Meeting Review – ProCRNA

Encore Symposium Bar Harbor 2020

COVID 19 put a halt on the Encore meeting scheduled for Bar Harbor, however, Nancy LaBrie and the Encore faculty could not be daunted. To support the educational needs of loyal CRNAs, the meeting converted to a live, online format. Here is feedback from attendees:

From B M-G
I recently attended a webinar conference, held with Zoom, presented by Encore Symposium on October 19 the 22nd 2020. The expertise of their presenters were stellar. All were CRNA\’s with their DNP. One presenter was from the NIH and gave excellant information on COVID-19\’s history, pathophysiology and management. Another was a former board member of the NBCRNA and spoke of the CPC requirements and answered all questions and clarified misunderstandings about the requirements. The Zoom meeting could not have been easier. I already had Zoom attached on my computer. The Saturday before the conference an email was sent with a link to each days\’ conference. I only had to click on the link to bring me straight to the conference presenter. Encore set it up without video of the participants, just audio. So…I enjoyed the conference without having to \”get ready\”. There was extra time at the end of each session for question and answers. I will continue to attended Encore\’s conference because of it\’s high quality presenters and killer destinations (this was suppose to be in Bar Harbor, Maine & Acadia National Park). Hoping to see old friends at next years conference in Cape Neddick, Maine @ the Cliff House.

From KG
Knowing we all have education commitments to accomplish , the Encore Anesthesia staff have been a shining star in sea of darkness. The office and the lines of communication remain open and questions are answered by a real person. Thank you for providing that service in the most tumultuous times. It is greatly appreciated.

Encore Synposiums Online

Well known for vacation meetings at resort hotels across the country, Encore Symposiums has temporarily converted to an online format due to COVID 19 restrictions. Although participants are not able to enjoy the luxury hotel, the quality of the meetings has been preserved by knowledgible and dynamic speakers giving live presentations via the Zoom platform. Participant response has been positive as indicated by the comments below.

Nancy LaBrie and the Encore faculty look forward to returning to live meetings as soon as restrictions are lifted.

“I attended my first “webinar conference” this past week; Encore Symposium Aug 3-6, 2020. While I prefer an in-person conference, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it was done and how easy it was to participate. I think attendees were more apt to participate and dialogue in an on-line “chat” discussion vs in person at a face-to-face conference. I will strongly consider the webinar venue again. I have attended several, and often recommended Encore Symposiums to other colleagues. Nancy always has excellent speakers and a wonderful potpuri of interesting topics and when in person, the venue is unmatched. My favorite portion of the Encore’s conference is always the legal presentations. The attorney speakers are consistently phenomenal. “

From AS. ” I recently attended the Newport virtual seminar. Speakers were excellent and with wealth of knowledge. I will definitely attend encore seminar again. Hopefully it’s in person next time. “

Encore Symposium: Sedona 2019

Meeting Date: November 4-7, 2019

Meeting location: Hilton resort, Bell mountain, Sedona, AZ

Meeting sponsor: Encore Symposiums

Strengths of the meeting:

Person #1 Very informative and I really liked the speakers. Encore staff was very pleasant and helpful. I would really recommend Encore for future CME. Sedona was the perfect site; I really liked the outdoor activity and the perfect weather.

Person #2 Great location with lots of activities and perfect weather. The speakers were top notch and presented a variety of topics. The information from this meeting will help my case management and has also given me ideas for improving teamwork in our anesthesia group.

Person #3 regarding the CPC review: I did the CPC Review and the Sedona Red Rock & Grand Canyon Program November 2-7. Sedona is an absolutely beautiful location for a fall conference. While I was there the weather was perfect….blue skies, upper 70’s. The Hilton Resort Sedona at Bell Rock is a beautiful and well kept resort. The Hilton staff were very helpful and accommodating. The meeting rooms were comfortable and spacious. Encore Symposiums provided a delicious breakfast with many choices each morning. The night before the seminars started there was a stargazing welcome reception. It was wonderful to have time to socialize with other CRNAs and their spouses. Nancy and her staff at Encore provide a professional and well run Symposium!!! The the topics were applicable and informative. The speakers were very knowledgable, friendly, approachable, interactive and presented their topics clearly. The CPC review was a well thought out review. Yes, I knew the majority of the information presented, but it never hurts to review the anesthesia information with the CPC examination happening in the next few years. I am looking forward to my next Encore Symposium Program!

