Conference #1732
30th Annual Conference on High Risk & Critical Care Obstetrics


May 8 - 10, 2025
New Orleans, Louisiana

REGISTER FOR:





 
See Tuition information for pricing and attendance options.
 
No specific health and safety information for in-person attendance
(See Health & Safety tab for complete info)

 
Thursday, May 8, 2025
 
8:15 AMPeriviability: Principles in Management
Rebecca L. Cypher, MSN, PNNP
 
9:00Gestational Diabetes: An Update
(Rx = 15 minutes)
Donna Dizon-Townson, MD, CPHQ, FACOG
 
9:45Questions & Answers / Group Discussion
Faculty Panel & Audience
 
10:30Vaginal Birth After C-Section (VBAC): Is It Still Appropriate?
Sarah Kilpatrick, MD, PhD
 
11:15Maternal Cardiac Arrest
Andrea D. Shields, MD, MS
 
12:00 PMQuestions & Answers / Group Discussion
Faculty Panel & Audience
 
1:45Overview of OB Malpractice Issues
Adam Snyder, JD
 
2:30Opioid Use, Abuse, and Dependency During Pregnancy
(Rx = 30 minutes)
Donna Dizon-Townson, MD, CPHQ, FACOG
 
3:15Recognizing & Managing Maternal Sepsis
(Rx = 15 minutes)
Andrea D. Shields, MD, MS
 
4:00Questions & Answers / Group Discussion
Faculty Panel & Audience
 
Friday, May 9, 2025
 
8:00 AMReady, Set, Respond: Dealing With the Pregnant Trauma Patient
Rebecca L. Cypher, MSN, PNNP
 
8:45Cervical Cerclage Procedures
Andrea D. Shields, MD, MS
 
9:30Questions & Answers / Group Discussion
Faculty Panel & Audience
 
10:15Indefensible: The Maternal Mortality Crisis & High Risk Obstetrics
Adam Snyder, JD
 
11:00ACOG Update 2025: What’s New?
Sarah Kilpatrick, MD, PhD
 
11:45EFM Signal Ambiguity: When Signals Become Crossed
Rebecca L. Cypher, MSN, PNNP
 
12:30 PMQuestions & Answers / Group Discussion
Faculty Panel & Audience
 
Saturday, May 10, 2025
 
8:00 AMManaging Autoimmune Diseases
(Rx = 15 minutes)
Donna Dizon-Townson, MD, CPHQ, FACOG
 
8:45Management of Thyroid Disease in Pregnancy
(Rx = 15 minutes)
Sarah Kilpatrick, MD, PhD
 
9:30Questions & Answers / Group Discussion
Faculty Panel & Audience
 
10:30Maternal Stroke
(Rx = 15 minutes)
Andrea D. Shields, MD, MS
 
11:15Gone Viral: Social Media in Obstetric Litigation
Adam Snyder, JD
 
12:00 PMThromboembolism in Obstetrics
(Rx = 15 minutes)
Donna Dizon-Townson, MD, CPHQ, FACOG
 
12:45Questions & Answers / Group Discussion
Faculty Panel & Audience
 
 
Rx = Pharmacotherapeutic CEUs for nurses will be granted for these sessions
 

CONFERENCE DESCRIPTION

Our 30th Annual Conference on High Risk & Critical Care Obstetrics is designed for physicians, certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, physician associates, nurses, and other allied healthcare professionals who face challenges in the care of the high risk pregnant patient.

This conference covers a diverse range of topics, featuring expert faculty who will discuss the latest evidence-based advancements in obstetric care, present emerging clinical data, and impart skills and strategies for practical application in clinical practice. This educational activity is designed to enhance learner knowledge, improve attendee competence and performance, and foster effective collaboration within healthcare teams. Join us to stay abreast of cutting-edge developments in high risk obstetrics and contribute to optimizing patient outcomes.

An outstanding faculty has been assembled for this conference. Each faculty member was selected based on their individual area of expertise and ability to communicate current, evidence-based, and practical information to participants.

