SACME 2025 Speakers The 2025 theme is Advocacy in Action: Empowering CPD/CE Professionals to Lead Change and we have a lineup of empowering change-makers to present our plenary sessions and workshops. Plenary Speakers - go to Workshop Speakers Monday, March 17, 2025, 8:30 am Advocacy in Leadership: Speaking Truth to Power!
Dr. Constance LeBlanc holds a Master of Arts in Education in Curriculum Studies, with a focus on the Hidden Curriculum as well as an EMBA in Business and Technology. She is a recent recipient of a certification in Diversity as a Canadian Certified Inclusion Professional. Her areas for scholarship focus on equity, diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility (EDIA); medical education; and leadership. Dr. LeBlanc is Métis, francophone, has a mixed-race family, and was the first woman Emergency Physician at the Charles V. Keating Emergency and Trauma Center in Halifax Nova Scotia. She practices clinically, mentors, and supports women in her environment and produces scholarship on EDIA. She was recognized for her work as the recipient of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) Emergency Physician of the year in 2019 and the CAEP President’s Award in 2022. She has served two terms as Associate Dean of Continuing Professional Development and Medical Education Research at Dalhousie University in Canada. Since July 2023, she has served as president and CEO of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada.
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Vicki Girard, JD
Faculty Director, Georgetown University Health Justice Alliance (HJA) & Professor of Law, Legal Practice, Georgetown Law Center
Following more than a decade in private practice representing companies in FDA-related regulatory and policy matters and another teaching law students, Vicki now directs the Health Justice Alliance, an Academic Medical-Legal Partnership (A-MLP) focused on training the next generation of health and law professionals to work together to advance health equity. In that role, Vicki collaborates closely with faculty, students, clinicians, and staff across Georgetown and MedStar Health to achieve a variety of teaching, service, advocacy, and research aims. She has published extensively about A-MLPs in clinical and legal journals and regularly presents at national conferences about the use of MLP to help reduce health disparities. She is a member of the National Board of Medical Examiners, serves on the Community Advisory Council for Lombardi Cancer Center/Georgetown Office of Minority Health, and is part of the Steering Committee for MedStar Health’s Safe Babies Safe Moms Initiative.
Tuesday, March 18, 2025, 8:30 am
Positioning Your Organization for Success: The Strategic Role of CE/CPD
Ayelet Kuper, MD, DPhil
Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
Ayelet Kuper practices medicine within the Division of General Internal Medicine at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; she is also a scientist and associate director at the Wilson Centre for Research in Education, University Health Network/University of Toronto. She is a Professor of Medicine with cross-appointments to the Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and Anne Tanebaum Centre for Jewish Studies, all at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Kuper has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and is frequently invited to speak internationally about topics related to multiple aspects of health professions education. She has also won national awards for her academic work (most recently the 2024 AFMC May Cohen Equity, Diversity and Gender Award from the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada and the 2024 Senior Investigator Award from the Canadian Society of Internal Medicine). She is the current President of AMEE: The International Association for Health Professions Education.
Tuesday, March 18, 2025, 1:30 pm
Status of Federal Funding and Potential Impacts
Rachel Werner, MPA, PMP, GPC
Principal, MyFedTrainer & Owner and CEO, RBW Strategy, LLC
Rachel Werner is the Principal of MyFedTrainer and Owner and CEO of RBW Strategy, LLC. She facilitates trainings on federal grants compliance to groups and individuals nationally. At RBW Strategy, she oversees a team that provides customized grants and project management support and solutions to clients primarily in the Greater Washington, DC and Maryland region. Collectively, she and her team members have raised over $450M in grant funds and have managed over $2.5B in federal grant funding. She has over 20 years of grants experience. She is an active member of the Grant Professionals Association and is a Certified Grants Professional (since 2014) and a Project Management Professional (since 2010).
Panel Discussion: Government & Non-Industry Funders
Tanya Horsley, PhD, MBA
Director of Research and Evaluation
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Dr. Tanya Horsley is the Director of Research and Evaluation at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, where she leads high-impact initiatives aimed at advancing medical education and professional development. With a particular focus on the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and healthcare, Dr. Horsley has been instrumental in the Royal College’s Task Force on AI, investigating its transformative potential in medical education, clinical practice, and healthcare delivery. She has authored several reviews on the legal, ethical, and educational implications of AI, addressing key regulatory challenges and shaping the discourse around its integration into medical education and practice.
An experienced educator, Tanya teaches evidence synthesis at the University of Ottawa’s School of Epidemiology and Public Health and serves as invited faculty in the Harvard Macy Institute’s Leading Innovations in Health Care and Education course. She is also deeply engaged in advancing global communication of research, contributing to the development of reporting guidelines that promote clarity, transparency, and the effective application of research findings in healthcare settings.