Suggestions for improvement:

Person #1 none

Person #2 I don’t have any suggestions for the meeting itself because it was excellent. At a place like sedona I suggest offering a group hike or bike ride in the afternoon for those who are interested.

Value for the money:

Person #1 excellent

Person #2 excellent

Encore Cliff House Resort, Maine

Meeting Date: September, 2019

Meeting location: Cliff House Resort, Cape Neddick, ME

Meeting sponsor: Encore Symposiums

Strengths of the meeting:

Person #1 Location is unsurpassed on beauty. Speakers were varied in style and were all able to hold my attention. They used research based evidence. I apprecate the thumb drive that contains the lectures and cited research studies. It also included the practice CPC questions for the pharmacology portion. It was a relaxed environment with a full breakfast every morning.

Person #2 I really enjoyed the entire conference! I have not attended a conference that had such a nice “Meet and Greet” before the week began. Crabcake and duck sliders?! Yum! But, the sole purpose for going was to attend a conference and get up to date information. Which, I did! I will say that 90% of the lectures were very informative, current, and thought provoking. The 10% would really only be related to hearing about the anesthetic implications of an E.X.I.T. procedure, which I hope to never do. It was interesting, but, it didn’t update me on current topics that are relevant to my practice. There were many lectures that truly refreshed old knowledge – who thinks about the intricacies of the uptake and distribution of volatile anesthetics on a regular basis? The Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction lecture hit home as I’ve seen it personally. I literally texted my co-workers at our rural hospital every day of the conference to plant seeds in their heads as to how we can improve our practice.

Suggestions for improvement:

Person #1 The 7am start was a bit early for me, I would prefer 8am. Without the bonus credit we would still be done by 1:15. The hotel and Ogunquit were extremely expensive so I wouldn’t attend there again unless I stayed in a neighboring town which would make the 7am start even more of an issue.

Person #2 Just change a couple of the lectures to more current topics – perhaps more opioid free anesthesia information? “Cocktails” to utilize as we trend even further away from opioids? Even more ERAS protocols?

Note from Encore: Thank you taking the time to share your positive comments and suggestions. Encore offers a flexible schedule for those who want to begin early and end early and the option to stay later to earn bonus credits. The 7:00 a.m. scheduled was requested from the majority of CRNAs who prefer an early start to earn more credits or exit early to enjoy the area.Response from Encore Symposiums:

*Note from editor: The schedule for this meeting and all Encore meetings are posted online and include the 7am start time in the morning. Likewise, the cost for accommodations is known prior to registering for the meeting.

Value for the money:

Person #1 Seven of ten only because of the cost of accommodations.

Person #2 I know people complained about the cost of lodging, however, it was worth it! I don’t go to conferences every year so saving my CE money from last year and using that to offset the cost of the lodging was a bonus! Pictures don’t do this place justice.

Testamonial submission from attendee:

Hi Nancy, Well, you did it again. This was my 6th Encore Symposium and every one has been at a great location. I do have to say that Maine was such a delight and has moved into first place for me. I loved the weather, scenery and the peaceful sounds of the ocean. What a perfect backdrop to hear spectacular speakers who had a wealth of knowledge and information. Love the balance of both Pediatric and Adult focused lectures. Looking forward to my next Encore experience. Thank you for what you do to make these meetings so enjoyable!!! – New England at the Cliff House 2019, Cape Neddick, ME

Encore Hilton Head 2019

Meeting Date: May 2019

Meeting location: Hilton Head, SC

Meeting sponsor: Encore Symposiums

Strengths of the meeting: Great speakers, timely topics and an attentive group of participants. As always, Encore picks the best hotels and provides the best breakfast of any meeting that I have attended.

