Inspiring the Next Chapter in Optimal Health
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10th Annual Academic Summit
September 26 – 28, 2025 • In Person or Virtual • Loews Coronado Bay, CA
Join clinicians and thought leaders in exploring groundbreaking therapies in integrative and regenerative medicine. This multi-day event covers advanced topics from hormone optimization and metabolic health to regerative orthopedics and telemedicine law - blending cutting-edge science with real-world clinical strategies. Attendees will gain the tools, knowledge, and confidence to transform patient care in today's evolving medical landscape.
Details
Course Description
The 10th Annual Academic Summit brings together thought leaders, clinicians, and pioneers in integrative and regenerative medicine for an immersive exploration of cutting-edge science, clinical innovation, and practical strategies in optimal health. This year’s multi-day event offers a powerful lineup of sessions that traverse evolutionary biology, hormone optimization, telemedicine law, regenerative orthopedics, and metabolic health. From the evolutionary roots of human sexuality and the underexplored dimensions of women’s health to the latest research on insulin resistance, hair loss, and endocrine disruptors, attendees will engage with dynamic content designed to challenge assumptions, inspire critical thinking, and transform practice.
Led by an esteemed faculty of physicians, researchers, and legal experts, the summit blends theory with real-world application, covering everything from medical-legal compliance and patient documentation to contemporary updates in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and sleep health. Attendees will also explore how ketones and insulin battle for metabolic dominance, examine myths in medical education through Robert Lufkin’s provocative memoir, and gain a deeper understanding of how sleep and lifestyle influence longevity. This unique convergence of disciplines empowers clinicians to return to their practices equipped with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to optimize outcomes ethically, legally, and effectively in an ever-evolving medical landscape.
Learning Objectives
- Explain the evolutionary factors that shaped human sexuality and their implications for modern health, intimacy, and gender differences.
- Identify evidence-based alternatives to surgery for common musculoskeletal conditions using regenerative orthopedics and hormone optimization techniques.
- Describe the biological underpinnings of hair growth and loss, and evaluate effective diagnostic tools and treatment options for various types of alopecia.
- Summarize recent changes in telemedicine law and DEA regulations and apply compliant strategies for expanding practice across state lines.
- Recognize key regulatory and legal risks associated with patient consent, documentation, and marketing practices, and implement safeguards to avoid audits and litigation.
- Discuss current advancements and controversies in testosterone therapy, including its role in cancer survivors and cardiovascular risk management, with insights from the TRAVERSE study.
- Critically analyze outdated paradigms in conventional medical education, as presented in The Lies I Taught in Medical School, and explore alternative evidence-based approaches to chronic disease management.
- Define the progression from insulin resistance to type 2 diabetes, including cellular mechanisms, the role of hyperinsulinemia, and why lifestyle changes often outperform standard medications.
- Assess the health impact of endocrine disruptors, identify common environmental sources, and recommend strategies to reduce patient exposure and mitigate hormonal disruption.
- Explain the role of healthy sleep in longevity, and apply practical tools to assess and improve sleep quality in clinical practice.
- Compare the metabolic effects of insulin versus ketones on brown and white adipose tissue, and articulate how ketogenic therapies may improve metabolic health.
- Describe recent discoveries in women’s sexual health, including the anatomy and function of the clitoris, the vaginal microbiome, and regenerative potential in reproductive tissues.
- Evaluate the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy that includes thyroid (BHRT) in relation to cardiovascular and breast cancer outcomes, and apply updated clinical guidelines to optimize patient safety and treatment efficacy.