In addition to her academic and educational roles, Dr. Horsley serves as the Grant Network Chair for the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE), where she leads initiatives to support innovative medical education projects through strategic research collaborations and global funding partnerships. Through these varied roles, Tanya continues to shape the future of healthcare education, with a particular emphasis on the integration of technology, the promotion of innovation, and the advancement of rigorous, impactful research communication in medical education and practice.
Adrianne Fielding, MA
Director II, Grants and Executive Operations, Financial and Administrative Services for Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
Adrianne Fielding, MA has worked at nonprofit and for-profit organizations for more than 21 years supporting grantmakers, grantseekers, and grant recipients. Leading the AAMC’s Grants Office since 2013, she oversees and coordinates all of the Association’s grant-related activities. She is responsible for maintaining and implementing AAMC’s grants strategy, operations, policies, and single audit activities. With the Grants Office supporting the full grants lifecycle, Ms. Fielding leads and advises her colleagues on successfully identifying, applying for, and managing awards from relevant Federal agencies and foundations. She also provides expertise on grant-funded subawards and contracts and AAMC-funded grantmaking, and leads the AAMC’s volunteer Community Grants Committee that annually makes cash awards to Washington D.C. nonprofits.
Before joining the AAMC, Ms. Fielding was executive director of the National Grants Management Association. She received a BA in sociology with honors from Wesleyan University, then completed PhD coursework in sociology at the University of Massachusetts with concentrations in social movements and social psychology, and conducted dissertation research with heavy emphasis on quantitative and qualitative research methods and analysis.
Edeline Mitton, MEd, MPH
Director of Continuing Medical Education, Downstate Health Sciences University
Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 8:15 am
Bringing Joy Back to the Health Care Workplace: Experiences from Community Health Centers
Luis Padilla, MD
Chief Health Officer, National Association of Community Health Centers, Washington, DC
Dr. Padilla comes to National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). There he served for nearly a decade as the Associate Administrator for the Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW), responsible for over 70 workforce programs and 478 staff, and Director of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), BHW’s largest program of over 18,000 clinicians. A key focus for Dr. Padilla at HRSA was improving primary care across the nation and developing, recruiting, and retaining a diverse and culturally competent health workforce. Under his leadership, the Bureau expanded to its current budget of almost $2 billion and the NHSC grew to the largest size in its 50-year history. Prior to joining HRSA, Dr. Padilla served for more than a decade at Unity Health Care, the largest community health center system in Washington, DC, as senior health policy advisor to the CEO, medical director, and as a NHSC Scholar. He also served on the National Advisory Council of the NHSC from 2007 to 2010. A licensed family physician, Dr. Padilla received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of California at Irvine. He earned a medical degree from Wake Forest School of Medicine and completed his family medicine residency at Brown University.
Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 11:30 am
CME in 2025: Expanding Opportunities, Enhancing Impact
Graham McMahon, MD, MMSc
President and Chief Executive Officer, ACCME
Dr. McMahon is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME®), which accredits continuing medical education (CME) providers in the United States and internationally, creating a framework that supports, inspires, and motivates educators to achieve their full potential. Dr. McMahon leads initiatives to accelerate learning, change, and growth, enabling clinicians and interprofessional teams in practice to optimize their performance and continuously improve care for patients, families, and communities. In addition to his role at the ACCME, Dr. McMahon serves as an Adjunct Professor of Medicine and Medical Education at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, teaching medical students and fellows and continues to care for patients with endocrine disorders at Howard Brown Health in Chicago.
Workshop Speakers
Sunday, March 16, 2025, 9 am to 11 am ET
From Data to Action: Using Evidence to Advocate for Your Office
Linda Caples, PhD
Director Continuing and Professional Development, Medical College of Wisconsin
Linda Caples, PhD, the Director of Continuing Professional Development at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). With a robust academic background, she holds a BS from Butler University, an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University, and a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Linda has been instrumental in advancing continuing medical education, both locally and internationally.
Since 2011, Linda has led the Continuing Professional Development division at MCW, where she also serves as a part-time instructor in the Master of Science in Global Health Equity program. Linda is actively involved in various professional societies, holding leadership roles such as Vice President and President Elect of the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education. She also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions.
