in healthcare require more than technical expertise—they demand empathy, adaptability, and clarity. Participants will learn techniques for presenting their experience authentically, responding to vague or unstructured questions, and highlighting skills specific to adolescent and young adult care. Role-playing and peer feedback will build confidence and help participants tailor responses to align with the missions of healthcare and academic institutions worldwide.

  2. Decision-Making Strategies for Career Growth: Healthcare professionals often face complex decisions involving multiple roles—clinical care, teaching, research, and leadership. This segment introduces structured tools such as decision matrices and values clarification exercises to help participants assess options, prioritize goals, and evaluate job offers. Attendees will learn to balance personal and professional objectives while considering long-term career development within various healthcare settings.

  3. Negotiation Skills for Healthcare Careers: Negotiating job offers can be daunting, especially in academic and international healthcare contexts. Participants will learn to define a negotiation agenda, identify negotiable elements (e.g., compensation, protected time, mentorship), and communicate needs effectively. The session also explores culturally responsive approaches to negotiation and the use of advocates or recruiters when needed. Practical scripts and real-world examples will help participants approach negotiations with clarity and confidence.

Conclusion: This globally relevant workshop provides inclusive, actionable tools for healthcare professionals working with adolescents and young adults. By integrating real-life scenarios and culturally adaptable strategies, the session prepares participants from diverse disciplines and settings to navigate interviews, decisions, and negotiations with skill and purpose—supporting meaningful, sustained contributions to the field.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Apply advanced interviewing techniques to present their skills and experience effectively during job interviews.
  2. Demonstrate negotiation strategies to secure favorable job offers and career opportunities.
  3. Develop a list of personal values and career goals to guide their job search and decisions.
  4.  

SAHM Annual Meeting Virtual Sessions Archive

View Recordings

2025 Annual Meeting Virtual Workshops

Adolescents and Young Adults with Severe and Enduring Eating Disorders: Roads Other Than Recovery?

Speakers: Maya Michelle Kumar, MD, University of California San Diego / Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego; Nicole Cifra, MD, MPH, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Abigail Donaldson, MD, Alpert Medical School of Brown University; Melissa Hopper, PsyD, CEDS, University of Kansas School of Medicine; Cynthia Kapphahn, MD, MPH, Stanford University School of Medicine; Tamara Maginot, PhD, University of California San Diego / Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego

Eating disorders are the most common chronic illness affecting adolescents. Although many affected youth achieve recovery, others experience years of relapsing and remitting illness, and some succumb to their disease—eating disorders have among the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric condition.

This workshop will address the complex clinical and ethical challenges of caring for young adults with severe and enduring eating disorders (SEEDs) who may question the value of continued treatment or inquire about comfort-focused care.

Recorded in September 2025

Advancing Adolescent-Inclusive Sexual and Reproductive Health Research: Overcoming Challenges and Leveraging Opportunities

Bianca A. Allison, MD, MPH, University of North Carolina School of Medicine; Errol L. Fields, MD, PhD, MPH, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Andrea Hoopes, MD, MPH, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute; Tracey Wilkinson, MD, MPH, Indiana University School of Medicine; Sarah Wood, MD, MPH, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Despite increasing numbers of adolescent health professionals trained to lead adolescent-centered research, adolescents—particularly minors under 18—remain systematically underrepresented in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) research. Barriers such as limited mentorship, institutional resistance, recruitment and retention challenges, and the need for adolescent-specific measures continue to hinder progress. This one-hour webinar will equip attendees with practical strategies and resources to overcome these obstacles and promote inclusive, high-quality adolescent SRH research. This is particularly timely in light of ongoing legal shifts affecting adolescent access to abortion and contraception.

Recorded in September 2025

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