• FOR LIFE AND FAMILY

about Converging Roads

Where Health Care Ethics and Medicine Converge
Converging Roads is a regional conference series offering continuing education for health care professionals that equips them to practice the highest ethical and medical standards of their profession. To learn more about Converging Roads, click here.
    • Feedback from past attendees of Converging Roads:
    • "The Converging Roads conference was truly life-changing for me, especially as a student hoping to start a career in medicine soon. Being a Catholic in Medicine can be very isolating, and it can be hard to find mentors and leaders who confront the ethical and moral dilemmas we see in healthcare today with great faith and bravery. I loved how the conference started by building for us a strong foundation in morality and ethics and worked up to practical application of practicing medicine as a Catholic. I believe this conference is a must for any healthcare provider looking to both strengthen their faith in God and knowledge of medical ethics."

REGISTRATION

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT

In-Person Ticket Options:
  • Physicians/Physician Assistants: $159
  • Nurses/Nurse Practitioners: $139
  • General Admission*: $85
  • Medical residents, clergy, or religious*: $75
  • Student Scholarship Rate**: $15
Online Ticket Options:
  • Online tickets include access to the livestream on Saturday, October 11, as well as additional access to the recordings (from noon CT on Sunday, October 12, to 11:59 pm CT on Wednesday, October 15).
 
  • Physicians/Physician Assistants: $129
  • Nurses/Nurse Practitioners: $109
  • General Admission*: $55
  • Medical residents, clergy, or religious*: $45
  • Student Scholarship Rate**: $0
 
  • *Not eligible for CME/CNE credits, however, Chaplain certificates of completion can be requested upon registration for continuing education purposes.
  • **Not eligible for CME/CNE credits.
Exhibitor Opportunities:
Includes 1 exhibitor booth and admission for 1 organizational representative    
  • Ministry/Non-Profit (including CME/CNE credits): $180
  • Ministry/Non-Profit (not including CME/CNE credits)*: $105
  • Vendor/For-Profit (including CME/CNE credits): $230
  • Vendor/For-Profit (not including CME/CNE credits)*: $155
 
  • *Not eligible for CME/CNE credits, however, Chaplain certificates of completion can be requested upon registration for continuing education purposes.
Sponsors:
  • If you and/or your organization is interested in joining our mission as a supporting sponsor, please click here for the Sponsorship Form. You can also submit the form online by clicking here.
 
  • For questions or more information, please contact the conference coordinator at [email protected].
Student Scholarships:
    • Undergraduate, graduate, nursing, and medical students are eligible to register for Converging Roads at the discounted rate above through the Dr. Mini Vettical Scholarship. If you are a student currently enrolled in classes and would like to attend the conference, please complete our student scholarship form prior to registering for the conference (click here).
 
  • If you are interested in providing a scholarship for a student to attend Converging Roads, you can do so at the time of registration or by clicking here.
Refund Information:
  • If you are no longer able to attend the conference, after purchasing your ticket, you may choose to transfer your registration fees to a student in need, or request a refund.
 
  • All refunds must be requested 2 weeks prior to the conference. The last day to request a refund is Friday, September 26. All refund requests made on or after September 27 will not be accepted, but the funds will automatically be transferred to a student in need. Please email [email protected] to transfer your registration or request a refund.

TOPICS

  • The Distinct Healing Mission Within Medicine
  • James O. Breen, MD
  •  
  • Human Dignity and the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Health Care
  • Dominique J. Monlezun, MD, PhD, PhD, MPH
  •  
  • Navigating Poor Prenatal Diagnoses with Compassion
  • Mark Bergeron, MD, MPH, MBA, CPE, FAAP
  • The Science of Compassion and the Virtue of Hope in Health Care
  • Nicole Piemonte, PhD
  •  
  • Language and the Art of Accompanying the Sick, the Elderly, the Dying, and Their Families
  • Rev. Jim Clifton, SJ and Nicole Piemonte, PhD
  •  
  • Ethical Concerns for Persons with Physical and Developmental Disabilities
  • Rev. Kevin T. FitzGerald, SJ, PhD, PhD
  •  