Suggestions for improvement: None

Value for the money: Excellent

Naples Florida 2019

Meeting Date: March 2019

Meeting location: Naples, FL

Meeting sponsor: Encore Symposiums

Strengths of the meeting:

Reviewed by JL: So much useful information. Great topics to update and refresh us. All of the speakers were really good! Definitely will be doing another conference with Encore!

Suggestions for improvement:

None, great location and great speakers.

Value for the money:

Great price for the credits!

Encore Symposiums: Bar Harbor 2018

Meeting Date: 2018

Meeting location: Bar Harbor, ME

Meeting sponsor: Encore Symposiums

Strengths of the meeting:

(reviewed by SP) The speakers were terrific. They were very engaging with their lectures and I learned a lot. The topics were very thought provoking even for CRNA’s who have been in the profession for over 20 years. The schedule was great as it allowed for so much time to explore the area which was magnificent. It was wonderful in so many ways and I will definitely attend future meetings with Encore!

(reviewed by AK) Since the meeting started at 7 am each morning it was much appreciated to have a full breakfast included.
Carrie Frederick’s lectures were by far the highlight of this conference. She is a fantastic speaker and it is clear that she is providing researches, up to date information.

Suggestions for improvement:

Sal Ciresi, is an experienced, nice guy and would be even more effective with fewer personal stories.

Value for the money:

(reviewed by SP)Great value! The meeting even included a welcome reception with outstanding food and a full breakfast each morning. I can’t say enough great things about this conference.

(reviewed by AK) Good overall value, I’ve attended several encore meetings, would like to see more new lectures added into
The mix.

Encore, Charleston 2018

Meeting review by TD and LH

Meeting Date: 2018

Meeting location: Charleston, SC

Meeting sponsor: Encore Symposiums

Strengths of the meeting:

From TD: The speakers were awesome and the variety of topics kept the meeting interesting. Each topic had several ideas that I can take home and incorporate into my practice.

I especially appreciated the efforts that some of the speakers made to involve the audience and make things interactive.

The hotel was on the quiet side of the bay and the water taxi to town was fun. It was nice looking out the window of the meeting room and seeing an aircraft carrier.

As always, Encore puts on the best breakfast of any meeting that I attend. Thanks Nancy and the rest of the team for a positive experience.

From LH: Great lecture. Presented in an interesting and informative way. I learned a lot and and I have changed my practice based on the information provided!

Value for the money: Great value for the money. Excellent speakers, great location and an amazing breakfast every day. Wonderful hotel beautiful amenities and a great town.

Encore, Hilton Head

Meeting review by Christina

Meeting Date: 2018

Meeting location: Hilton Head

Meeting sponsor: Encore Symposiums

Strengths of the meeting:

I am writing to thank you for putting together a great conference. All four lecturers were fantastic with such relevant and fascinating topics.

In particular I really enjoyed Mark Welliver and Matthew Zinder. Mark is a fantastic teacher, and I felt like I really refreshed my pharmacology and got a lot of my next-level questions answered.

Matt very generously discussed very difficult topics. It was clear that the issues he spoke with are very personal and important to him, and I could tell that he really hoped that his lectures might help someone either currently or someday. That meant a lot!

I would really like to extend a thank you to both of them in particular.

Value for the money: Great value for the money. Excellent speakers, great location and an amazing breakfast every day.

Wisconsin Assn Nurse Anesthetists Spring 2018

Meeting review by TJ

Meeting Date: 3/16-18/2018

Meeting location: Wilderness Lodge, The Dells, WI

Meeting sponsor: WIANA

Strengths of the meeting: This was a fun spring break getaway in a great location. The speakers had timely topics and a lot of information. The meeting had a breakout session for leadership and also for SRNAs. Between the water park and the speakers, it was a memorable weekend.

Value for the money: Great value for the money and a good way for my family to join me at a meeting.

Encore Symposium, Naples FL

Meeting review by HH

Meeting Date: 3/5-5/2018

Meeting location: Naples FL

*Note: This is the comprehensive meeting that followed the CPC review.

Meeting sponsor: Encore Symposiums

Strengths of the meeting: Nancy, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for another great conference. When choosing my annual meeting to attend, I always look to Encore first. I have enjoyed each one I’ve attended & been very impressed with the topics as well as presenters. They are always current & interesting. Your recent meeting in Naples was spectacular. Not only was the setting beautiful, but the delicious breakfast was something to look forward to each morning. I enjoyed the conference & will definitely look to Encore again next year.

