AAPLOG’s Matthew Bulfin Educational Conference (MBEC) 2023 lectures are now available for enduring CME credit. For those of you who weren’t able to attend MBEC this year, this is an opportunity to take advantage of the 27 plenary and breakout talks that were offered at the conference by experts in a wide variety of fields, from OB to pediatrics to bioethics to law and more. Most presentations have been approved for CME by the Christian Medical and Dental Associations.
Here are some highlights from this year’s conference:
- Mental Health Consequences of Abortion: Psychiatrist Aaron Kheriaty, MD, offers an overview of the research literature on the psychological effects of abortion. An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion, a fact which should be disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
- Black Maternal Health in the United States: Board-certified OB-GYN Anthereca Lane, MD offers evidence-based insights on the role that improving maternal health in the Black community plays in promoting life-affirming healthcare and strengthening the pro-life movement overall. Maternal health in the United States is often considered a barometer of the success and efficacy of the health care system in the United States, but Black Maternal Health is receiving a failing grade for multifactorial reasons. We must begin to have transparent dialogue about the intersection between racism and health care and the conflicts that often arise serving as barriers to life-saving interventions. Culturally proficient care is the responsibility of all health care providers. Saving Black Moms will require a critical analysis of systems that have not historically been protective of Black women and the preservation of resources (financial and human) that will be solely dedicated to fostering change.
- Survival at the Edge of Viability: Medical and Ethical Concerns: Neonatologist and Level 3 50-bed NICU director Dr. Robin Pierucci offers a look at how the technology and the ethics impacts the care provided to fetuses and neonates at the edge of viability and their outcomes. In the last 50 years, medical advances in neonatology have allowed the edge of viability to dramatically decrease. Interestingly, evidence demonstrates that the beliefs of the bedside caregivers and the parents greatly impact survival and long-term outcomes.
- Why Engaging in the Agency Regulatory Process is Vital: Attorney and Ethics and Public Policy Fellow Rachel Morrison, JD offers an overview of the federal agency regulatory process, establishes why it’s important for pro-life medical professionals to get involved in this process, and gives guidance on how to do so.
You can register here. Once you have registered, a link and login credentials to access the Enduring CME portal will be emailed to you. Free access for AAPLOG dues-paying members.
As a reminder, MBEC 2024 will be held February 23-25 in Frisco, Texas. This year’s theme is “Our Call to Courage: Restoring Dignity to Medicine.” Stay tuned for registration to open later this month.
