What to Expect at the 2026 APAPP National Conference

The Association of Pulmonary Advanced Practice Providers (APAPP) will hold its 2026 National Conference June 17–20 at the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada. Designed specifically for nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other advanced practice providers working across pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine, the conference delivers a dense four-day program mixing hands-on procedural training, CME symposia, disease-state bootcamps, and plenary discussions spanning the full scope of the pulmonary APP's clinical practice.

This year's agenda reflects the breadth of the specialty: from intubation and POCUS skills labs on the opening day, to plenary sessions on AI in medicine, pulmonary infections, and upper airway disease across the lifespan, to an extensive breakout track covering everything from PAH and ILD to sleep disorders, transplant ethics, and pediatric BPD. Several industry-sponsored sessions will also highlight recently approved therapies, including nerandomilast (JASCAYD) for ILD and brensocatib (BRINSUPRI) for bronchiectasis. The HCPLive editorial team will be providing virtual coverage and expert interviews throughout the conference. Check out some sessions we’re highlighting ahead of the conference.

Thursday, June 18, 2026

Session: COPD Mastery Bootcamp: Guideline Updates, Precision Medicine, & Real-World Decision Making (CME Symposium)
Time: 9:00–11:15 AM
Presenters: Stephanie Arceneaux, DNP, MSN, APRN, ANP-C; Brian Bizik, MS, PA-C, DFAAPA; John "Kenny" Larsen, PA-C; Justine Sicari, DNP, FNP-C; Erin Peterson, APRN, CNP
Description: A CME symposium offering a comprehensive update on COPD management, with attention to evolving guideline recommendations and how precision medicine approaches are reshaping treatment decisions in clinical practice. Supported by an educational grant from Merck & Co., Inc.

Session: POCUS Bootcamp (Hands-On)
Time: 8:45–11:45 AM
Presenters: Vincent DeRienzo, PA-C; Molly Jozefowski, MS, PA-C; Rhea Votipka, MSN, Post-MS, ACNP-BC, ACCNS-AG, E-AEC; and hands-on faculty
Description: A dedicated point-of-care ultrasound training session combining didactic instruction with supervised hands-on practice, covering core applications in pulmonary and critical care.

Session: Bridging Specialties in ILD: A Multidisciplinary Bootcamp Series for Early Recognition and Targeted Treatment (CME Symposium)
Time: 3:00–5:00 PM
Presenters: John Giacona, PhD, PA-C, CHC; Jessica Glennie, CNP; Amanda Mixon, PA-C; David Smith, MD
Description: A CME symposium focused on improving early ILD recognition and treatment decisions through a multidisciplinary lens, with practical guidance for APPs working in or alongside ILD programs. Supported by an educational grant from United Therapeutics.

Session: Brief Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (BBT-I)
Time: 3:00–5:00 PM
Presenter: Loretta Colvin, FAASM, DNP, MS, ACNP-BC
Description: An in-depth session on applying brief behavioral therapy for insomnia in clinical practice, with particular relevance for pulmonary APPs managing patients with sleep-disordered breathing and comorbid insomnia.

Friday, June 19, 2026

Session: What's That Sound? Identification and Intervention of Upper Airway Concerns from Infancy to Adulthood (Plenary)
Time: 9:10–10:30 AM
Presenters: Lizzie M. Fan, MS, PA-C; Emily Simmons, APRN-NP, CPNP-PC; Samantha VanVoorhis, MSN, FNP-C
Description: A plenary session examining upper airway pathology across the lifespan, with a clinical focus on recognizing and differentiating conditions that may present similarly to lower airway or obstructive disease.

Session: AI in Medicine (Plenary)
Time: 4:05–5:05 PM
Presenters: Hassan K. Bencheqroun, MD, FCCP, EMBA, ABAIM; Jessica Schweller, APRN-CNP
Description: A plenary overview of artificial intelligence applications in medicine, covering how emerging AI tools are beginning to intersect with pulmonary diagnosis, documentation, and clinical decision support.

Session: Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD) (Plenary)
Time: 5:05–5:30 PM
Presenter: Sarah Tomashefski, MSN, AGNP-C
Description: A focused plenary on AATD, a frequently underdiagnosed cause of early-onset emphysema, with discussion of screening strategies and management considerations for APPs.

Session: Bridging Pulm, Metabolic Health, & Sleep: Precision Approaches to OSA Management (CME Symposium)
Time: 5:45–6:45 PM
Presenters: Ann Cartwright, PA-C, MPAS; Maggie Lavender, MSN, RN, FNP-C; Elizabeth Simkus, DNP, MSN, FNP-C, DipACLM
Description: A CME symposium addressing the intersection of pulmonary, metabolic, and sleep health, with a focus on precision management of obstructive sleep apnea in patients with relevant comorbidities. Supported by an educational grant from Apnimed.

Saturday, June 20, 2026

Session: Pulmonary Infections: Outpatient, Inpatient, and Immunocompromised (Plenary)
Time: 9:05–10:30 AM
Presenters: Sara Rogers, DNP, AGPCNP-BC, AGACNP-BC; Katherine Michalek, PA-C; Patricia Eells, CPNP-PC
Description: A plenary session covering the clinical approach to pulmonary infections across care settings and patient populations, including special considerations for immunocompromised hosts.

Session: Research: Terms/Stats, Critical Appraisal of the Evidence, & Application
Time: 11:00 AM–12:00 PM
Presenters: Vincent DeRienzo, PA-C; Rebecca Priebe, MSN, ACNP-BC, FCCP
Description: A session equipping APPs with tools to understand research methodology and statistical concepts, and apply evidence critically to clinical practice decisions.

Session: When It's Not COPD
Time: 2:05–3:05 PM
Presenter: Melissa Dolbec, FNP-C
Description: A breakout session focused on recognizing obstructive lung disease mimickers and alternative diagnoses that may be mistaken for COPD in the clinical setting.

Session: Cancer of the Chest
Time: 1:10–1:55 PM
Presenter: Beth Sandy, MSN, CRNP
Description: A parallel session reviewing key considerations in the evaluation and management of thoracic malignancies, with relevance for pulmonary APPs who may be among the first to identify concerning findings.