Allegheny County Immunization Coalition
Conference
Uniting for Immunity: The Role of Vaccination in Public Health
20 years of coalition building
70 years since science turned the tide against polio
Wednesday,
November 5, 2025
Regional Learning Alliance
Why Attend?
The 20th Annual ACIC Conference is a milestone gathering for public health and healthcare leaders across our region.
- Learn from leading experts including Peter Salk, Amesh Adalja, Gretchen Chapman, Todd Wolynn, and more.
- Earn up to 6.25 CME, CNE, CPE, and CE credits while gaining timely knowledge you can put into practice.
- Build new partnerships that strengthen your work and expand your impact.
- Renew your energy and purpose alongside colleagues who share your commitment to advancing public health.
- Reflect on history and shape the future as we honor the 70th anniversary of the polio vaccine milestone.
Agenda
7:30 – 8:00 AM
Registration, Breakfast & Exhibitor Visits
8:00 – 8:10 AM
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Jenny Bender, MPH, BSN, RN, CIC — ACIC President
8:10 – 9:00 AM
Keynote: Peter L. Salk, MD
Reflections on Vaccine Legacy and Public Trust
Commemorating 70 years since the 1955 announcement that the polio vaccine was declared safe, effective, and potent.
9:00 – 9:40 AM
Amesh Adalja, MD
Emerging Pathogens, Pandemic Threats, and Local Preparedness
9:40 – 10:15 AM
Tom Mcleaf, PhD
Statewide Collaboration and Policy in Practice
10:15 – 10:35 AM
Morning Break & Exhibitor Visits
10:35 – 11:10 AM
Michael Deem, PhD
The Ethics of Vaccination
11:10 – 11:45 AM
Kara Miles, BSN, RN, NCNSN
Frontlines of Childhood Immunizations: The School Nurse Perspective
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM
Lunch & Exhibitor Visits
12:45 – 1:25 PM
Gretchen Chapman, PhD
Behavioral Drivers of Vaccine Decision-Making
1:25 – 2:15 PM — Panel Discussion
What Trust Requires Now: Cross-Sector Insights
Moderator: Raymond Pontzer, MD
Panelists: John Alcorn, PhD · Donald Middleton, MD · Richard Zimmerman, MD
2:15 – 2:30 PM
Afternoon Networking, Exhibitor Visits & Refreshment Break
2:30 – 3:05 PM
Jean Storm, DO, CMD, DHDQM
System-Level Approaches to Building Vaccine Confidence
3:05 – 3:45 PM
Todd Wolynn, MD & Chad Hermann
The Trusted Messenger Model: Narrative Defense Against Misinformation
3:45 – 4:00 PM
Closing Remarks
Final thoughts, Q&A, CME instructions, acknowledgments
Meet the Speakers
Peter L. Salk, MD
President, Jonas Salk Legacy Foundation; Adjunct Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health
Reflections on Vaccine Legacy and Public Trust
Dr. Salk is a physician, researcher, and public-health advocate continuing the work of his father, Dr. Jonas Salk. Through the Jonas Salk Legacy Foundation, he advances science-based communication and global collaboration to strengthen vaccine confidence and public understanding of immunization.
Amesh Adalja, MD, FIDSA
Senior Scholar, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
Emerging Pathogens, Pandemic Threats, and Local Preparedness
Dr. Adalja is an infectious-disease physician focused on pandemic preparedness, emerging pathogens, and biosecurity. Based at Johns Hopkins University, he advises national and international health agencies on policy and response strategies.
Tom McCleaf, PhD
Director, Bureau of Immunizations, Pennsylvania Department of Health
Statewide Collaboration and Policy in Practice
Mr. McCleaf has served the Pennsylvania Department of Health for over 20 years, leading the Immunization Program since 2016. A past Chair of the Association of Immunization Managers, he is recognized for collaborative, data-driven approaches to statewide vaccination improvement.