Value for the money: Great value for the money. Excellent speakers, great location and an amazing breakfast every day.

Encore CPC Review, Naples FL

Meeting review by BA

Meeting Date: 3/3-4/2018

Meeting location: Naples FL

Meeting sponsor: Encore Symposiums

Strengths of the meeting: Nancy, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for providing a wonderful CPC Review this past weekend. The facility was beautiful, and your instructors were spot-on with the type of information needed to pass the CPC practice exam on the first attempt. That quality of review will do a lot to relieve some of the anxiety associated with this test.

Value for the money: Great value for the money and a good preparation for the CPC

Encore Symposiums Cape Cod 2017

Meeting review by TD

Meeting Date: 10/9-12/2017

Meeting location: Chatham Bar Inn, Cape Cod

Meeting sponsor: Encore Symposiums

Strengths of the meeting: Great location with topics relevant to current practice and dynamic speakers to bring them to life. This particular meeting attracted a fully engaged audience of CRNAs eager to learn and participate. Overall, a great experience.

Value for the money: Nancy puts her heart into finding the best locations and then putting together a program that causes attendees too want to attend every session. If you are combining vacation with education, you can’t do much better than this.

West Virginia ANA 2017

Meeting review by TC & TD

Meeting Date: 3/31/2017

Meeting Location:

Oglebay Resort, Wheeling, West Virginia

Meeting sponsor: West Virginia Association of Nurse Anesthetists

Strengths of the meeting: Great mountain location with beautiful scenery, walking trails and abundant tame deer. Awesome speakers, great topics and lots of fun. With a reception the first night and a theme party the second, both providing dinner, this meeting offers the complete package.

Value for the money: 20 CEUs on a 3 day get away weekend with breakfast, lunch and dinner provided plus a reception. The West Virginia Association knows how to do it right! This is definitely on my list for next year.

Alaska Association of Nurse Anesthetists

Meeting review by TD

Meeting Date: 3/24/2017

Meeting Location:

Alyeska Resort, Alaska

Meeting sponsor: Alaska Association of Nurse Anesthetists

Strengths of the meeting:

Kudos to the Alaska Association for putting together a great agenda in a stunning location. Excellent weather and spring skiing at it’s best added to the enjoyment of the meeting. The stunning Alaska scenery was exceeded only by the hospitality of the association members.

Value for the money: This is a hidden jewel among State meetings. If Alaska is on your bucket list, this is a must meeting for you.

Meeting Review: Encore Symposiums, Palm Springs

Meeting review by JD and LB

Meeting Date: 2/22/2017

Meeting Location: Palm Springs, CA

Meeting sponsor: Encore Symposiums

Strengths of the meeting:

JD: I thoroughly enjoyed the meeting as well as the speakers. The topics were especially relevant to me and were presented by energetic speakers. The location was exceptional and I enjoyed the resort atmosphere.

Thanks for another great conference. I’ll be back next year!

LB: Encore always does a great job. The speakers are always interesting with topics that are current and relevant. Most , if not all , of this meeting’s content applied to my current position. I also gained useful tips for a family member with chronic pain.
The locations for all of Encore’s meetings are very nice. My family enjoys coming along to each place. Nancy also does a very nice job with the first night meet and greet. Families are always included and it is really nice especially after traveling all day.
An Encore rep is available at each meeting for questions or clarifications.

Value for the money: LB: All conferences have gone up in price but the facilities are always top notch, the food delicious and the clinical info always good. The resorts are also good for the families that must hang out while the CRNA is busy. So, yes, I think it is good value for the money.

Maryland Association Fall meeting 2016

Reviewed by: Compilation of several CRNA reviews

Meeting Date: 10/8-9/2016

Meeting location: Baltimore MD, Baltimore Hilton Hotel, Downtown

Meeting presented by: MANA

Meeting strengths / interesting topics & speakers: This meeting had an exceptional lineup of speakers and many interesting topics. Lorraine Jordan provided an excellent update and other Nationally recognized speakers added to the quality of the meeting. On Sunday, the ultrasound topic was a valuable presentation. Several reviewers gave positive comments on the interactive format for the safety talk. Overall, attendees were impressed by the quality of the speakers.

