• 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:
    • "I’m so glad I attended. It was so insightful and gave me more knowledge on how to study more about human dignity, disabled persons and the correct way to explain our duty to others (as health care providers to our patients)."
    • "It is edifying to be with so many people trying to live their faith in a field that constantly challenges the truth."
    • "Thus far in my (nascent) career, my Catholic and medical identities have unfortunately been largely separate. I’m confident that the knowledge I obtained at Converging Roads and my subsequent reflection will serve me well on my path towards becoming the Catholic physician I’m striving to be."
     

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, April 5, as well as additional access to the recordings (from noon ET on Sunday, April 6, to 11:59 pm ET on Wednesday, April 9).
 
  • 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, March 21. All refund requests made on or after March 22 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 Primacy of Virtue and the Dignity of the Human Person
  • Deacon Michael J. Deem, PhD
  •  
  • Moral Cooperation in Health Care
  • Elliott Bedford, MA, PhD
  •  
  • The Witness of Hippocratic Medicine in a Secular Culture
  • Ashley K. Fernandes, MD, PhD; Paul W. Hruz, MD, PhD and more!
  •  
  • Addressing Disparity in Health Care
  • Rev. Columba Thomas, OP, MD
  •  
  •  
  • A Catholic Response to Depression and Suicide
  • Anthony Isacco, PhD
  •  
  • Restorative Reproductive Medicine and Care for Infertile Couples
  • Panelists TBA
  •  
  • Approaching Gender Dysphoria with Mercy and Charity
  • Paul W. Hruz, MD, PhD
  •  

SCHEDULE

 
8:00 AM
 Check-In Begins
8:45 AM
 Opening Remarks
8:55 - 9:40 AM
 The Primacy of Virtue and the Dignity of the Human Person
  •  
9:45 - 10:30 AM
 Moral Cooperation in Health Care
10:30 AM
 Break
10:45 - 11:45 AM
 The Witness of Hippocratic Medicine in a Secular Culture 
11:45 AM - 1:30 PM
 Hippocratic Oath Luncheon
12:15 - 1:00 PM
 Addressing Disparity in Health Care 
1:30 PM
 Break
1:50 - 2:35 PM
 A Catholic Response to Depression and Suicide
2:40 - 3:40 PM
 Restorative Reproductive Medicine and Care for Infertile Couples
3:40 PM
 Break
3:55 - 4:40 PM
 Approaching Gender Dysphoria with Mercy and Charity
5:15 PM
  • Vigil Mass
6:15 - 7:00 PM
 Wine & Cheese Reception

Speakers

ASHLEY K. FERNANDES, MD, PhD
Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Director, Center for Bioethics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine

Dr. Fernandes received an MD from The Ohio State University, a PhD in Philosophy from Georgetown University, and a MA in Philosophy from Johns Hopkins University, with a focus on bioethics. He directs ethics education for pediatric residents at Nationwide Children's Hospital. His scholarly interests include Catholic Christian bioethics, Medicine and the Holocaust studies, pediatric ethics, and philosophical anthropology as it relates to medical practice. He has presented his work at national and international forums, and is the author of scores of peer-reviewed publications and three book chapters. After a decade as a hospitalist, he is now an academic primary care pediatrician and has been an expert witness in court cases defending the rights of Christian healthcare professionals and prolife organizations. Dr. Fernandes is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Pediatricians, was an elected member of the AAP's national Executive Committee on Bioethics, a member of the AOA Medical Honor Society, and a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society, receiving Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine award twice - in 2020 and in 2010. He has been awarded OSU's highest honors for teaching, including the Award in Mentorship, Professor of the Year award, Master Teacher Award, and the Dean's Clinical Educator Award. He is an active member of the Catholic Medical Association and is part of their national speaker board. Outside of medicine, his interests include hiking in the National Parks, history, travel, and tennis. He lives with his wife and two boys in Dublin, Ohio. The views he expresses are those of his own and not those of his employers.

PAUL W. HRUZ, MD, PhD
Professor of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine

Paul W. Hruz is Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Professor of Cellular Biology and Physiology at Washington University in St. Louis. Hruz received his Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry from Marquette University in 1987. As a member of the Medical Scientist Training Program at the Medical College of Wisconsin, he received his Ph.D. Degree in Biochemistry in 1993 and M.D. Degree in 1994. He completed Residency training in Pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle and a Pediatric Endocrinology fellowship at Washington University. Hruz served at the Chief of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes at Washington University from 2012-2017. He is a member of the University's Disorders of Sexual Development (DSD) Multidisciplinary Care Program. Hruz is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology. He has also received certification in Healthcare Ethics from the National Catholic Bioethics Center. He has authored over 60 peer-reviewed manuscripts, scientific reviews and book chapters.

ELLIOTT BEDFORD, MA, PhD
Director, Ethics Integration for Ascension St. Vincent

Since 2014, Elliott Bedford, MA, PhD has served as Director, Ethics Integration for Ascension St. Vincent in Central and Southern Indiana. In 2008 and 2009, he received a bachelor and master of arts in Philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville, Steubenville, OH. He completed a master of arts in Theology from Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis, MO in 2012 and obtained a Doctorate in Health Care Ethics, Catholic Tradition, from St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO in 2014. As Director, Ethics Integration, Elliott provides leadership in fostering the moral identity of St. Vincent Health in Indiana as a ministry of the Catholic Church. Working with staff from senior leadership to front-line care providers, he leads the development and integration of ethics education, consultation, and policy development services for Ascension St. Vincent' statewide ministry and for Ascension Via Christi in Kansas. He also works closely with Ethics Leadership at Ascension Health in St. Louis, MO to provide support services across its nationwide ministry and helps foster stronger, more vibrant relationships within the Catholic community. He is also an adjunct professor in the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Marian University, Indianapolis.