Her research interests include improving obesity care, health equity, and diabetes self-management education. Linda has collaborated on several funded projects and has presented her work at national and international conferences. She is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of medical professionals and is deeply committed to community service, evidenced by her involvement with the Milwaukee Rescue Mission and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Barb Anderson, MS
Director, Office of Continuing Professional Development, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Barbara Anderson, MS is currently the Director of the Office of Continuing Professional Development in the School of Medicine and Public Health and the Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Barbara has led ICEP from its inception in 2015. Today ICEP is a comprehensive interprofessional continuing education program meeting the needs of healthcare professionals throughout Wisconsin and beyond. Barbara has more than 20 years of experience in continuing medical education. She holds a Master of Science degree in Continuing and Vocational Education and a bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Brian Tomczyk
Data Analyst, Office of Continuing and Professional Development, Medical College of Wisconsin
Brian Tomczyk is the Data Analyst for The Medical College of Wisconsin’s Office of Continuing Professional Development. Since joining the team in early 2023, he has guided the creation of a data warehouse and reports utilizing program data to advocate for the CME enterprise. He is always seeking ways to use software packages to streamline complex, labor-intensive processes such as activity evaluation and PARS reporting. As an aspiring statistician, Brian is currently a student in The Medical College of Wisconsin’s MA Biostatistics and Data Science program.
James D. Morgante, PhD
Associate Director of Qualitative and Survey Research Methods, American Society of Clinical Oncology
James D. Morgante, PhD is the Associate Director of Qualitative and Survey Research Methods at the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He oversees survey research initiatives and provides expert guidance on qualitative studies, serving as a strategic cross-department liaison to translate data into compelling insights that drive decision-making.
With over a decade of experience in adult learning, psychometrics, and strategic program development, James specializes in mixed-methods research to inform organizational strategy and optimize programs, products, and services. His expertise ensures that data-driven insights enhance impact, improve outcomes, and strengthen the value of key initiatives.
Sunday, March 16, 2025, 9 am to 11 am ET
Generative AI for Innovative Multimedia in Continuing Professional Development: Practical Tools and Ethical Insights
Heather MacNeill, MD, BSc(PT), MScCH(HPTE), FRCPC
Faculty Lead, Educational Technologies, CPD, University of Toronto
Heather MacNeill, MD BSc(PT) MScCH(HPTE) FRCPC, is the Interim Assistant Dean, Faculty Development, for the new Toronto Metropolitan University School of Medicine (TMU SoM). She is Associate Professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and co-instructs a masters class in educational technology in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at University of Toronto. She is a practicing PM&R physician and Medical Director of Stroke Rehabilitation at Sinai Health. She has been teaching about, creating, and researching the effect of educational technologies in healthcare for over a decade.
Ken Masters, PhD, HDE, FDE
Associate Professor: Medical Informatics, Sultan Quboos University
Ken Masters, PhD, FDE, is Associate Professor of Medical Informatics in the Department of Medical Education and Informatics, at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. He has been involved in Health Informatics and Education for more than 20 years, and has published widely in both areas. He has served on the Association for Medical Education (AMEE) Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) Committee since 2013, and serves on the AAMC’s International Advisory Committee for Artificial Intelligence (IACAI).
Sofia Valanci, MD, PhD
Program Advisor, Learning Strategy, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Sofia completed her General Surgery training at the American British Cowdray Medical Center in Mexico City, where she began her surgical practice and participated closely in undergrad and resident education. She is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Her passion for medical education, continuing professional development, and culture in medicine brought her to McGill University, where she completed a master’s and Ph.D. in surgical education. Her dissertation focused on Peer Coaching for Practicing Surgeons. Currently, she works as the Program Advisor for the Learning and Connecting department at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada where she leads the quality improvement of the learning frameworks and guides the implementation of learning needs for Fellows, including AI.
Sunday, March 16, 2025, 9 am to 11 am ET
Did You Really Just Say That? Being an Ally in Responding to Harm in the Workplace
Diana M. Lautenberger, MA
Director, Gender Equity Initiatives, Association of American Medical Colleges
Diana Lautenberger, M.A., manages the AAMC’s gender equity portfolio as the director for gender equity initiatives to integrate gender equity approaches across the association’s missions and work. The GE portfolio includes research, education, and projects to promote equitable working environments as well as developing resources for marginalized populations in academic medicine. Examples of current projects include Women of Color and Intersectionality, the Gendered Impact of the Pandemic, Salary Equity, and Sexual Harassment in Academic Medicine.
Teaching for Quality (Te4Q)
All day course, Part 1 in AM, Part 2 in PM
Annette Mallory Donawa, PhD, MS.Ed
Associate Provost, Office of Continuing Professional Development, Thomas Jefferson University
Dr. Annette Mallory Donawa is an international and national speaker, having presented in China, Canada, West Africa, and throughout the US. Her experiences in medical education, higher education, and industry spans more than 30 years. Serving as the Associate Provost for the Office of Continuing Professional Development (OCPD) at Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) is a rewarding experience. Prior to joining TJU she served as the Assistant Dean of the Office of Continuing Medical Education (OCME) at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She is honored to serve as the Vice Chair to the ACCME Board of Directors in 2025.
Dr. Donawa earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mass Communications, with a minor in English from Towson University in Towson, Maryland. She subsequently earned a Master’s degree in Education with a focus on instructional design and curriculum development from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. She continued her educational pursuits, earning a Ph.D. in Higher Education and Administration from Morgan State University (MSU) in Baltimore, Maryland.