Speakers
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Agenda
| 8:00 - 8:15 am | Welcome and Introductions Dana Burnett |
| 8:15 - 9:15 am | How the Evolution of Women’s Sexuality Shaped Human Kind: History of an Inside Job Walking on two legs, bleeding monthly, having large brained infants at birth, who needed assistance for at least a few decades, created a crisis of survival for women. An unlikely conspiracy ensued, between women and the moon. Hidden ovulation, sex for pleasure and death were a few of the complicit details. Survival of our species likely rested on gender differences of love, reproduction, death and intimacy. A complicated evolution, but yet, here we are, the product of an inside job! Gayle Frazzetta, MD |
| 9:15 - 10:15 am | Why be Normal? Regenerative Orthopedics PLUS Hormone Optimization Is surgery really the best option for your patient’s rotator cuff tear or knee? Many musculoskeletal conditions can be very successfully treated-naturally-with autologous PRP, fat and bone marrow in conjunction with optimizing hormones (and the rest of their life). Joe Albano, MD |
| 10:15 - 10:45 am | Break |
| 10:45 am - 12:00 pm | Untangling Hair Loss: What Every Clinician Should Know This presentation will provide a practical overview of hair anatomy and biology, highlighting the basic science that underpins diagnosis and treatment. We’ll review both common and uncommon types of hair loss, including how to recognize key patterns, when to investigate further, and the diagnostic tools available. Evidence-based treatments will be discussed- what works, what doesn’t, and how to help patients navigate popular, yet sometimes ineffective remedies. Delila Foulad, MD |
| 12:00 - 1:15 pm | Lunch |
| 1:15 - 2:15 pm | Expanding Your Impact: 2025 Telemedicine Legal Updates to Reach More Patients the Right Way Join Scott Rattigan, JD, of Functional Lawyer to ensure your license and your practice are protected as you expand your business within your state or across the country. Learn the latest DEA telemedicine regulation changes that will take effect in January 2026 and how you can prepare your practice to reduce risk. Learn the three biggest legal mistakes practices make and how you can prevent them in your practice. Learn how to (safely) expand your practice across state lines so you can use your unique talents to change their lives for the better. Scott Rattigan, JD |
| 2:15 - 3:15 pm | Patient Consent and Documents – Regulatory Compliance and Impact on Audits, Board Reviews, and Litigation This presentation will discuss legal and ethical requirements for patient engagement and delivery of care that, if not implemented correctly, can have negative consequences to your licensure and credentialing status; result in claim denials or overpayment recoupment; or impact your defense in a malpractice lawsuit. This presentation will also discuss examples of relevant enforcement actions and how to avoid them through a sustainable and compliant practice. This training applies to direct patient billing and third-party payor claims.
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| 3:15 - 3:45 pm | Break |
| 3:45 - 4:30 pm | Navigating Medical and Nursing Board Complaints in HRT Therapy This session offers essential guidance for clinicians facing state medical or nursing board complaints related to hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The presentation will feature real-life case examples, particularly those involving unqualified or misinformed board “experts,” highlighting how to challenge flawed assumptions while maintaining professionalism. The presentation will also outline common pitfalls, share real-case outcomes, and offer strategies for protecting one’s license and practice specific to certain medical issues such as Decreased Sperm Count/Fertility Concerns and Elevated Red Blood Cells (RBC – Hematocrit and Hemoglobin). Attendees will learn best practices for documentation, patient communication, and legal response strategies. With insights from legal advisors and experienced HRT providers, this talk equips clinicians with practical tools to protect their license and practice while continuing to offer evidence-based, individualized care in a regulatory environment often behind current science. Craig Larsen and Peter Fotinos, MD |
| 4:30 - 5:30 pm | Contemporary Update of HRT – Testosterone We know that testosterone-induced polycythemia (sic) does not cause blood clots. But what about polycythemia (sic) causing sudden cardiac death in the cardiovascular literature? What about an update on the use of testosterone in prostate cancer survivors as well as those with active disease. What treatment improves prostate cancer survival and which treatment improves overall health. Why was semaglutide FDA approved for sleep apnea but testosterone is not? How can side effects, risks, complications and mortality associated with LHRH agonists be mitigated? Finally, a review of the TRAVERSE study leads to a change in FDA risks and harms. Neal Rouzier, MD |
| 5:30 pm | Adjourn |
| 8:00 - 9:00 am | The Lies I Taught in Medical School - A book review by the author Robert Lufkin, MD This book is a provocative memoir and exposé that challenges long-held assumptions in conventional medical education. Drawing on his experiences as a physician and professor, Lufkin examines how outdated teachings and institutional biases have shaped healthcare practices that may do more harm than good. He explores topics such as nutrition, chronic disease, and the pharmaceutical industry, urging a reevaluation of what doctors are taught and how that impacts patient care. This book invites both medical professionals and the general public to question the status quo and consider a more holistic, evidence-based approach to health. Robert Lufkin, MD |
| 9:00 am - 10:00 am | Flipping the Switch: From Insulin Resistance to Type 2 Diabetes This lecture explores the biological progression from insulin resistance to type 2 diabetes, emphasizing the role of hyperinsulinemia as a root cause. It highlights how hypertrophic fat cells become dysfunctional, leading to inflammation, fat leakage, and organ-specific insulin resistance. The lecture also critiques common anti-diabetic medications, showing how many may worsen insulin resistance over time, and underscores the greater effectiveness of lifestyle changes. Ben Bikman, PhD |
