Robert Contino, MD, CEO with Sean Lindsey, MD

Clarkston, Georgia has been a center for refugee resettlement since the 1980s. As a result, this small town just outside Atlanta has earned the title of “America’s most diverse square mile.” In 2017 Ethne Health was founded as a primary care clinic to serve this population and show Jesus’ love. In this session, the founding physicians of Ethne will explore the unique challenges of providing holistic care for refugees in a primary care setting. We will review how a person becomes a refugee, discuss the biblical mandate for refugee care, and tell the story of how Clarkston's unique makeup Clarkston has shaped our response to Jesus’s command to “love thy neighbor.”

CME Accredited

Rebecca Swift, LCSW

Working with the same patients and their families over many years serves to deepen trust, build empathy, and give perspective. In this session, I will share the ways that God has used consistency and meaningful presence has impacted patients’ complex medical diagnoses and their mental health. Sometimes longevity can be seen as a burden, but in this session, I will share three case examples where there was beauty in longevity. Co-Presenters: Kristin Martel, MD., Lauren Smith, FNP-C

CME Accredited

Warren Yamashita, MD MPH

Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, we have seen a rise in the polydrug overdose epidemic now surpassing over 100,000 deaths in this last year. While those in ministry & health care are called to this battle, too often we are siloed or even divided over disagreements about medications or therapy frameworks. The controversy on whether to prescribe Medication Assisted Therapy such as Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder, often divides clinicians and Church ministries. Sometimes there is disagreement on recommending psychotherapy or biblical counseling.

CME Accredited

Tara Samples, PhD

As the Medical Workforce is predominantly female, and women shoulder the societal burden of caregiving, work/life balance for caregivers of young or medically fragile family members has long been an underexplored topic in medical administration. The pandemic has further illuminated the challenges of work/life balance and professional success for those with clinic based and home caregiving responsibilities. Christian health organizations strive to model respect and dignity not only to patients but also to employees.

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CME Accredited

Carena Chai, DO

Take a journey exploring the epidemic level of mental health disorders in the US that has made primary care the de facto mental health system. Hear how primary care clinicians can overcome the growing lack of access to mental and behavioral health specialty services. Discover how the Waco Guide to Psychopharmacology, a free, tangible, evidence-based, point-of-care tool providing high-quality mental and behavioral health care support, is helping busy primary care clinicians to make impactful treatment decisions.

CME Accredited

Casey Clardy, PhD, MDiv

Research trends demonstrate that as many as 26% of primary care patients experience passive suicidal ideation and up to 15% experience active suicidal ideation. Studies show that approximately 77% of individuals who die by suicide have a health care visit within the year prior to death. How many of those patients interacted with clinical staff who felt as though they had the requisite time, knowledge, skill, confidence, training, or resources to adequately assess and treat their patients presenting with high risk mental health complexity? In this interactive workshop, we will review how to conduct a suicidal/homicidal risk assessment within a brief primary care visit. Practical strategies and tools will be provided using case examples and evidenced-based practices to increase the knowledge and confidence of clinical staff in primary care risk assessment and intervention.