Rachel B. Levine, MD, MPH
Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Cross Continuum Consultant in CPD, AAMC
Dr. Levine is professor of medicine and Associate Dean for Faculty Educational Development at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Levine completed medical school at McGill University in Montreal, Canada and residency training in Internal Medicine at Boston University Medical Center. Following residency, she completed a fellowship in Medical Education at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Levine’s areas of expertise include adult learning principles and facilitation of learning strategies. She directs or co-directs several faculty development programs to build teaching skills and promote scholarly educators that have institutional and national impact. Dr. Levine also directs leadership programs for early career faculty. She has published on women in academic medicine with a focus on leadership and sponsorship. Dr. Levine is active internationally as a member of the AMEE Faculty Development Committee. Dr. Levine’s areas of expertise include adult learning and faculty development in teaching skills. She has vast experience designing and facilitating programs (online and live) aimed at promoting the development of scholarly educators and leaders in medical education. She currently co-directs the Longitudinal Teaching Skills Course of the Johns Hopkins Faculty Development Program (now in its 31st year) and the Johns Hopkins Summer Teaching Camp in partnership with the Institute for Excellence in Education. Levine has presented workshops (locally, nationally and internationally) on teaching skills and other faculty development topics including career advancement and promotion for educators in the biomedical sciences. She is passionate about enhancing faculty teaching skills and promoting the academic success of educators.
Lisa Howley, MEd, PhD
Sr Director for Transforming Medical Education, AAMC
TE4Q Director, AAMC
Dr. Howley is an Educational Psychologist who has spent 30 years in the field of medical education supporting learners and faculty, conducting research, and developing curricula. She joined the AAMC in 2016 to advance the continuum of medical education, support experiential learning, and transform the curriculum across its member institutions and their clinical partners. She leads a portfolio that advances competency-based education, curricular design and faculty development, medical education scholarship, and the transition to residency. Prior to joining the AAMC, she spent eight years as the Associate DIO and AVP of Medical Education and Physician Development for Carolinas HealthCare System in North Carolina. In that role, she led a number of medical education initiatives across the professional development continuum, including graduate medical education accreditation, as well as physician leadership development for the large integrated healthcare system. She concurrently served as Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, where she led curriculum and faculty development. She also held a faculty appointment in educational research at UNC-Charlotte where she taught social science research methods and led and collaborated on numerous studies of effective education. Earlier in her career, she was a member of the medical education faculty at the University of Virginia School of Medicine where she developed the first clinical skills assessment center and designed and led performance-based assessments and simulation-enhanced curricula. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Central Florida, and both her Master of Education and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Virginia.
Sunday, March 16, 2025, 1 pm to 3 pm ET
Creative Fundraising and Compliance for Continuing Education
Annette Mallory Donawa, PhD, MS.Ed
Associate Provost, Office of Continuing Professional Development, Thomas Jefferson University
Dr. Annette Mallory Donawa is an international and national speaker, having presented in China, Canada, West Africa, and throughout the US. Her experiences in medical education, higher education, and industry spans more than 30 years. Serving as the Associate Provost for the Office of Continuing Professional Development (OCPD) at Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) is a rewarding experience. Prior to joining TJU she served as the Assistant Dean of the Office of Continuing Medical Education (OCME) at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She is honored to serve as the Vice Chair to the ACCME Board of Directors in 2025.
Dr. Donawa earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mass Communications, with a minor in English from Towson University in Towson, Maryland. She subsequently earned a Master’s degree in Education with a focus on instructional design and curriculum development from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. She continued her educational pursuits, earning a Ph.D. in Higher Education and Administration from Morgan State University (MSU) in Baltimore, Maryland.
Rebecca Kolb, MA
Education Consultant, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Rebecca has devoted 19+ years to healthcare education. She partners with healthcare professionals to design, implement, and evaluate accredited educational interventions at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Prior to working directly in medical education, she served as a Quality Improvement Consultant for primary care community healthcare professionals. She holds a MA in Research Methods from Towson University, MD.
Podcasting Fun-0-1: An Introduction to Podcasting in Healthcare Professional Education
Brian S. McGowan, PhD, FACEhp
Chief Learning Officer & Co-Founder, ArcheMedX, Inc.
Dr. McGowan has served in leadership positions in numerous medical educational organizations and commercial supporters and is a Fellow of the Alliance (FACEhp). He founded the Outcomes Standardization Project, launched and hosted the Alliance Podcast, and most recently launched and hosts the JCEHP Emerging Best Practices in CPD podcast. In 2012 he Co-Founded ArcheMedX, Inc, a healthcare informatics and e-learning company to apply his research in practice. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) (@BrianSMcGowan) and connect with him on Linkedin.