2026 Wellness Symposium

Wednesday 14 – Thursday 15, January, 2026
1300-1700 EST
Via Zoom

PRELIMINARY PROGRAM

Wednesday, January 14

1300-1315 – Symposium Welcome

1315 – 1400 – Keynote Address – The Pursuit of Well-being for Self and System; A Win-Win Strategy

Dr. Cathy Pipas

• Discuss the importance of well-being at the individual, patient, institutional and societal level.
• Describe strategies for averting burnout.
• Assess personal risks and opportunities for meaningful change.

1400 – 1415 – Break

1415 – 1500 – Precision Suicide Prevention: Dynamic Risk, Tired Intervention, Real-Time Tracking

Dr. Janet West

• Apply a dynamic suicide prevention framework that reflects evolving individual risk within an ecological and longitudinal care model.
• Elicit introspective responses from patients to identify risk, resilience, and readiness for change through structured, trauma-informed conversations.
• Implement a step-wise suicide prevention plan that includes warning signs, coping strategies, social supports, and access to crisis and professional help.

1500-1530 – Topic Review & Discussions – Small group discussion on the previous topic.

1530-1545 – Break

1545-1630 – Importance of Self Care: Me, Myself, and I

Dr. Breanna Gawrys

• Gain knowledge on positive psychology and why this is important for physician and patient well-being.
• Identify personal and patient values in order to explore how these guide hard decisions.
• Learn strategies to implement plans for personal wellness for physicians as well as patients.

1630-1700 – Topic Review & Discussions – Small group discussion on the previous topic.

1700 – Overview & Closing

Thursday, January 15

1300-1315 – Welcome & Day 1 Recap

1315 – 1400 – Express Yourself: Release Your Inner Self

Dr. Chelsey Haley

• Understand the role of emotional expression in clinical setting.
• Identify barriers of self-compassion and emotional expression unique to physicians when providing care.
• Cultivate self-expression and compassion through practical strategies and exercises in order to improve patient care.

1400-1415 – Break

1415-1445 – Holding the Line: Mastering Boundary Setting and Adherence

Dr. Ashley Yano

• Recognize the signs of boundary erosion and its impact on a healthcare team.
• Apply evidence-based strategies to establish and maintain healthy boundaries with patients, colleagues, and leadership.
• Develop personalized plans to protect individual time and well-being while balancing military mission and patient care in their healthcare setting.

1445-1500 – Break

1500-1615 – Voices from the Frontline: Leadership Lessons in Physician Wellness

Drs. Gigi Rey, Mary Alice Noel, Kevin Kelly & Janet West

• Explore real-world experiences of military medical leaders who have navigated wellbeing challenges and successes.
• Identify common pitfalls and systemic factors that impact physician resilience and burnout.
• Integrate actionable leadership strategies to foster a culture of wellness within military health teams while providing patient care.

1615-1645 – Topic Review & Discussions – Small group discussion on the previous topics.

1645-1700 – Symposium Closing