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Forward2026 Annual International MIS and Surgical Innovation in Infants & Children Conference
IN-PERSON ONLY - Two Part Registration Required
The 18th annual International MIS and Innovation Conference has been planned and designed for Pediatric Surgeons and Allied Healthcare Personnel who are involved in the advanced surgical care of infants and children. The objectives of the course are to discuss the latest breakthroughs in the care of the fetus, neonates, infants and children using MIS techniques and innovation. This conference will address crucial professional practice gaps in minimally invasive, robotic, and endoscopic surgical techniques within pediatric care.
Target Audience
The target audience for this symposium includes Minimally Invasive Surgeons and Surgeons in Training, Internists, Primary Care Physicians and other Physicians who care for patients requiring surgery.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:
- Describe the latest developments in minimally invasive surgery
- Evaluate new technology in minimally invasive surgery and compare to current standards
- Identify the risks and benefits of minimally invasive therapeutics for patients.
All agenda session times are listed in Mountain Standard Time (MST)
Day 1
Day 1, Sunday, January 11, 2026
| TIMES | AGENDA | EVENT/TOPIC | SPEAKER(S) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Arrivals & Registration | ||
| 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm | Sunday Afternoon Pre-Session | AI for Dummies | Todd Ponsky MD, FACS |
| 4:00 pm - 6:30 pm | Sunday Evening Session | 1 Abstracts / Keynote Session | Welcome | Steven Rothenberg, MD |
| Integrating Artificial Intelligence in Pediatric Surgical Practice: Improving Family Education, Team Coordination, and Quality of Care | Jorge Colin, MD | ||
| Laparoscopic Diaphragmatic Pacemaker Placement in Children | Paula Castro, MD | ||
| Evaluation of a Miniaturized Endoscopic Camera for Neonatal Minimally Invasive Surgery Simulation | Ines Lariguet, MD | ||
| Development of a Pediatric Robotic Training Curriculum Using the MT-Box Simulator | Mariano Bosich, MD | ||
| Is There a Limit for Minimally Invasive Surgery in the Treatment of Thoracic Neurogenic Tumors in Children? | Ulgen Celtik, MD | ||
| Initial Outcomes of Pediatric Pilonidal Sinus Treatment: Open Surgery Compared to P.E.P. | Soledad Heredia, MD | ||
| 5:15 pm - 5:25 pm | Break | Training The World, The IRCAD Experience, Lessons Learned | Arnaud Bonnard, MD, PhD |
| Entrustable Professional Activities: What does this mean to pediatric surgeons? | Harold "Bo" N. Lovvorn, III, MD, FACS, FAAP | ||
| Fifty five years of Tech transfer at Stanford: Scorecard | Tom Krummel, MD | ||
| Q&A | Panel | ||
| 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm | Dinner on Own |
Day 2
Day 2, Monday, January 12, 2026
| TIMES | AGENDA | EVENT/TOPIC | SPEAKER(S) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 am - 7:00 am | Breakfast | ||
| 7:00 am - 9:00 am | Monday Morning Session | 2 | Update On Pediatric Gynecology/Urology | Panel |
| Anorectal Malformations: From Above or Below? | Maria Marcela Baiez, MD, PhD | ||
| Cecostomy vs Appendicostomy vs Enema | Rebecca Rentea, MD, MS, MBA, FAAP, FACS | ||
| Sigmoid Resection For Chronic Constipation: Aggressive or Underused | Rebecca Rentea, MD, MS, MBA, FAAP, FACS | ||
| Pull Through For Hirschsprung’s Disease: Lap vs Transanal. Is There Really a Debate? | Maria Marcela Baiez MD, PhD; Belinda Hsi Dickie, MD PhD Harold "Bo" N. Lovvorn, III, MD, FACS, FAAP Rebecca Rentea MD, MS, MBA, FAAP, FACS | ||
| 8:00 am - 8:10 am | Break | Laparoscopic Approaches to Cloaca and Mullein Ducts | Belinda Hsi Dickie, MD, PhD |
| Ovarian Sparing Surgery | Harold "Bo" N. Lovvorn, III, MD, FACS, FAAP | ||
| Urology Update | Philipp Szavay MD, PhD | ||
| 9:00 am - 12:30 pm | Break & Lunch on Own | ||
| 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm | Monday Afternoon Session | 3 | Hands-on Lab | Karen Diefenbach, MD; Saundra Kay, MD; Kristin E. Shipman, MD; Bethany Slater, MD |
| 3:30 pm - 4:00 pm | Break | ||
| 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Monday Afternoon Session | 4 | Sim Training | Panel |
| Housekeeping | Steven Rothenberg MD | ||
| How To Make High-Performance Training Possible In Institutions with Residents and Fellows | Maria Marcela Baiez, MD, PhD | ||
| Bridge The Gap In Clinical Approach and Continuous Medical Education to All Staff Members and Surgeons In Training Simultaneously | Maria Marcela Baiez, MD, PhD | ||
| The Cardio-Pectus and Cryoanalgesia Simulators - 100% Synthetic | Carolina Millan, MD | ||
| Making The Best High-Def Models. Do The Skills Translate? | Karen Diefenbach, MD | ||
| 5:00 pm - 5:10 pm | Break | Pre-Operative Planning: Do Models Help | Kathy Barsnes MD, MS, MBA; Samir Pandya, MD |
