Emily Brunner, MD, DFASAM – Presentation: The Other Addictions

Dr. Emily Brunner is board-certified in family medicine and is a distinguished fellow in the field of addiction medicine. She has experience treating addiction in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Dr. Brunner specializes in trauma-informed clinical treatment of substance use disorders with a comprehensive and compassionate approach. She has been involved in leadership of the Minnesota Society of Addiction Medicine and is on the national board of the American Society of Addiction. Dr. Brunner is a passionate advocate for improving the care of patients with substance use disorder across the healthcare system, and specifically in advocating for increased utilization of medications for opioid use disorder across all levels of care. She has also been recognized as a Top Doctor for addiction medicine by Minnesota Magazine in 2020 and 2021. Dr. Brunner is Medical Director of Gateway Recovery and Recovering Hope and does trainings on behalf of Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.

Stefanie Simmons, MD – Presentation: Advocacy Efforts to Support Mental Health of Healthcare Workforce

Dr. Stefanie Simmons is the Chief Medical Officer at the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation and is a board-certified emergency medicine physician.  She was the primary advisor to NIOSH for the Impact WellbeingTM guide for healthcare leaders, leads multi-state programs to improve the operational environment of care and remove barriers to mental health care, and serves as a national thought leader in healthcare worker well-being. Dr. Simmons served as the Vice President of Patient and Clinician Experience for Envision for over 7 years, serving 26,000 physicians and advanced practice providers with a focus on professional well-being, including translational research and programs designed to bring well-being best practices to clinical environments. She served as lead clinical faculty for the Experience Project Wellbeing program. Dr. Simmons earned her bachelor of science and medical doctor degrees from University of Michigan and completed residency training at the University of Michigan/St. Joseph Mercy emergency medicine residency. She has completed additional training in medical education, research methods, coaching, and positive organizational psychology.

Jeffrey Sung, MD – Presentation: Physician Suicide

Dr. Jeffrey Sung is a board-certified psychiatrist and clinical assistant professor in the University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. His work includes training and advisory roles with Forefront Suicide Prevention and the Center for Suicide Prevention and Recovery. He has developed and delivered trainings on suicide prevention, suicide care, and responding to patient suicide locally and nationally for a broad range of health professionals, lay audiences and organizations, including technology companies and the U.S. Navy. For 17 years, he provided psychiatric care in downtown Seattle through a Health Care for Homeless Network grant. Dr. Sung also maintains a private practice for patient care, training, forensic and clinical consultation.

Carolyn McCarthy – Workshop: Mindfulness Self-Compassion

Carolyn McCarthy teaches in the hopes of moving us, individually and collectively, toward healing, wholeness, and love. Carolyn is a certified teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion, and Mindful-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) by Mindfulness Northwest, where she has taught for the last five years. A student of social justice, she uses mindfulness to face difficult truths within and without. Zest, warmth, and wit enliven her teaching. Core practices: sitting meditation, time outside, and solo living room dance parties. Visit her online at www.carolynmcc.com.

Thanks to our generous donors, WPHP has scholarship funds available to fully underwrite first time attendees and to assist returning attendees experiencing financial hardship. If you are interested in scholarship support, please apply when registering. You will be asked to provide additional information to determine eligibility. Applicants will be notified if they receive a scholarship. Scholarship awards may not cover the entire cost of Reunion participation and only covers registration fees and lodging accommodations at the venue during the Reunion event.

The WPHP Reunion is only able to accommodate participants and their adult family/key support guests. Please call WPHP directly if you need support with the cost of childcare to facilitate your attendance.

WPHP has three established donation funds designed to assist program participants:

1. Thomas Hornbein, M.D. Fund
2. The Lynn R. Hankes, M.D. Reunion Scholarship Fund
3. The Daniel O’Neill Family Fund

As is our tradition, last year generous donors stepped forward and underwrote scholarships for 21 participants/key support’s who otherwise would not have been able to attend the reunion. WPHP expresses heartfelt gratitude for this strong show of generosity. As you register this year, we encourage you to perpetuate this tradition by donating an amount that is meaningful to you. Thank you so much!