DEACON MICHAEL J. DEEM, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Human Genetics; Program Director, Multidisciplinary Master of Public Health; Core Faculty, Center for Bioethics & Health Law; Secondary Faculty, Department of Community Health Services and Rehabilitation Sciences – University of Pittsburgh, Permanent Deacon – Catholic Diocese of Pittsburg

Michael J. Deem is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Genetics and Core Faculty in the Center for Bioethics & Health Law at the University of Pittsburgh, and serves as the Director of the Multidisciplinary Master of Public Health Program in the Pitt School of Public Health. He is also a Resident Fellow of the Center for Philosophy of Science, Associate Director of the Bioethics Certificate Program, and Secondary Faculty in the Department of Department of Community Health Services and Rehabilitation Sciences at Pitt. Dr. Deem received his Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame and completed the Pediatric Ethics and Genomic Fellowship at Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City. He is the author of more than 20 scholarly articles and book chapters on philosophy of science, bioethics, ethical theory, and empirical health research. He is currently completing a monograph for Cambridge University Press on fundamental concepts in genomic medicine, and is co-editor of two books for Oxford University Press: The Oxford Handbook of Genetic Counseling and Nursing Ethics: Normative Foundations, Advanced Concepts, and Emerging Issues. Dr. Deem lives outside Pittsburgh with his wife, Katerina, and their five children. They belong to Saint Aidan Parish, where is a Deacon.

MOST REVEREND EARL FERNANDES
Bishop of the Diocese of Columbus

Most Reverend Earl K. Fernandes was ordained and installed as the 13th Bishop of the Diocese of Columbus on May 31, 2022. He was serving as pastor of St. Ignatius of Loyola Church in Cincinnati, Ohio from 2019 until his ordination and installation. From 2016-2019, he was a member of the Staff of the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C. From 2008-2016, he was the Dean of the Athenaeum of Ohio/Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary of the West in Cincinnati and an associate professor of moral theology. He holds a doctorate in moral theology from the Alphonsian Academy in Rome. He is a member of the Board of Trustees at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. He is also on the board of Cristo Rey Columbus High School, The Catholic Foundation of Ohio Columbus, and the Mother Angeline McCrory Manor. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Pregnancy Center East in Cincinnati, where he has served as a member of the Advisory Board since 2008. He is a member of the National Catholic Bioethics Center. From 2012-2016, he was a member of the Executive Committee of the National Association of Catholic Theological Schools. Since 2012, he has been a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre. He has given presentations, talks, and retreats around the country and has published articles in three collections of essays published by the Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha, which also published a book authored by him in 2014. Father Fernandes’ scholarly essays have also appeared in Seminary Journal, Homiletic and Pastoral Review, the Linacre Quarterly, Journal of the National Apostolate for Inclusion Ministry. His articles in the latter two addressed issues of persons with disabilities.

ANTHONY ISACCO, PhD
Professor, Director of Training for PsyD Program, Chatham University

Anthony Isacco, PhD, is a professor of Graduate Psychology at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA and Director of Training for the PsyD in Counseling Psychology program. He is a licensed psychologist in PA and authorized to provide telepsychology services in approximately 40 states.  He maintains a small private practice with a niche focus on the psychological assessment of clergy candidates to the Catholic Church.  Dr. Isacco has published widely through his books, popular press articles, and academic journals on the psychological health of seminarians, fatherhood, and the psychology of men and masculinity. He sits on the Advisory Board of Saint Paul Seminary, Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh and the Formation Team of Saint Cyril and Methodius Seminary, Pittsburgh Byzantine Eparchy, and Catholic Psychotherapy Association Board of Directors. He is a proud graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville (BA, '02), Boston College (MA, '04), and Loyola University Chicago (PhD, '09).  He is married to Celeste and has four daughters, Sophia, Claire, Gianna, and Monica.

FR. COLUMBA THOMAS, OP, MD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Kennedy Institute of Ethics and Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics

Father Columba Thomas, OP, MD, is a Dominican friar and a physician specializing in Internal Medicine. He graduated from Yale School of Medicine in 2012 with distinction and one of the top prizes for his thesis entitled, “Foretelling the Future of Prognostication: A Historically-Inspired, Domain-Based Approach for the Elderly.” Before joining the Dominicans in 2016, he completed a Primary Care Residency and Chief Residency at Yale and attained board certification in Internal Medicine. His publications have appeared in a variety of journals, including JAMA Internal Medicine, Journal of General Internal Medicine, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, and National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly. More recently, he edited The Art of Dying: A new, annotated translation (National Catholic Bioethics Center, 2021). Fr. Columba currently serves as postdoctoral fellow in bioethics at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics and the Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics, and is completing a master's degree in Catholic Clinical Ethics at Georgetown University and the Catholic University of America.

SPONSORS

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Social Workers and Counselors
If you are seeking Social Worker or Counselor continuing education credits, we can provide you with a certificate which states that you completed 5.75 hours.  Please select the General Admission ticket option and request a certificate of completion on your registration form. For questions, please email Conference Coordinator Ellen Santoro at [email protected]

Venue

Pontifical College Josephinum

7625 N High St.
Columbus, OH 43235

For More Information:
Ellen Santoro, 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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