| How To Set Up a Training/ Sim Center | Karen Diefenbach, MD | ||
| Global Simulation Experience | Maria Marcela Baiez, MD, PhD | ||
| Q&A | Panel | ||
| 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm | Opening Reception, Dinner on Own |
Day 3
Day 3, Tuesday, January 13, 2026
| TIMES | AGENDA | EVENT/TOPIC | SPEAKER(S) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 am - 7:00 am | Breakfast | ||
| 7:00 am - 9:00 am | Tuesday Morning Session | 5 | Robotics | Panel |
| Current Status of Robotics Around the World | Yury Koslov, MD, PhD | ||
| How Do We Train Residents, Or Older Surgeons On The Robot | Arnaud Bonnard, MD, PhD; Marc P. Michalsky, MD, MBA | ||
| 7:45 am - 7:55 am | Break | Developing a Pediatric Robotic Surgery Curriculum and Pediatric Robotic Surgery Research Consortium | Irving Zamora, MD, MPH |
| Advanced Thoracoscopic Robotic Procedures | Arnaud Bonnard, MD, PhD | ||
| Complex Robotic Thoracic Cases Part 2 | Irving Zamora, MD, MPH | ||
| Initial Experience with a 5 and 3mm Platform | Kristin E. Shipman, MD | ||
| Robotics in Ped Surgery : Yes/No/ Maybe! | Steven Rothenberg, MD & Panel | ||
| 9:00 am - 4:00 pm | Break & Lunch on Own | ||
| 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Tuesday Afternoon Session | 6 New Realities of Advanced Pediatric Care | Will The Changes in Medicaid Change Everything? | Shawn St. Peter, MD; Daniel J. Ostlie, MD; Thomas Inge, MD, PhD |
| Contemporary Outcomes of Lap Hernia | Benjamin E. Padilla, MD | ||
| Congenital Lung Lesions, Current State of the Art | Steven Rothenberg, MD | ||
| Does/Should Tumor Biology Affect the Procedure We Do? | Kathy Barsnes, MD, MS, MBA | ||
| 5:00 pm - 5:10 pm | Break | Complex Segmentectomy, Anatomic Considerations, Should We Or Should We Not? | Arnaud Bonnard, MD, PhD |
| How Do We Train Residents to Do Complex Lung Surgery? | Shawn St. Peter, MD | ||
| Role Of Inhaled ICG and Other Advanced Imaging | Miguel Guelfand, MD | ||
| Do We Need to Know How to Sew Anymore? Magnets/Staplers/Glue? | Tom Krummel, MD | ||
| Q&A | Panel | ||
| 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm | Faculty Dinner |
Day 4
Day 4, Wednesday January 14, 2026
| TIMES | AGENDA | EVENT/TOPIC | SPEAKER(S) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 am - 9:30 am | Wednesday Morning Session | 7 | Update On AI | |
| 4th and Goal: Rethinking the Playbook for Innovation | Todd A. Ponsky, MD, FACS | ||
| What’s Beyond ICG: Advanced Imaging | Alexander Bondic, MD; Seth Goldstein, MD; Miguel Guelfand, MD; Santiago Horgan. MD; Timothy Lautz, MD; Philipp Szavay, MD, PhD | ||
| 8:00 am - 8:10 am | Break | Use of a spatial computing device to create a virtual 3D 4K monitor, for performing laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures | Pat Reardon, MD |
| My Coolest Case of the Last 12 Months | All Faculty | ||
| 9:30 am - 11:30 am | Departures |
Course Speakers
Arnaud Bonnard, MD, PhD
Speaker
Professor of Pediatric Surgery
Chief of Pediatric Surgery
Robert Debré Children University Hospital
Paris, France
Karen Diefenbach, MD, FACS, FAAP
Speaker
Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery
Associate Program Director of the Pediatric Surgery Fellowship
Nationwide Children's Hospital
Columbus, OH
Jason Fraser, MD, FACS, FAAP
Speaker
Pediatric Surgeon
Division Chief of Pediatric Surgery
Phoenix Children's Hospital
Miguel Guelfand, MD, FACS
Speaker
Professor of Surgery Case Western Reserve University, Lerner College of Medicine Head of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery Cleveland Clinic Childrens Hospital
Thomas Krummel, MD, FACS, FAAP
Speaker
Emile Holman Professor and Chair Emeritus,
Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine
Co-Director Emeritus, Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign
Timothy Lautz, MD
Speaker
Associate Professor of Surgery
Northwestern University
Director of Surgical Oncology
Ann & Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Harold Lovvorn, MD, FACS, FAAP
Speaker
Emile Holman Professor and Chair Emeritus,
Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine
Co-Director Emeritus, Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign
Maximiliano Maricic, MD
Speaker
Pediatric Surgeon
Professor of Pediatric Surgery,
University of Buenos Aires
Head of Surgery Division,
Pedro de Elizalde Children's Hospital
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Marc Michalsky, MD, MBA
Speaker
Professor of Clinical Surgery and Pediatrics,
The Ohio State University, College of Medicine
Surgical Director for Center for Healthy Weight & Nutrition,
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Columbus, Ohio
Lucas Neff, MD, FACS
Speaker
Professor of Clinical Surgery and Pediatrics,
The Ohio State University, College of Medicine
