• 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
  • F. Michael Gloth, III, MD, FACP, AGSF
  •  
  • What is Distinct about Catholic Health Care?
  • Faculty TBA
  •  
  • Infertility and Alternatives to Artificial Reproductive Technologies
  • Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD
  •  
  • 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

REV. TADEUSZ PACHOLCZYK, PhD
Director of Education, The National Catholic Bioethics Center

Fr. Tad currently serves as the Director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia and directs the Center's National Catholic Certification Program in Health Care Ethics. He is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts. He writes and speaks widely on bioethics and medical ethics. Since 2001, he has given several hundred presentations and invited lectures, and participated in debates and roundtables on contemporary bioethics throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. He has taught bioethics classes for seminarians at St. John's Seminary in Boston, Pope St. John XXIII Seminary in Weston, Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Connecticut. As an undergraduate Fr. Tad earned degrees in philosophy, biochemistry, molecular cell biology, and chemistry, and did laboratory research on hormonal regulation of the immune response. He later earned a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Yale University, where he focused on cloning genes for neurotransmitter transporters which are expressed in the brain. He worked for several years as a molecular biologist at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Father Tad studied for 5 years in Rome at both the Gregorian University and the Lateran University, where he did advanced work in dogmatic theology and in bioethics, examining the question of delayed ensoulment of the human embryo. He has testified before members of the Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Virginia and Oregon State Legislatures during deliberations over stem cell research and cloning. He writes a monthly newspaper column on bioethics that is nationally syndicated to more than 40 diocesan newspapers in the U.S., and which has also been carried by newspapers in England, Poland and Australia. He has done commentaries for numerous media outlets, including NBC Nightly News, CNN International, ABC World News Tonight, National Public Radio, the Wall Street Journal, the Dallas Morning News, and the New York Times.

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.

F. MICHAEL GLOTH, III, MD, FACP, AGSF
Clinical Professor, Florida State University College of Medicine

Dr. Michael Gloth is a Clinical Professor of Geriatrics at Florida State University College of Medicine, an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and President and CEO of AMDG Naples 100 Senior Concierge and Consulting, LLC. He is a Graduate of The College of William and Mary in Virginia and Waynes State University School of Medicine. He completed a 3-year fellowship in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is past president of the Hospice and Palliative Care Network of Maryland and the Florida Geriatrics Society. He has provided consultant services to many organizations, including the US Conference of Catholic Bishops on end-of-life issues. Currently, he serves on the Health in Aging Foundation Board and the Southwest Guild of the Catholic Medical Association. His extensive publications include Handbook of Pain Relief in Older Adults, and, an International Book Award winner, Fit at Fifty and Beyond. Dr. Gloth has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including Clinician of the Year by the American Geriatrics Society. For the past decade he has overseen the Health and Spirituality in Medicine conference in Naples, FL.

SPONSORS

CONTINUING EDUCATION

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

Church of the Resurrection of Our Lord

8121 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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