• 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 really enjoyed this conference and it had a major impact on me as I plan to attend medical school and become a doctor specializing in genetics or oncology. The topics were very interesting and were very applicable to the daily life of a doctor. Thank you so much for the student scholarship and for the opportunity to meet other medical professionals. I had an amazing experience and I will highly recommend this conference to my friends."
    • "This was excellent and one of the best educational experiences I have had. The speakers were knowledgeable and presented with a true love of Jesus."
    • "Converging Roads fills a much-needed space in the formation of Catholic medical professionals. It is serious about its purpose and joyful in the way it carries out its mission."

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 11, as well as additional access to the recordings (from noon ET on Sunday, April 12, to 11:59 pm ET on Wednesday, April 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, March 27. All refund requests made on or after March 28 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

  • Christian Anthropology and the Renewal of Medicine
  • Gwyneth Anne Spaeder, MD
  •  
  • The Vocation to Palliative Care
  • Faculty TBA
  •  
  • What is Distinct about Catholic Health Care?
  • Faculty TBA
  •  
  • Infertility and Alternatives to Artificial Reproductive Technologies
  • Faculty TBA
  •  
  • The Benefits and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence in Health Care

  • Ethan Schimmoeller, MD, MA

  •  
  • Technology and Mental Health
  • Johann M. D’Souza, PhD
  •  

SCHEDULE

         
9:00 AM
  • Mass
10:00 AM
 Opening Remarks
10:10 - 11:00 AM
  • Christian Anthropology and the Renewal of Medicine
 
11:00 - 11:10 AM
 Break
11:10 AM - 12:00 PM
  • The Vocation to Palliative Care
 
12:00 - 1:25 PM
 Hippocratic Oath Luncheon
12:30 - 1:20 PM
  • What is Distinct about Catholic Health Care?
 
1:25 - 1:40 PM
 Break
1:40 - 2:30 PM
  • Infertility and Alternatives to Artificial Reproductive Technologies
 
2:30 - 2:35 PM
 Break
2:35 - 3:25 PM
  • The Benefits and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence in Health Care
 
3:25 - 3:30 PM
 Break
3:30 - 4:20 PM
    • Technology and Mental Health
 
4:20 - 4:30 PM
 Closing Remarks
4:30 - 5:00 PM
 Wine & Cheese Reception

Speakers

MOST REV. FRANK J. DEWANE
Bishop of Venice in Florida

Most Reverend Bishop Frank J. Dewane serves as the spiritual leader of approximately 250,000 Catholics in the 10-county Diocese of Venice in Florida. He was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 as the second Bishop of the Diocese. Bishop Frank J. Dewane was named Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Venice in Florida by Pope Benedict XVI on April 25, 2006, and on January 19, 2007, he was installed in his current role as Bishop of the Diocese. In addition to holding a degree from the University of Wisconsin, Bishop Dewane also completed studies at The American University in Washington, D.C., as well as from Pontifical Gregorian University and Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, both in Rome. Prior to entering the seminary, Bishop Dewane worked for the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) in Moscow, Russia, and then for a subsidiary of PepsiCo in New York City. Ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Green Bay in 1988, Bishop Dewane was appointed in 1991 to serve as a member of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York City, during which time he represented the Holy See at several international conferences. In 1995, he was transferred to the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum” and was later appointed Under Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Bishop Dewane serves on the Ad Hoc Committee against Racism, and Subcommittee for the Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees and Travelers for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Bishop Dewane previously served on several committees at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops including the Committee for Domestic Justice and Integral Human Development (past Chair), Committee for International Justice and Peace. Bishop Dewane is a member of the Board of Directors of the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land, and is the Episcopal Liaison for Catholic Charities, USA.

GWYNETH ANNE SPAEDER, MD
Fellow, St. John Paul II Foundation

Gwyneth Anne Spaeder, MD, is a Fellow for the St. John Paul II Foundation and attended the University of Dallas where she graduated with a degree in Political Philosophy. She then attended The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, graduating in 2005. She is a Board-Certified Pediatrician and has practiced in both community ER and private practice settings. She completed a certificate in Health Care Ethics through the National Catholic Bioethics Center in 2015 and has published several articles pertaining to vaccine ethics. She also served as the guest editor for a NCBC Quarterly edition focused on Pediatric-specific issues. She is a recurrent presenter at Theology of the Body workshops for teens and for NFP/Marriage prep within the Diocese of Raleigh. She is a member of the Catholic Medical Association Triangle Guild. She lives in Wake Forest, NC with her husband and three children.

JOHANN M. D’SOUZA PHD
Founder & Clinical Psychologist, Values First Therapy, PLLC

Dr. Johann D’Souza is a clinical psychologist specializing in the science of anxiety and peak performance. His academic background, including a PhD and MA in Clinical Psychology from the University of Houston (earned on a Presidential Fellowship), an MA from Boston University in Psychology, and a BA from the University of Dallas in Theology, combines scientific rigor and classical learning. With over 20 peer-reviewed articles, Dr. D’Souza’s research elucidates the profound psychological benefits of hope and optimism. He is a research affiliate at Harvard's Human Flourishing Program and the former head of coaching for OptimalWork. In addition, he hosts the Virtuous Leaders show, to highlight inspiring examples of moral and professional excellence. As the founder of Values First Therapy, Dr. D'Souza unites modern psychology and traditional family values. He specializes in helping individuals overcome anxiety, OCD, and distraction, drawing on the best of cognitive-behavior therapy. As a community volunteer, he has mentored adolescents in the area of technology and character development for 15 years.

ETHAN SCHIMMOELLER, MD, MA
Palliative Medicine Physician, Riverside Methodist Hospital

Ethan Schimmoeller, MD, MA is a palliative medicine physician at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where he also serves on faculty for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship. He earned his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and master's in bioethics from The Ohio State University. He completed residency training with Memorial Family Medicine Residency in South Bend, Indiana, where he served as academic chief resident and was awarded resident teacher of the year, and fellowship training at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Within his hospital, he serves as co-chair of the clinical ethics committee, and participated in a nationwide Delphi panel related to the ethics of AI in medicine. He has been active in a newly founded professional organization, the Hippocratic Society, dedicated to moral formation in medicine, serving as founding faculty lead for chapters at two universities. His scholarly interests include ethics of technology, medical humanities, and end of life ethics, and his publications have appeared in The McGrath Church Life Journal and The Linacre Quarterly.

SPONSORS

Venue

Church of the Resurrection of Our Lord

8051 Cypress Lake Drive
Fort Myers, FL 33919

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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