The conference format includes didactic lectures, question and answer sessions, and case studies. Following a group of lectures, the question and answer sessions allow attendees to ask the faculty critical and challenging questions about caring for patients during various obstetric situations.
 

CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES

As a result of participating in this conference, you should have increased knowledge and enhanced competence to…

  • Discuss how maternal physiology and anatomy impact basic life support and cardiac life support during a maternal cardiac arrest
  • Correctly initiate and maintain patients on insulin therapy during pregnancy
  • Implement a clinical care model that reduces preventable bad outcomes
  • Describe contraindications for a trial of labor after cesarean
  • Differentiate trauma concerns specific to pregnancy

Enrollment for this conference is limited in order to provide the best possible learning environment.
Early registration is advised.


You can register and receive conference lodging group rates in the following ways:

  • Online via this website (unless otherwise directed) OR:
     
  • Call (925) 969-1789 Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm (Pacific Time), with
     Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover; OR
     
  • By mail; make check payable to Symposia Medicus and send along with registration form to:
    399 Taylor Blvd, Suite 102, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523-2287

Conference registration will be confirmed via email

Please call (925) 969-1789 for additional questions or information.
 

TUITION PRICING
 
  EARLY
If postmarked by
February 27, 2025
REGULAR
If postmarked after
February 27, 2025
 
Physicians $895 $995
 
Nurses, PAs, & All Others $795 $895

 
Discounts are available for retired healthcare providers, active U.S. military, residents, and groups of three or more. For more information, please contact Symposia Medicus prior to registering.
 
Tuition includes continuing education, online access to educational session materials, continental breakfast on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings, and break refreshments for conference registrants.
 

ATTENDEE REQUIREMENTS

After attending this conference, participants are entitled to a certificate of credit which will be available online. Successful completion of this activity is determined by attending the live activity, reviewing the educational session materials, and submitting the case studies test, evaluations, surveys, and verification of attendance form. Each participant should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
 

ACCREDITATION

This accredited continuing education activity was planned and produced in accordance with the ACCME and ANCC Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education.

Symposia Medicus is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Symposia Medicus is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
 

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT

Physicians
Symposia Medicus designates this live activity for a maximum of 17 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This ACE activity was developed with standards to address California Assembly Bill (AB) 1195 cultural and linguistic competency (CLC) and CA AB 241 implicit bias (IB) to reduce health disparities. Please refer to the accreditation page on our website for resources.

ACOG
Application has been made with the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) for cognates, Formal Learning. Please check our website for updated credit information.

Certified Nurse Midwives
The American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) accepts Category 1 CME approval from organizations accredited by the ACCME.

Physician Associates
NCCPA accepts certificates of participation for educational activities certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by ACCME or a recognized state medical society. Physician associates may receive a maximum of 17 hours of Category 1 credit for completing this program.

Nurse Practitioners/Nurses
The ANCC contact hours awarded for completion of this conference are 17.

Provider is also approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #CEP2335, for 20.4 contact hours.

Pharmacists
The California Board of Pharmacy accepts as continuing professional education those courses that meet the standard of relevance to pharmacy practice and have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

Pharmacotherapeutic CEUs for Nurses
This activity is designated for a maximum of 2 pharmacotherapeutic credits towards meeting the requirement for nursing pharmacology continuing education. Sessions awarding pharmacotherapeutic credits are denoted with an Rx in the schedule. Please contact your state’s Board of Nursing for specific educational requirements as they may vary state to state.

 
Rebecca L. Cypher, MSN, PNNP
Perinatal Nurse Practitioner; President, Cypher Maternal-Fetal Solutions; Gig Harbor, Washington
 
Donna Dizon-Townson, MD, CPHQ, FACOG - Conference Co-Chairperson
Intermountain Health; Associate Medical Director for Quality & Process Improvement in Obstetrics & Maternal-Fetal Medicine; Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Utah Health Sciences; Salt Lake City, Utah
 
Sarah Kilpatrick, MD, PhD - Conference Co-Chairperson
Professor & The Helping Hand of Los Angeles Endowed Chair; Chair, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology; Vice Dean for Faculty Development & Diversity; Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; Los Angeles, California
 