SCHEDULE

7:30 AM
 Check-In Begins
8:00 AM
  • White Mass
9:15 AM
 Opening Remarks
9:25 - 10:25 AM
  • The Distinct Healing Mission Within Medicine
 
10:35 - 11:35 AM
  • Human Dignity and the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Health Care 
 
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM
  • Navigating Poor Prenatal Diagnoses with Compassion
 
12:45 - 2:20 PM
 Hippocratic Oath Luncheon
1:15 - 2:15 PM
  • The Science of Compassion and the Virtue of Hope in Health Care
 
2:20 - 2:40 PM
 Break
2:40 - 3:40 PM
  • Language and the Art of Accompanying the Sick, the Elderly, the Dying, and Their Families
 
3:50 - 4:50 PM
  • Ethical Concerns for Persons with Physical and Developmental Disabilities
 
4:50 PM
 Closing Comments
5:00 - 5:45 PM
 Wine & Cheese Reception

Speakers

Dominique J. Monlezun, MD, PhD, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Hospital Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic; Professor, Bioethics, Universidad Anáhuac México, Chief Data Scientist, Global System Analytics & Structures; Executive Director, Center for Responsible AI & Global Health 

Dominique J Monlezun, MD, PhD, PhD, MPH is the world’s first triple doctorate-trained physician-data scientist and AI (artificial intelligence) ethicist. He earned his first AI-focused PhD in Global Health Management & Policy and his second PhD in Bioethics (recognized by Microsoft as producing the world’s top AI ethics doctoral dissertation). He serves as an Academic Hospitalist physician for Mayo Clinic, Professor of Bioethics for two United Nations-affiliated universities for the Global South, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine for 3 American academic medical centers, and the Principal Investigator and Senior Data Scientist-Biostatistician for over 100 research studies associated with Harvard University, the National Institutes of Health, and the European Union, among others. He has authored over 400 peer-reviewed manuscripts and conference presentations, in addition to the first 6 comprehensive AI textbooks on quantum health, health platforms, healthcare systems, global public health, bioethics, and multicultural metaphysics. He created QBAM-PS and ML-PSr AI-statistics and Personalist Social Contract ethics after co-founding the preventive cardiology field of Culinary Medicine. He has provided medical care for over 10,000 immigrant, incarcerated, and underserved patients.

SUSIE SAENZ
Chief of Staff and Vice President, St. John Paul II Foundation

Susie Saenz is Chief of Staff and Vice President at the St. John Paul II Foundation where she is responsible for providing counsel to the President, managing the Office of the President, promoting overall operational efficiency for the Foundation across departments, and representing the Office of the President. Susie earned her BS in Kinesiology from Texas A&M University and, prior to joining the St. John Paul II Foundation in 2017, worked at Baylor College of Medicine in the philanthropy and alumni relations office. She and her husband, Victor, along with their son, are parishioners at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Houston and enjoy gathering with friends over a meal, wine, and lively conversation. Susie has benefited greatly from the mission of the St. John Paul II Foundation during her time as a team member and continues to be grateful and humbled to have the opportunity to use her gifts and talents to enrich the lives touched by this apostolate.

JAMES O. BREEN, MD
Associate Clinical Professor of Family Medicine, Florida State University; Founder and Owner, Benedict Medicine

James O. Breen, MD graduated with a Doctor of Medicine degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and received his internship and residency training in Family Medicine at Brown University. He completed a fellowship in faculty development at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and is a Diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. He has practiced family medicine in a range of practice types including community health centers, multispecialty groups and academic practices, where he has served at the rank of Associate Clinical Professor in Family Medicine at both the University of North Carolina and Florida State University. He has spoken nationally at conferences for the Catholic Medical Association and Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, and his writings have appeared in publications including the New England Journal of Medicine, Linacre Quarterly, Crisis Magazine and The Catholic Thing. Dr. Breen recently opened Benedict Medicine, a Christ-centered, independent primary care practice that integrates contemporary medical knowledge within a context that sees each person as made in the image and likeness of God. His interest in the application of Catholic social teaching to medical care has led him to form the Benedict Medicine Consortium, a voluntary association of primary care physicians whose practices are built upon Catholic principles. He is a member of the Southwest Florida Guild of the Catholic Medical Association and lives with his family in Fort Myers, Florida. He is in the process of completing the Certificate in Health Care Ethics Program from the National Catholic Bioethics Center.