Suggested improvements: Although the Hotel provided excellent service in a very nice space, some attendees stated that they would prefer NOT to be downtown with the challenges of parking and traffic.

Overall value for the money: Excellent value. Great content and a nice meeting space.

NWAS Arlington VA

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Reviewed by: MD, West Virginia

Meeting Date: 06/23-26/2016

Meeting location: Arlington Virginia, Westin Arlington Gateway Hotel

Meeting presented by: NWAS

Meeting strengths / interesting topics & speakers: This meeting lived up to the high standard set by NWAS. The variety of speakers (both CRNA and MD) as well as the broad spectrum of topics held my interest for the entire 4 days. This meeting offered more credits than most meetings and was done around noon every day.

I found both the hotel and the DC area to be friendly. I had my family with me and there was no shortage of things to see and do. My teen aged kids especially enjoyed the Smithsonian museums. Getting around town was easy. If we return to DC we will rent bikes and enjoy the bike path to Mt Vernon along the river.

All in all, it was a good meeting and a great location.

Suggested improvements: None

Overall value for the money: Excellent value. Great location.

Meeting Review: Med City Anesthesia Seminars

Meeting review by RF

Meeting Date: 4/14/2013

Meeting Location: San Diego

Meeting sponsor: Med City Anesthesia Seminars

Strengths of the meeting: I just attended Med City’s first anesthesia conference in beautiful San Diego. What a great time in such a wonderful destination. The all CRNA speakers were dynamic, interesting, humorous and held interesting discussions thru use of innovative technology. One of my favorite lectures was on social media and professionalism. How applicable to our personal and professional lives! There was a networking reception, along with some fun door prize drawings. I also enjoyed having the audience be all SRNAs and CRNAs. The Hard Rock Hotel was luxurious, with an abundance of offerings within a short walk or drives time. Med City Seminars definitely put on an awesome conference. So excited for future offerings!! The owners are very accommodating and extremely pleasant to work with. Looking forward to joining you in Seatle!!

Meeting Review: NAFA, Hilton Head Island, SC

Reviewed by: PC, Texas

Meeting Date: 05/29/2013

Meeting location: Hilton Head Island, SC

Meeting presented by: NAFA

Meeting strengths / interesting topics & speakers: This meeting had relevant and dynamic speakers. None of these speakers spoke down to us or seemed more interested in hearing their own own presentation versus actually imparting usable information. Additionally, several speakers used video simulation to illustrate case concepts. The regional lecture included live demo with video simulcast along side of the sonography. It was an excellent teaching and demonstration adjunct. Even mundane topics that, on paper, seemed like basic review (ECG recognition and management), were made interesting by the delivery and case demonstrations (video VS simulation with input from real cases).

Suggested improvements: Add another day, I really enjoyed it.

Overall value for the money: Excellent value. Great location.

Meeting Review: Pennsylvania ANA State Meeting

Meeting Date: 05/03/2013

Meeting location: Hershey PA

Meeting presented by: PANA

Meeting strengths / interesting topics & speakers:

This meeting was an exceptional offering and probably one of the best State meetings in the country. The meeting was held at the Hershey Hotel in Hershey PA. (the sweetest city in America). The hotel was historic located on a hillside and having great gardens. The Pennsylvania Assn of Nurse Anesthetist selected top notch CRNA speakers and also had concurrent sessions with ACLS, PALS and an Ultrasound workshop. Offering 20 CEUs during a weekend State meeting exceeds expectations.

Suggested improvements:

None. You guys have it together

Overall value for the money:

Exceptional value. This was as good or better than most of the commercial meetings. If the word gets out, this could rival the AANA National meeting as the premier meeting of the year.

Meeting Review: AANA Mid Year Assembly

Meeting reviewed by HP, CRNA, Texas

Meeting Date: 04/14/2013

Meeting location: Arlington, VA / Washington, D.C.