Andrea D. Shields, MD, MS
Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology; Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Program Director, Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellowship; University of Connecticut, School of Medicine; Farmington, Connecticut
 
Adam Snyder, JD
Founder & Chairman; The ALLGOOD Foundation, Founder & Trial Lawyer; The Birth Injury Alliance; Chicago, Illinois

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

In accordance with ACCME and ANCC guidelines, Symposia Medicus maintains a policy to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all educational activities. Prior to the planning of this educational activity, all individuals in control of content disclosed all financial relationships with ineligible companies within the past 24 months. Symposia Medicus will mitigate any and all relevant financial relationships before the conference begins. Beyond disclosure and mitigation of relevant financial relationships, faculty are required to disclose when they plan to discuss pharmaceuticals and/or medical devices that are not approved by the FDA and/or medical or surgical procedures that involve an unapproved or “off-label” use of an approved device or pharmaceutical. Symposia Medicus is committed to providing learners with commercially unbiased continuing education activities. This information is intended to assist learners in forming their own judgments about the content presented. Disclosure information will be included in the educational session materials for this activity and speakers will provide a disclosure slide for each presentation, which they will also disclose verbally on site.

Symposia Medicus values the well-being of our attendees, faculty, and staff and collaborates with the conference venue to ensure the safety and protection of all on-site participants.

In recognition of the evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, proof of vaccination and/or face mask use requirements may change from the time of conference announcement and your registration, until the conference takes place. Current policies and attendance requirements for this conference are provided here, and we encourage you to refer to this information as needed, particularly as it gets closer to your on-site date, so that you can take any action you feel appropriate to be in compliance.

At this time, the following is in effect for on-site attendance:

HEALTH & SAFETY AWARENESS

We care about the health and safety of our conference attendees. It is important to think about safety as part of your travel preparations. For General Travel Safety Suggestions, please visit here.

 

CONFERENCE LODGING INFORMATION

Symposia Medicus has conference group rates at Hilton New Orleans Riverside, located in the heart of New Orleans.

These special rates will only be available until Monday, April 7, 2025 and will only be available after that date on a space and rate available basis. We recommend you reserve your lodging as soon as possible, as rooms at the conference group rates are limited and on a first come, first served basis. Rooms may sell out and/or room rates may increase prior to the release date.
 

Hilton New Orleans Riverside
Two Poydras Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: (504) 561-0500

To make your reservations please call 800-445-8667.
You must refer to the group code SMA to receive conference group rates.

To make your reservations online, please book here.

Please note the website may show your room rate as an average, based on the number of nights reserved.

The conference group rates will also be available three days before and three days after the conference (based on availability) if you wish to extend your stay in New Orleans.
 

Standard Room (Single/Double) - $329/night
Rooms are approximately 320 sq. ft. and feature a king or two queen beds, hairdryer, coffeemaker LCD TV, iron/ironing board, mini-fridge, and safe. Basic wireless internet is also included during your stay.

  • A deposit equal to one night’s room and tax is due to the hotel with major credit card upon making your reservation
     
  • Above conference group rates are per room, per night and do not include the following (subject to change):
    - 14.45% Sales Tax
    - 1.75% Statutory Tourism Support Assessment
    - $3.00 Occupancy Tax
     
  • Mandatory additional occupant charge is $30 per person, per night
     
  • Rollaway beds and cribs are available on a complimentary basis (subject to availability and change)
     
  • Check-in time is 4:00pm and check-out time is 11:00am. An early departure fee of $125 will be charged to those who check-out earlier than their reserved departure date. Please advise the hotel prior to or during check-in if you have a change to your length of stay.
     
  • Credit/Debit Card Policy: Upon check-in, the hotel requires a credit card or debit card to ensure that funds are available. Holds are placed on your account for your entire stay, plus estimated incidentals; however, the amount may be immediately deducted from your account. The length of time for which these holds remain on your credit or debit account varies from bank to bank.
     