MOST REV. MICHAEL G. MCGOVERN
Archbishop of Omaha

Most Reverend Michael McGovern was born on July 1, 1964, in Evergreen Park, Illinois. He is the youngest child of the late Joseph and Eleanor McGovern. Bishop McGovern grew up in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago where many of his family members continue living. The McGovern family was active in Christ the King Parish and all of the children attended Christ the King Grammar School. Activities during grammar school included being an altar server at Christ the King. Bishop McGovern then attended St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. During high school, he served as a Lector both at St. Ignatius and at his home parish, Christ the King. Bishop McGovern attended Loyola University in Chicago (1982-86). At Loyola University he was invited to participate in the Honors Program and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy in 1986. After graduating from Loyola University, Bishop McGovern worked for four years before applying for admission as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Chicago at Mundelein Seminary. He was awarded a Baccalaureate degree in Theology in 1993 and a Master of Divinity in 1994. On May 21, 1994, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin ordained Father Michael McGovern to the priesthood in Holy Name Cathedral. He served as an Associate Pastor at Queen of the Universe Parish, St. Mary in Lake Forest and St. Juliana in Chicago. On December 15, 2004, Cardinal Francis George appointed Father McGovern Pastor of St. Mary in Lake Forest. On July 1, 2016, Cardinal Blase Cupich appointed Father McGovern Pastor of St. Raphael the Archangel Parish in Old Mill Creek, Illinois. On July 22, 2020, Cardinal Blase Cupich ordained and installed Bishop McGovern as the Ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Belleville in the Cathedral of St. Peter Bishop McGovern has also served in administrative roles in the Archdiocese of Chicago: Vice-Chancellor, Archbishop’s Delegate for Extern & International Priests, Vicar Forane, and Interim Vicar of Vicariate I. Bishop McGovern has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Ignatius College Prep (2013-2019). He is a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.  Since 2021, Bishop McGovern serves as the State Chaplain for the Illinois Knights of Columbus. He presently serves on the Board of Advisors for Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois and Sacred Heart Seminary in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. He is a member of the USCCB Subcommittee for Healthcare issues. On March 31, 2025, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend George Lucas and appointed Archbishop-designate Michael McGovern the sixth Archbishop of Omaha. He was installed as Archbishop of Omaha on May 7, 2025, at the Cathedral of St. Cecilia, Omaha, Nebraska.

MARK BERGERON, MD, MPH, MBA, CPE, FAAP
Service Line Medical Director of Neonatology, CHI Health – a Member of CommonSpirit, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Creighton University School of Medicine

Mark Bergeron, MD, MPH, MBA, CPE, FAAP is the Service Line Medical Director for Neonatology for the NE/IA market at CHI Health, a member of CommonSpirit.  Dr. Bergeron is a native Oregonian and a graduate of the University of Oregon and attended medical school at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. He completed his pediatrics residency at The Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, followed by a neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship at the University of Minnesota. He holds a master’s degree in public health from the University of Minnesota, and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis.  Before joining CHI in 2024, he practiced neonatal-perinatal medicine at Children’s Minnesota and was a faculty member in the neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship and pediatrics residency program at the University of Minnesota.  He has served in numerous leadership roles including NICU Medical Director, Associate Chief of Critical Care, Medical Director for Neonatal Virtual Care, and most recently as Medical Director for Enterprise Digital Health Transformation at Children’s Minnesota. Dr. Bergeron approaches his most challenging perinatal consultations with compassion and empathy guided by Catholic ERDs, to present patients with options embedded in loving parenthood, regardless of the diagnosis. He practices in the NICU at CHI Health St. Elizabeth in Lincoln, Nebraska and is an associate clinical professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Creighton University in Omaha and is a faculty facilitator in the Ethics and Humanities Course for first year medical students.  He is a board member of the Lincoln, Nebraska Guild of the Catholic Medical Association and is a member of the Knights of Columbus.  He is a certified physician executive by the American Association for Physician Leadership.  In his free time, he enjoys fishing, hiking, reading, and lake time at his cabin in Wisconsin with his wife, four daughters, and their two dogs.