Michael Deem, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health
The Ethics of Vaccination
Dr. Deem is a bioethicist and director of Pitt’s Multidisciplinary MPH Program. His work bridges ethics, policy, and public-health practice, examining how evidence and communication shape vaccine trust and decision-making.
Kara Miles, BSN, RN, NCSN
Nationally Certified School Nurse, South Fayette School District
Frontlines of Childhood Immunizations: A Nurse Perspective
She addresses how real families respond to policy. Her perspective links daily school practice to statewide compliance and vaccine confidence.
Gretchen Chapman, PhD
Department Head and Professor, Social & Decision Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University
Behavioral Drivers of Vaccine Decision-Making
Dr. Gretchen Chapman is a behavioral decision scientist whose research examines how people make health choices and how those insights can inform effective public policy. A Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science, she has published more than 100 journal articles and maintained three decades of continuous research funding. A past president of the Society for Judgment and Decision Making, Dr. Chapman focuses on designing evidence-based interventions that encourage health behaviors such as vaccination.
Panel Discussion: What Trust Requires Now — Cross-Sector Insights
Moderator: Raymond Pontzer, M Panelists: Richard Zimmerman, MD; Marian Michaels, MD; Donald Middleton, MD; John Alcorn, PhD
This session brings together leaders from the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC to examine how research, clinical care, and communication intersect in sustaining vaccine confidence. Moderated by Dr. Raymond Pontzer, the discussion explores current evidence on influenza and respiratory-virus vaccination, ethical considerations in public messaging, and strategies to strengthen trust across healthcare settings. Panelists Drs. Richard Zimmerman, Marian Michaels, Donald Middleton, and John Alcorn share perspectives shaped by decades of experience in family medicine, pediatrics, infectious disease, and immunology—offering a grounded, practical view of what trust in vaccination requires today.
Jean M. Storm, DO, CMD, CHCQM
Medical Director, Quality Insights
System-Level Approaches to Building Vaccine Confidence
Dr. Storm is a board-certified internist and certified medical director specializing in healthcare quality and safety. She leads vaccination and infection-prevention improvement initiatives across hospitals, long-term-care facilities, and outpatient practices.
Todd Wolynn, MD, FAAP & Chad Hermann
Trusted Messenger Program / Public Good Projects
The Trusted Messenger Model: Narrative Defense Against Misinformation
Dr. Todd Wolynn and Chad Hermann, who lead the Trusted Messenger Program at the Public Good Projects — a national initiative that strengthens vaccine confidence through community partnerships and story-driven communication.
Dr. Wolynn is a pediatrician and public-health advocate recognized nationally for advancing vaccine confidence and clinician-parent communication.
Mr. Hermann is a communications strategist and writer whose work focuses on helping healthcare professionals and organizations build trust and counter misinformation.
Together, they’ll share insights from the Trusted Messenger initiative and explore how storytelling, transparency, and empathy can shift public perception and strengthen trust in vaccines.
Continuing Education
Earn up to 6.25 hours of CME, CNE, CPE, and CE credits.
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the University of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Immunization Coalition. The University of Pittsburgh 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.
Physician (CME)
The University of Pittsburgh designates this live activity for a maximum of 6.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nursing (CNE)
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 6.25 contact hours.
Pharmacy (CPE)
This knowledge-based activity provides 6.25 contact hours of continuing pharmacy education credit.
Social Work (ASWB)
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the University of Pittsburgh is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Social workers completing this course receive 6.25 general CE credits.
Other Healthcare Professionals
Other health care professionals will receive a certificate of attendance confirming the number of contact hours commensurate with their participation in this activity.
Thank You to Our 2025 Exhibitors
We’re grateful for the generous support of our exhibitors, whose commitment helps make this milestone conference possible.
Your partnership supports education, collaboration, and innovation across the public health community.
Ready to Join Us?
Be part of one of the most important public health gatherings of the year.
Advanced registration required. Registration closes October 30, 2025. Email mmayer@acms.org with questions.