West Michigan Chapter of AACN

AACN-WMC Spring Conference 2026

Postma Center at Pine Rest (Building C)
300 68th Street Southeast
Grand Rapids, MI 49548

Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 7:30am ET - 4:00pm ET

Continuing Educaiton
300 68th Street Southeast, Grand Rapids, MI 49548

Info

Topic

Infectious disease, evidence-based practice, human trafficking, chronic pelvic pain (pain hour!), entertainment, and more!

Credits Offered

This event offers 5.75 CE credits to attendees.
Accreditation Info: The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Additional Information

Join us for our Annual Spring Conference! This conference is for all! In addition, March 19th is Certified Nurses Day, which is a day that honors nurses worldwide who contribute to better patient outcomes through national board certification in their specialty. AACN West Michigan will recognize and acknowledge the nurses who have achieved AACN Certification! We hope you can join us for a day full of learning and celebration! 

Speakers

Jason Gilleran
Jason Gilleran M.D
Andrew Jameson
Andrew Jameson MD, FACP, FIDSA, AAHIVS

Andrew Jameson is an Infectious Diseases physician who works out of Mercy Health Saint Mary's in Grand Rapids, MI. He has a busy ID/HIV practice and has both administrative and educational appointments. He is the Infectious Diseases section chief and Medical Direction of Infection Control. He is the clerkship director for Internal Medicine at the Grand Rapids campus for MSU while working closely with the IM, TY, and Neurology residencies at Mercy Health Saint Mary's. He also is the HIV clinic director for the Infectious Diseases Fellowship through Spectrum Health.

Sara Knippa
Sara Knippa MS, RN, ACCNS-AG, CCRN, PCCN

Sara Knippa, MS, RN, ACCNS-AG, CCRN, PCCN, serves a one-year term as secretary on the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Board of Directors from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. She continues a three-year term as a director on the AACN board from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026. She also served a concurrent one-year term on the AACN Certification Corporation board from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. Knippa is a critical care clinical nurse specialist (CNS) at UCHealth in Aurora, Colorado. Her current projects are prevention of hospital-acquired pressure injuries and implementing the ABCDEF bundle. She led implementation of a nurse competency assessment program, as well as targeted temperature management and post-cardiac arrest care with quality improvement projects, a podium presentation and a publication. In addition, she is adjunct faculty for the CNS program at University of Colorado College of Nursing, Denver. Previously, she was a cardiac progressive care and intensive care staff nurse for 15 years and a CICU clinical nurse educator for 12 years. Her volunteer activities with AACN include certification prep column editor for Critical Care Nurse, concurrent session presenter at the National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition, and leader of a CCRN and PCCN review course. She received the Denver Chapter’s Outstanding Service Award in 2019. Additional affiliations include membership in the Association for Nursing Professional Development and Sigma Theta Tau. Knippa earned a Master of Science, adult/gerontology CNS, and a certificate in nursing education at University of Colorado College of Nursing, Denver. She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In her free time, Knippa enjoys traveling. She says, “I would love to visit all 50 states in the USA. I’ve visited 39 and have 11 to go!”

Andrea Keller MA, LPC, SCL, NCC
Leyna Luttrull

Exhibit

March 19, 2026 from 7:30a-4:00p

Exhibitors will have access to the venue starting at 6:30a, with last opportunity for attendees to visit your table ending at 1:45p, but you're welcome to stick around to catch people on the way out if you'd like.

$825 exhibit fee will include table, two chairs, outlet, and breakfast and lunch for up to 2 people.  Attendees will have a "passport" and incentivized to visit all of our vendors!

We’re anticipating higher than typical attendance (likely around 50-70 individuals, from multiple hospital systems and varying nursing roles (bedside (ICU, surgical services, inpatient, ED, etc…), CNS, directors, educators, even retired nurses who love coming to our events)) as we are offering sessions that are required for state licensure (human trafficking and pain topics).  We intentionally host both local speakers that our registrants recognize and work with, as well as nationally renowned speakers who bring their expertise to West Michigan.  

Agenda:

7:30-8:00

Registration/Breakfast/Vendor Time

8:05-9:00

Infectious Disease Topic (pending)

9:00-9:15

Vendor Time

9:15-10:30

Evidence Based Practice

10:30-11:45

Human Trafficking

11:45-12:30

Lunch/Vendor Time

12:30-13:30

Certification Celebration

13:30-13:45

Vendor Time

13:45-15:00

Chronic Pelvic Pain

15:00-15:15

Certification Celebration/Raffle giveaways

15:15-15:45

Stand Up Comedy with Dr. Gilleran

15:45-16:00

Evaluation/Dismissal

Attachments

Exhibit Table

We are thrilled to welcome you as an exhibitor for this excellent educational event!

$825.00

Bed Exhibit
Sold Out
Select

Register For This Event

CCRN/PCCN Certified RN

Discounted price for those who hold an AACN certification

$40.00

Spring Conference Ticket
$60.00