  • Parking: Self-parking is discounted 50% from $44 per night to $22 per night for conference attendees. Valet parking is $49 per night (subject to change).
     
  • Hotel cancellations must be made directly with the hotel at least 72 hours prior to your confirmed arrival date or you will be charged a cancellation fee equal to one night’s deposit and tax.
  • Conference cancellations must be made in writing (via email) to Symposia Medicus and a refund, less a 10% processing fee, will be given. No refunds will be made if cancellation is received after April 3, 2025; however, tuition, less a 10% processing fee, may be applied to a future Symposia Medicus conference.
     
  • All cancellations must be emailed to registrar@symposiamedicus.org by the date stated above.
     
  • In the unlikely event of conference cancellation by Symposia Medicus, full tuition refunds will be made. Symposia Medicus will not be responsible for refunding travel or any other expenses.

Each registrant will have online access to educational session materials. The educational session materials will be available for download approximately one week prior to the conference (you’ll receive an email with instructions).

If you are unable to attend this conference, you may purchase an electronic copy of the educational session materials one week after the conference. Please email publications@symposiamedicus.org for more information.

AIR TRAVEL INFORMATION

You will fly into Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), which is approximately 30 minutes from Harrah’s New Orleans.

Symposia Medicus has arranged for discount fares with Alaska, Delta, and United Airlines for this conference. Reservations can be made either through your travel agency or through the airlines at the website or Convention Desk numbers listed below.

In order to receive the discounted rate, you or your travel agent must refer to the Symposia Medicus Group ID number listed here.
 

Alaska Airlines
Discount code was not available at the time of printing this brochure.
Please check our website for updated information once available.

Delta Airlines
For discounts on Delta Airlines, please visit here, enter in your travel plans and then click on the “Advanced Search” link located below the “Passenger” box. Once you click on this link, a panel will appear and you will need to insert NY3B8 in the “Meeting Code” box.
For questions, please call the Delta Airlines Convention Desk at (800) 328-1111.

United Airlines
For discounts on United Airlines, please visit here and click on Advanced Search, located on the bottom left corner of the “Book Travel” box. Once you click on this link, another page will appear. At the bottom of this page, you will insert ZPT8594284 in the “Promotions and Certificates” box at the end of the page. For questions, please call the United Airlines Convention Desk at (800) 426-1122.
 

CAR RENTAL DISCOUNT

Symposia Medicus has made arrangements with AVIS and Budget Car Rentals. Reservations can be made online or by phone; please refer to the conference code and the conference/airport location when making your reservations. Please see below:

AVIS
www.avis.com
800-331-1600
AWD # B766625

Budget
www.budget.com
800-772-3773
BCD # U076767
 

CONFERENCE LOCATION

Nestled on the banks of the majestic Mississippi River, New Orleans is one of the United States’ most mesmerizing cities. Its Old-World European charm, rich cultural fabric, and intriguing history have made it one of the world's top travel destinations. Visit this amazing city and experience world-class cuisine, inspired jazz, and boutique shopping in a place that is steeped in history. Whether it’s music, food, or the arts you love (or all of the above), you'll want to join in as New Orleans lets its hair down and declares, “laissez les bons temps rouler” (let the good times roll)!

The Hilton New Orleans Riverside hotel is located in the heart of this exhilarating city, with a spectacular riverfront New Orleans location. The hotel is connected to the Riverwalk outlets in New Orleans' central business district, and is just a block away from Harrah's Casino. Plus, the French Quarter, Jackson Square, and the Aquarium of the Americas are located nearby!

The Hilton New Orleans Riverside provides an unparalleled escape - dine at one of their six restaurants, enjoy spectacular views of the Mississippi River and New Orleans skyline, or take a short walk to the beautiful French Quarter or always exciting Bourbon Street. There is no better place to stay in New Orleans than the Hilton.

Whatever your pleasure, you’ll be sure to find it in New Orleans, at our 30th Annual Conference on High Risk & Critical Care Obstetrics.

Virtual Attendance Is available For this conference. Registered Virtual Attendees should sign in for current information.