Pediatric Symposium 2026
Friday, September 18, 2026 | 12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Location: In-person at Southern Regional AHEC, 1601 Owen Dr, Fayetteville, NC 28304
Target Audience
Physicians, Advanced Practice Providers (NPs/PAs), Registered Nurses, Clinical Pharmacists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), and Public Health Professionals across Southeastern North Carolina.
Program Description
Today’s pediatric providers are frontline sentinels confronting a complex intersection of hidden societal trauma, emerging environmental health stressors, and rapidly shifting systemic guidelines.
The Pediatric Symposium 2026 brings together regional and national subject matter experts to equip frontline teams with actionable clinical competency, diagnostic strategies, and evidence-based interventions. From recognizing the covert indicators of child exploitation to mitigating the psychological impacts of climate-driven disasters on developing youth, this intensive program bridges the gap between community-level public health threats and daily clinical performance.
Registration Fee
$ 25.00
Agenda
12:30 p.m. Registration and Working Lunch
1 p.m. Session I: Keynote - Covert Crises: Identifying and Intervening in Familial Sexual Trafficking
Sharon Cooper, M.D.
2:15 p.m. Refreshment Break
2:30 p.m. Session II: Adolescent Digital Mental Health: Triage for Social Media-Induced Crisis
Hudaisa Hafeez, MD
3:45 p.m. Session III: Beyond the Forecast: Treating Mental Health in Changing Climate
Jason Y. Cho, MD
5 p.m. Adjourn
Speakers
Sharon Cooper, M.D., is CEO of Developmental & Forensic Pediatrics, P.A., a consulting firm providing medical care to children with developmental disabilities, and medical care, research/training, and expert witness testimony in cases of child maltreatment. Having practiced medicine for 50 years, she recently established The MACE Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on mitigating the effects and reducing the occurrence of Adverse Childhood Experiences, closing the gap in health disparities and improving maternal health outcomes. She holds faculty positions at two universities and serves on the boards of national and international organizations aimed at combatting violence against children. Dr. Cooper has lectured worldwide, provided extensive training on the analysis of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), is lead author and editor of two comprehensive texts on child sexual exploitation and contributed numerous chapters to textbooks on child maltreatment. She is Executive Director of Not Just Pictures, a documentary examining the victim impact of abusive images, and has provided testimony about child sexual exploitation to the US Congress and to international agencies.
Hudaisa Hafeez, MD is a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry at Cape Fear Valley Health in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She provides comprehensive behavioral health services with a focus on the mental health needs of children and adolescents. Dr. Hafeez earned her medical degree from Dow Medical and Health Sciences in Karachi, Pakistan. She completed her residency in adult psychiatry and fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Duke University Hospital.
Jason Y. Cho, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Child & Family Mental Health & Community Psychiatry Division Duke University Dr. Jason Y. Cho is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University, where he focuses on child, family, and community psychiatry. He integrates clinical care, education, and community engagement, bringing a humanistic and creative perspective to mental health care. Dr. Cho is committed to improving patient outcomes through thoughtful, patient-centered approaches and meaningful community impact.
Objectives
- Formulate evidence-based diagnostic strategies and interprofessional intervention protocols to safely bridge the gap between community-level public health threats and daily clinical performance.
- Integrate rapidly shifting systemic guidelines into daily clinical practice to enhance frontline team competency and optimize multi-disciplinary pediatric care pathways.
Credit
AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™: 3.75 credit hours
Accreditation: Southern Regional AHEC is accredited by the Southern States CME Collaborative (SSCC) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
CME Credit Statement: The Southern Regional AHEC designates this live activity for a maximum of 3.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Additional Credit: Other health professionals will receive Southern Regional AHEC CEU and/or Contact Hours and a certificate of attendance from AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ activity. These certificates are accepted by the NC boards for physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses. License requirements are subject to change. Southern Regional AHEC recommends that participants contact their licensing board with specific questions. Southern Regional AHEC will provide .375 to participants upon the completion of this activity.
Disclosure Statement: Disclosure Statement: The Southern Regional AHEC adheres to ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education regarding industry support of continuing medical education. Disclosures of faculty/planning committee members and relationships with ineligible companies which are entities that produce, market, resell, or distribute health care goods or services consumed by or used on patients will be made known at the activity. Speakers are also expected to openly disclose a discussion of any off-label, experimental, or investigative use of drugs or devices in their presentations.
CEU: 0.375 credit hours
Contact Hours: 3.75 contact hours
NC Psychologists Category A: The program will provide 3.75 contact hours (category A) continuing education credit to NC Psychologists.
Nursing Contact Hours: 3.75 Nursing Contact Hours will be awarded to participants who attend 90% of this educational activity.
Southern Regional Area Health Education Center is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the North Carolina Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Substitutes/Refunds/Transfers
• Cancellations must be in writing (email or mail).
• Registrants cancelling between two weeks and five full business days prior to the first day of the event are refunded at 70% of the registration fee subject to a minimum $25 cancellation fee.
• No refunds or credits will be given for cancellations received less than five full business days prior to the event.
• No refunds or credit will be given for no-shows.
• No vouchers will be issued in lieu of a refund.
• Transfers/substitute(s) welcome (notify in advance of the program).
Attendance at this activity grants permission for Southern Regional AHEC to use any photographs, audio, video, or other images from this activity for promotional or educational purposes. Please notify an AHEC staff member if you have concerns.
ADA Services
Americans with Disabilities Act Individuals requesting accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should contact the ADA coordinator at least five days prior to the event at (910) 678-7240 or christi.boahn@sr-ahec.org.
Contact Us
Lisa J. Blandin, Director, Continuing Medical Education / (910) 678-7241 / lisa.blandin@sr-ahec.org