2027 Pre-Conference Workshops
Make the most of your Annual Assembly experience by attending a pre-conference workshop on Wednesday, March 16, 2027.
Pre-conference workshops offer focused, in-depth learning for professionals across disciplines and settings of care. Choose from full-day and half-day workshops designed to expand your knowledge and enhance your educational experience.
Explore the available pre-conference workshops below to find the learning opportunity that best meets your needs.
How to Register
Pre-conference workshops are available to in-person attendees only and require separate registration and an additional fee.
Planning to attend a pre-conference workshop without registering for the full Annual Assembly? Contact Member Services at [email protected] for assistance. Workshop-only registration is not available online.
Full Day Workshops
All full-day workshops will be held at the convention center from 8am – 5pm ET. These interactive sessions offer in-depth learning and hands-on engagement with expert facilitators. Lunch is included with all full-day workshop registrations.
Please ensure you arrive early enough to pick up your conference badge at the registration desk before the workshops begin. Badge pickup is required for entry into all sessions.
The 2027 State of the Science Symposium (SOTS) is a full-day pre-conference symposium bringing together researchers, clinician-investigators, and learners across career stages in hospice and palliative care research.
Connect with leading researchers and the broader scientific community while exploring emerging research, modern study designs and methods, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional development. The symposium is designed to strengthen research skills and foster meaningful connections across disciplines and career stages.
Strengthen your approach to complex pharmacotherapy decisions in hospice and palliative care. This interactive, full-day workshop uses case-based learning to explore medication management, opioid-related complications, refractory symptoms, palliative emergencies, deprescribing, and other challenging clinical scenarios. Participants will finish the day by applying their knowledge in a Palliative Pharmacotherapy Escape Room.
Designed for aspiring and experienced hospice medical directors, this full-day workshop provides a practical update on today’s hospice landscape while supporting preparation for the Hospice Medical Director Certification Board (HMDCB) exam. Explore regulations and compliance, prognostication, leadership, ethics, and real-world challenges through expert-led discussion and interactive cases. Whether preparing for certification or refreshing your skills, you’ll leave with practical insights to support high-quality hospice care.
Morning Workshops
Morning workshops will be held at the convention center from 8am – noon ET. These sessions offer focused learning opportunities led by expert facilitators, ideal for attendees looking to dive into key topics in a shorter format.
Explore the practical applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models in hospice and palliative care. This interactive, half-day workshop uses real-world examples and case-based learning to examine AI applications in documentation, quality measurement, prognostic support, and communication training. Participants will also consider key issues such as bias, privacy, governance, and how to integrate AI thoughtfully while preserving trust and human connection.
Strengthen your approach to pain management and pharmacotherapy for patients with serious illness. Through evidence-informed education, case-based discussion, and interactive problem-solving, this pre-conference workshop explores pain assessment, opioid use disorder (OUD), individualized treatment planning, and the evolving role of opioids and alternative therapies across care settings.
Presented as part of AAHPM’s participation in the Collaborative for REMS Education (CO*RE). This event is open access, but pre-registration is required.
Turn health equity goals into measurable action. This interactive workshop provides practical strategies for planning, implementing, and evaluating sustainable health equity quality improvement initiatives. Through expert insights, lessons learned, and hands-on exercises, participants will explore stakeholder engagement, resource planning, and impact measurement while developing a customized SMART action plan to take back to their organization.
Explore the emerging role of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) in serious illness care. This interactive, half-day workshop examines current evidence and potential applications of ketamine- and psilocybin-assisted therapies, including considerations for screening, contraindications, polypharmacy, and safety. Through case studies and discussion, participants will also explore patient and family questions, equity and access, cultural considerations, and the evolving regulatory landscape.
Build, strengthen, or expand a pediatric palliative care program with practical strategies you can apply in your organization. This interactive, half-day workshop explores how to develop a strong business case, build key partnerships, design clinical services, and demonstrate program value. Participants will apply these concepts to their own practice setting and leave with actionable strategies and a customized roadmap for pediatric palliative care services.
Afternoon Workshops
Afternoon workshops will be held at the convention center from 1 – 5pm ET. These sessions offer focused learning opportunities led by expert facilitators, ideal for attendees looking to dive into key topics in a shorter format.
Strengthen your approach to recognizing and managing nociplastic pain in patients with advanced illness. This interactive, half-day workshop explores altered pain processing, trauma-informed communication, and mind-body and psychological strategies that can support clinical care. Participants will gain practical approaches for addressing complex pain while providing compassionate, validating care.
Build confidence using buprenorphine for pain management in palliative care, whether you’re new to prescribing or looking to advance your skills. Through interactive presentations and case-based discussions, this half-day workshop explores initiating, titrating, rotating, and managing buprenorphine across diverse care settings. Participants will leave with evidence-based strategies and practical tools to address common clinical challenges. Provided in conjunction with the Society of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacists (SPPCP).
Build confidence in recognizing and managing psychiatric symptoms in patients with serious illness. This interactive, half-day workshop uses real-world cases, diagnostic exercises, and skills practice to explore psychiatric assessment, medication decision-making, and goal-concordant care. Participants will examine approaches to depression, anxiety, delirium, and demoralization and leave with practical strategies to support whole-person care.
Navigate real-world barriers to patient-centered, goal-concordant care in this interactive, “choose your own” narrative simulation. Working through realistic clinical and operational challenges, participants will explore systemic barriers such as medication shortages, pharmacy deserts, lack of health insurance, and formulary restrictions. Attendees will practice collaboration, creativity, and adaptability while gaining practical strategies for delivering compassionate whole-person care in resource-constrained settings.