REV. KEVIN T. FITZGERALD, SJ, PhD, PhD
John A. Creighton University Professor and Chair, Dept. of Medical Humanities

Kevin T. FitzGerald, S.J., Ph.D., Ph.D., is the John A. Creighton University Professor and chair of the Department of Medical Humanities in the School of Medicine, at Creighton University.  He received a Ph.D. in molecular genetics, and a Ph.D. in bioethics, from Georgetown University.  His research efforts focus on the utilization of the Humanities in medical education, on the investigation of abnormal gene expression in cancer, and on ethical issues in biomedical research and medical genomics.  He has published educational, scientific, and ethical articles in peer-reviewed journals, books, and in the popular press. Fr. FitzGerald has given presentations nationally and internationally, and often been interviewed by the news media, on such topics as human genetic engineering, cloning, stem cell research, and personalized medicine.  He has served on many advisory committees for healthcare organizations, the U.S. government, and international organizations, including having been a Corresponding Member of the Pontifical Academy for Life since 2005.

REV. JIM CLIFTON, SJ
Associate Dean for Mission, Creighton University School of Medicine

Fr. Jim Clifton has been part of Creighton's Jesuit Community since 1992 and has served as Associate Dean for Mission in the School of Medicine since 2012. Prior to his current appointment, Fr. Clifton served for eight years as pastor of St. Frances Cabrini Church and president of All Saints Catholic School in Omaha. Widely known for his pastoral skills, Fr. Clifton was Director of Pastoral Care at Creighton University Medical Center from 1992-2004. A native of Omaha, Fr. Clifton entered the Society of Jesus in 1977 and was ordained in 1988, with previous assignments in Saint Lucia, West Indies, Marquette High School in Milwaukee, WI, St. Philip Neri Church in Alameda, CA, and Creighton Prep in Omaha. He has offered retreats at Demontreville Jesuit Retreat House in the Twin Cities area since 1991.

NICOLE PIEMONTE, PhD
Associate Dean, Faculty Leadership

Nicole Piemonte, PhD, is the Associate Dean of Faculty Leadership and an Associate Professor of Medical Humanities at Creighton University School of Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona. She received her PhD in Medical Humanities from The University of Texas Medical Branch where she studied philosophy, medical ethics, literature and medicine, and medical pedagogy. Her current teaching and scholarship focus on integrating the humanities into medical education to foster future physicians who are deeply attuned to suffering, mortality, and social justice. She has published two books with The MIT press, Afflicted: How Vulnerability Can Heal Medical Education and Practice (2018) and Death and Dying (2021). As a certified professional coach, she works one-on-one with those who are looking to reconnect to meaning and purpose in their work, to uncover the reasons why they were drawn to their work in the first place, and to help them move forward in new directions, both professionally and personally.

SPONSORS

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Accreditation Statement
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA) and St John Paul II Foundation. Christian Medical & Dental Associations is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Physician Credit
The Christian Medical & Dental Associations designates this educational activity for a maximum of 6 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Physician Assistant
AAPA accepts certificates of participation for educational activities certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ by an organization accredited by the ACCME or a recognized state medical society. Physician assistants may receive up to 6 credits for completing this activity.

Nurse Practitioner
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by the ACCME. Individuals are responsible for checking with the AANPCP for further guidelines. Nurse practitioners may receive up to 6 credits for completing this activity.

Nursing

This activity has been submitted to Georgia Nurses Association for approval to award contact hours. Georgia Nurses Association is an accredited approver of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Determination of credit is pending.

Click here for full CME/CNE details 

Chaplains
The National Association of Catholic Chaplains has approved this program for 6 Continuing Education Hours. Please select the General Admission or Clergy/Religious (if applicable) ticket option and request a certificate of completion on your registration form. 

 

Venue

Creighton University
Skutt Student Center

2600 California Street
Omaha, NE 68178

For More Information:
Taylor Briggs, Conference Coordinator
832.779.1070
[email protected]

CONTACT US

  • PHONE

    832.779.1070

  • PHYSICAL ADDRESS

    1177 W Loop South, Ste. 940
    Houston, TX 77027

  • MAILING ADDRESS

    P.O. Box 5927
    Katy, TX 77491

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