Meeting presented by: AANA

Meeting strengths / interesting topics & speakers:

Every year in April, AANA have their annual Mid-Year Assembly (MYA) in Washington D.C. I’ve had the privilege of attending MYA last year as a student and made a promise to myself and our profession that I will continue to be there every year! Experiencing the Capitol visits first-hand and seeing those in action to protect our profession — I believe whole-heartedly this is the most important AANA meeting! So what did we do??? For the “first-timers” at the nation’s Capitol, Sunday – Tuesday are full of featured speakers on prepping you on how to speak to legislators, what to expect at the Capitol, issues our profession is facing, and many more. Also, you break out to your region and speak specifically on your issues within the region. Capitol visits are scheduled on Tuesday and Wednesday. In the great state of Texas, we have 38 legislators. Out of the 38, we had 29 appointments (ladies, make sure you bring an extra pair of comfy shoes because there is a lot of walking in those stylish high heels otherwise!). The appointments were coordinated via our FDP – Jessica Appel. Most of the time you meet with the Congressman(woman) health liaison aid for about 15 minutes. You talk to them about the current issues pertaining to our profession — nondiscrimination language, SRNA education funds, etc. AANA have prepared folders to leave with them so they can review the individual topics discussed. Feel free to contact me at hpham827@hotmail.com for more information!

Overall value for the money:

Pros: 1. protecting our profession; 2. networking; 3. Cherry Blossom Festival; 4. Literally endless monuments and museums to go to; 5. Great place to bring your family

Cons: Very easy to get lost – I would suggest you hooking-up with someone who has been there before to “learn” the subway system.

Meeting Review: Difficult Airway, Las Vegas

Reviewed by DP, Texas

Meeting Date: 04/01/2013

Meeting location: Las Vegas

Meeting presented by: Difficult Airway

Meeting strengths / interesting topics & speakers

This was a three day conference concentrating on the difficult airway. There was a total of approx 3 hours of lecture and the rest was hands on with some case studies. Overall, very informative review of how to handle difficult airway. Really enjoyed the different case studies. Got lots of practice driving the scope with AFOI and pediatric airway. The days were long however and this is not the kind of conference where one can come and go as you please. This was also a meeting with MDA’s, CRNA’s, AA’s, ER docs.
This meeting was at Planet Hollywood resort and casino. The facilities were nice but the casino itself has a very young party vibe which didn’t fit my personal style. Overall though, very good. Good simulation and presentation of different ways to approach the difficult airway.

Suggested improvements: The boxed lunch on the first day was awful. The breakfast was decent. The days were long- not a lot of time for fun after the long days if you wanted to be back early for the next day.

Overall value for the money: We got a total of 21 hrs for about $850. That’s pretty on par for cost of other conferences. I think the value was good though because they did provide simulation and scopes, surgical airways, etc.

Meeting Review: Frank Moya, Orlando

Reviewed by MB, Texas

The conference provided a sound foundation of anesthetic knowledge related to obstetric anesthesia. It served both as a review of principles and a presentation of new ideas. The faculty was well versed and knowledgeable.

Suggestions for Improvement: None

Overall value for the money: Great value for the money.

Meeting Review: NAFA Disney World

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Meeting Date: 11/25/2012

Meeting location: Disney World

Meeting presented by: NAFA

Meeting strengths / interesting topics & speakers:

Overall, the meeting was very good. It was a great value for the money. The location was fantastic as well as the time of year as WDW wasn’t too busy right after Thanksgiving. The meeting facilities were nice and the breakfast was hot. Most of the topics were taught by CRNA’s and had a great diversity to include- politics, pedi, OB, etc. They also started earlier in the morning to allow extra CE’s and went till 1 pm to allow time for family.

Suggested improvements: None.

Overall value for the money:

They had two early bird sessions for an extra 2 CEU and also it is affiliated with students so they allowed students to put up their posters and we can get an extra CE for commenting on posters. Overall- 23 CE’s for $550. By far the best value as far as CE for money. Plus the meeting rate for the resort was about a 1/3 of what somebody would have to pay regularly. The resort was very nice.

Reviewed by David P, (Texas)

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