| 10:00 - 10:30 am | Break |
| 10:30 - 11:45 am | Endocrine Disruptors – How Harmful is Exposure This talk explores the impact of endocrine disruptors—chemicals that interfere with hormone function—on human health. It examines common sources of exposure, including plastics, personal care products, and pesticides, and discusses how even low-level contact can have lasting effects. The session will review the latest scientific findings on how these substances may contribute to hormonal imbalances, developmental issues, fertility and chronic diseases. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of the risks and learn practical strategies to minimize their exposure. Sheela Sathyanarayana, MD, MPH |
| 11:45 am - 1:00 pm | Lunch |
| 1:00 - 2:00 pm | Enhancing human longevity through healthy sleep This presentation explores the critical role of sleep in enhancing human longevity, emphasizing its foundational impact on overall health. It reviews large-scale studies linking poor sleep duration, quality, and irregularity to increased risks of chronic disease, cognitive decline, and premature mortality. The talk highlights how sleep disorders like sleep apnea, insomnia, and restless legs syndrome can be effectively treated to improve survival, and it advocates for longitudinal, data-driven approaches to assess and optimize sleep health. Ultimately, it positions sleep as a dynamic, modifiable process central to preventive and longevity-focused care. Sahil Chopra, MD |
| 2:00 - 3:00 pm | Insulin vs. Ketones: The Battle for Brown Fat This lecture presents how insulin and ketones differently affect energy metabolism, particularly in white and brown adipose tissue. It shows that insulin promotes energy storage and lowers metabolic rate, while ketones enhance oxygen use and thermogenesis without boosting ATP production—suggesting ketones support fat burning and metabolic health. The lecture highlights how a ketogenic state can protect against obesity and insulin resistance, contrasting sharply with insulin’s fat-promoting effects. Ben Bikman, PhD |
| 3:00 - 3:30 pm | Break |
| 3:30 - 4:30 pm | The Clitoral Revolution Until recently, scientific research has spent little time nor resources, exploring the foundation of these myths. Research over the past 20 years has begun to explore the clitoris, vaginal microbiome, regenerative powers of uterine stem cells and causes of ovarian degradation. We are at the tip of the clitoral revolution in beginning to investigate the enigma of women. Gayle Frazzetta, MD |
| 4:30 - 5:30 pm | Contemporary Update of HRT and Cardiovascular Disease Let’s do a quick overview of the pathophysiology of CVD to understand why most medications fail. Who benefits from statin therapy, who doesn’t and what test is best to determine this. What are the potential risks of statin overuse and how best to avoid them. The conundrum of whether to raise or lower CAC. What’s all the hoopla over lipoprotein(a)? Is there harm, and what can be done to lower it besides an expense drug. Lastly what is the double standard on testosterone and CVD where one negative Grade D study negates 30 RCT’s proving safety and efficacy. Neal Rouzier, MD |
| 5:30 pm | Adjourn |
| 8:00 - 9:00 am | How I Manage, Treat and Keep my Patients in Optimal Health; Pearls from a recovering Anesthesiologist I have a wide range of compelling cases to share; however, the treatment plan represents only one aspect of comprehensive patient care. Equally critical is the manner in which I educate and communicate with my patients, conduct thorough evaluations for whole-person care, and guide them toward achieving optimal health. This approach integrates bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) with essential pillars of wellness, including sleep, exercise, and nutrition. Lauren Fitzgerald, MD |
| 9:00 am - 10:00 am | How PCOS Almost Killed Me: The Importance of Treating Early. What is the harm of not diagnosing your PCOS patients early in life? What outcomes can you help them avoid by treating their PCOS early? Do all PCOS patients present the same? From start to finish listen to the outcomes of my true-life experience with PCOS and how it almost took my life Kristi Hales, RPh |
| 10:00 - 10:30 am | Break |
| 10:30 - 12:00 pm | Contemporary Update of HRT and Breast Cancer What is the true incidence of breast cancer from HRT use, what about breast cancer mortality? What commonly used breast cancer treatment eventually results in increased breast cancer mortality? Which one consistently reduces breast cancer mortality by 40%? As for E2 and P4 how much is too much you ask? Stop asking about PR+ tumors, understand receptors and just treat it. Lastly lets review a recent WHI summary and update: It isn’t what it used to be as the pendulum swings. Neal Rouzier, MD |
| 12:30 pm | Adjourn |
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by The Foundation for Care Management (FCM) and Worldlink Medical. FCM is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team
18 AMA PRA Category 1 for CME
18 Nursing Contact Hours
This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive (18 hours) Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.
Location and Travel Details
- September 26-28, 2025
-
4000 Coronado Bay Rd
Coronado, CA 92118 -
San Diego International Airport
(SAN)
Info
Refund / Cancellations / Bulk Discounts / Course Credit
Early bird discount ($100.00 savings) is available up until 3 weeks prior to the event. This discount does not need a code but is applied automatically.
Up to 3 weeks prior to the course start date the cancellation fee is $100.00. If a cancellation is requested less than 3 weeks in advance the cancellation fee is $350.00. If a cancellation is received within two weeks of the event there are no refunds allowed.
To cancel a registration, a credit can be held on file without penalty so long as the cancellation is received more than 2 weeks in advance of the start date. This credit will be applied automatically to your next registration before a credit card is charged.
If two or more prescribers register as a group under one registration ticket there will be a 10% discount applied to each registration after the first one.
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