Surgical Director for Center for Healthy Weight & Nutrition,
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Columbus, Ohio
Todd Ponsky, MD
Speaker
Chief Innovation Officer
Pediatric Surgeon
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Professor of Surgery
University of Cincinnati
Patrick Reardon, MD, FACS, MAMSE
Speaker
Professor of Clinical Surgery, Academic Institute
Department of Surgery
Underwood Center for Digestive Health
Houston Methodist Hospital
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College
Steven Rothenberg, MD
Course Director, Speaker
Chief of Pediatric Surgery,
Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at PSL
Denver, CO
Philipp Szavay, MD, FACS
Speaker
Past President IPEG
Vice President Swiss Society of Pediatric Surgery
Children’s Hospital Central Switzerland,
Lucerne, Switzerland
Irving J. Zamora, MD, MPH, FACS, FAAP
Speaker
Assistant Professor of Pediatric Surgery
Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt
Course Planners
Tammy Gage, BBA
Planner
Coordinator,
System Office of Continuing Medical Education and EMS Education,
HCA Continental Division
Stacy Weiss, PhD
Planner
Assistant Vice President,
System Office of Continuing Medical Education and EMS Education,
HCA Continental Division
Mariano Bosich, MD
Paula Castro, MD
Ulgen Celtik
JORGE COLIN-GARNICA, MD
Soledad Heredia, MD
Santiago Horgan, MD, FACS
Belinda Hsi Dickie, MD, PhD
Thomas Inge
Inés Lariguet, MD
Benjamin Padilla, MD
Bethany Slater, MD, MBA
Accreditation:
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). HCA Healthcare Continental Division is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians
Credit Designation:
The HCA Healthcare Continental Division designates this live activity for a maximum of 15.5 AMA PRA Category 1TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Commercial Support:
This Activity was developed without support from any ineligible company.*The ACCME defines ineligible companies as those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. Note: The ACCME does not consider providers of clinical service directly to patients to be commercial interests – unless the provider of clinical services is owned, or controlled by, and ACCME defined ineligible company.
Disclosure:
The HCA Healthcare Continental Division is committed to providing CME that is balanced, objective, and evidenced-based. In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education Standards for Integrity and Independence all parties involved in content development are required to disclose all conflicts of interest with ACCME defined ineligible companies. The HCA Healthcare Continental Division has identified, reviewed, and mitigated all conflicts of interest that speakers, authors, course directors, planners, peer reviewers, or relevant staff disclose prior to the delivery of any educational activity. The CME planning committee who are in a position to control the content of this CME Activity, have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
Available Credit
- 15.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™HCA Healthcare Continental Division is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
HCA Healthcare Continental Division designates this for a maximum of 15.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. - 15.50 Attendance
Two-Part Registration Instruction Process:
Thank you for your interest in attending the 2026 International MIS and Surgical Innovation Conference
To complete your registration, please note our two-part process:
1. Register: Complete the initial CME registration through the CME portal.
If you have any questions, contact us at [email protected]
Activity Credit Requirements
To earn credit for this activity, all participants must have an active CME.HealthONEcares.com account and complete the following:
- Participate in the activity.
- Mark your attendance via SMS code.
- Complete the Activity Evaluation.
Important: If you are seeking CME credit, please ensure your profession is accurately listed in your profile to verify your eligibility.
Required Hardware/software
We recommend the following hardware/software to successfully view and complete the contents of this course:
| Recommended Desktop Parameters | For ease of use, we strongly recommend using a desktop computer to complete this course. The following desktop web browsers are compatible with our system: Desktop: Chrome, Internet Explorer, MS Edge, Safari |
| Recommended Mobile Parameters | While not recommended, if you are familiar with completing courses online you may complete this course using a mobile device. For those wishing to complete this activity on Mobile, the following systems are recommended: Apple iPhones and iPad devices on iOS 10 or later |
If you encounter any issues while accessing our courses, please contact [email protected]