Big Ideas for a Brighter Future

Call for Papers-Virtual Conference

The Hospital Educator and Academic Liaison Association
Virtual Conference
February 24-26, 2021

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Hospital Educator and Academic Liaison (HEAL) Association’s annual national conference will be offered as a Virtual Conference to address the educational needs of pediatric patients. Content will include the presentations originally planned for the in-person conference in Dallas.  Additionally, we are soliciting presentations that reflect the relevant issues in our ever-changing world.  HEAL invites the submission of presentation proposals addressing the following topics.

  • * COVID-19 
  • * Diversity and Inclusion

Specifically, we are interested in your expertise and experience as these topics impact our work and our students/patients.  This can also include programming, self-care/professional support, teaching/classroom strategies, and long-term implications for students/patients with medical and mental health conditions.

Objectives include:

  • Promoting collaboration among professionals serving students with medical and mental health needs
  • Developing advocacy skills, knowledge and methods for intervention with students who manage medical and mental conditions

General Guidelines

Abstracts must reflect issues relevant to the educational issues and needs of children with medical and mental health conditions. An emphasis on practical application and implementation is appreciated by our attendees, as indicated in past conference feedback.  One presenter from each proposal should be designated as the primary contact person who will be responsible for all correspondence pertaining to abstract submission.  Email will be the preferred method of communication. Please submit abstract via online submission form. Submissions via fax or email will not be considered.

Information presented should be relevant to attendees from institutions of varying sizes (e.g., large pediatric centers to one-person programs to community settings).  Presenters shall not sell or promote any particular product at any time during the presentation.

** Abstracts submissions will be accepted via the online submission process until December 11, 2020.**

Presentation Format

Abstracts must be presented in one of the following presentation formats:

 *   New! Roundtable Discussion:  A 60-minute roundtable discussion led by a presenter, who provides a brief (15 minute) overview of the topic, and then engages participants in a structured, interactive discussion to explore the topic in-depth.

 *  Lecture:  45-60 minute pre-recorded presentation.

Target Audience:

Consideration should be given to the needs of different professionals within our organization including, but not limited to:

 *  Classroom teachers

 *  Educational leadership

 *  Educational liaisons

 *  Hospital administration

 *  Hospital/homebound teachers

 *  Nurses/physicians

 *  Psychologists/neuropsychologists

 *  School intervention/re-entry coordinators

 *  Social Workers

 

Review Process

The Summit Call for Papers is designed to elicit information necessary to review content and organization of proposed presentations.  Submitters will receive confirmation of receipt via email.  Members of the Conference Committee review the submissions and make recommendations on selections. Each abstract is rated according to:

  • Quality of Content – Evaluation of purpose and objectives; relevance to addressing the educational needs of children with chronic medical conditions; creative use of skills; integrated analysis of data and strength of authors’ background to present topic.
  • Quality of Abstract Organization – Evaluation of how clear and well thought out the information in the abstract is presented; in conformity with standard grammatical rules; and how well it adheres to the abstract format described above.

HEAL uses a blind review process.  Authors and institutions must NOT be identified in the title, objectives, summary, and abstract. The use of institution letterhead is not permitted.  Please use “this author”, “this program”, etc. to avoid naming yourself or your program in your submission. Abstracts should be written in the third person and must not be an attempt to promote or sell any service or product. Please adhere to APA (American Psychological Association) guidelines for in-text citations and reference lists.

The lead presenter/speaker will be notified in writing via email of the Summit Committee’s recommendation or declination of each abstract submission by December 18, 2020. Individuals from accepted abstracts will sign a contractual agreement with HEAL that indicates each individual’s commitment to attend and share the content of the session as accepted by the Committee. In order to create a balanced overall conference program, the Committee may request changes to accepted abstracts; the contractual agreement would indicate any such changes.

Submission Criteria

Submit your abstract by completing the online abstract submission form. You will be asked to include:

 

  • Title: A direct yet descriptive title that is a clear reflection of the topic.
  • Summary: This should be 75 words or less describing the content of your presentation. If accepted, this summary may appear in conference publications to describe the session.
  • Learning Objectives: State 3-4 objectives would you like attendees to know at the conclusion of your presentation. Each objective should include a measurable outcome and begin with an action verb. Please indicate an approximate outline/timeframe for how each objective will be addressed. For example:
  1. Learning Objective: Attendees will be able to . . .
    1. Approx. minutes
    2. Teaching method (lecture, workshop, panel, etc.)
    3. Credentials/Certification of Speaker
    4. Content description in bullet points
  2. Learning Objective: Attendees will be able to . . .
    1. Approx. minutes
    2. Teaching method (lecture, workshop, panel, etc.)
    3. Credentials/Certification of Speaker
    4. Content description in bullet points
  3. Learning Objective: Attendees will be able to . . .
    1. Approx. minutes
    2. Teaching method (lecture, workshop, panel, etc.)
    3. Credentials/Certification of Speaker
    4. Content description in bullet points
  4. Learning Objective: Attendees will be able to . . .
    1. Approx. minutes
    2. Teaching method (lecture, workshop, panel, etc.)
    3. Credentials/Certification of Speaker
    4. Content description in bullet points
  • Abstract:  Your abstract submission should be between 200-500 words (excluding learning objectives and reference list). Please complete each subsection separately, but it should be written so it creates a complete and logical account of your presentation. Subsections include:
    • Introduction: Describe explanation of why your research, project/program, or the introduction of a new theory/approach was initiated.
    • Description: Include details of research methods and design, project/program, or how a new theory or approach was introduced within your practice.
    • Outcome: Explain results of your project, research study, program, or the contribution of the new theory/approach to your practice in the field.
    • Relevance to the field: Describe by this presentation is important to those who work for the educational needs of students with medical and mental conditions.
  • References (if appropriate): All citations (in-text and reference list) should be in APA format.
  • Presentation Format: (see descriptions above)
      • Roundtable Discussion
      • Lecture
  • Presenter Biographical Information (this will not be shared during the review process). For each presenter, please include:
    • Full name
    • Credentials
    • Position Title/Organization Affiliation
    • Mailing Address
    • Telephone
    • Email
    • Professional Presentation Experience:
      • Previous AECMN/APHOES presenter
      • First time presenter
      • Previous presenter at other conferences (Please list).
    • Presentation role
      • I am a speaker/poster presenter who will attend the conference
      • I am an author/contributor and will not attend the conference
  • Designation of Primary Contact Person:  All communication regarding abstract submission and review will be sent to the primary contact. Again, this will not be provided during the review process.
Contact us at info@healassociation.org with any questions.
Thank you for considering to present at the Hospital Educator and Academic Liaison National Conference.
Submissions must be received no later than December 11, 2020.