USA Health OB/GYN Conference Set for Nov. 12–13 at Golden Nugget in Biloxi

MOBILE, Ala. — Women’s health care providers from across the Gulf Coast will be invited to Biloxi next month when the USA Health Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology holds its 2026 OB/GYN conference, a two-day continuing education program scheduled for Nov. 12–13 at the Golden Nugget Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.

The event is built around practical, everyday questions that clinicians face in caring for women, from pregnancy loss and endometriosis surgery to the use of newer weight-management medications during menopause. Organizers say the program is intended not only for physicians but for the full range of professionals who make up a modern care team.

Who the conference is for

According to USA Health, the conference is aimed at a broad audience. The intended attendees include:

• Obstetricians and gynecologists
• Family medicine physicians
• Nurse practitioners and physician assistants
• Certified nurse-midwives
• Nursing professionals
• Social workers
• Other members of the health care team who care for women

That interdisciplinary approach reflects the way women’s health care is delivered in many communities, where a patient may see a family physician, a nurse-midwife, a specialist and a social worker over the course of a pregnancy or a long-term gynecologic condition. Bringing those professionals into the same room is meant to encourage shared learning across disciplines.

A wide-ranging slate of topics

The program covers a wide spread of clinical and practice-management subjects. Among the topics organizers have announced:

• Recurrent pregnancy loss
• Excision of endometriosis
• Adolescent gynecology
• HIV prevention
• Changes in medical coding
• Use of GLP-1 medications in menopause
• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in breast cancer survivors and in women at high risk
• Culinary medicine
• Domestic violence

Organizers noted that additional subjects will also be addressed.

Several of these topics touch on areas where clinical practice has been shifting. As general background, GLP-1 receptor agonists are a class of medications originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes that have become widely used for weight management in recent years, and their role in caring for women going through menopause is a subject of growing interest among clinicians. Endometriosis, a condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, can cause significant pain and fertility problems, and surgical excision is one approach used to treat it. Culinary medicine is an emerging field that combines nutrition science with practical cooking and food guidance to help patients manage health conditions through diet.

The inclusion of sessions on coding changes and domestic violence reflects the reality that providers must keep up not only with clinical advances but with administrative requirements and the social circumstances that affect patients’ health and safety.

Department chair stresses value of ongoing learning

Dr. Mary “Mimi” Munn, who chairs the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at USA Health, said the field’s rapid pace of change makes ongoing education a necessity.

“Continuing education is essential to providing the highest quality of care for our patients, particularly in a field as rapidly evolving as obstetrics and gynecology,” Munn said. “This symposium brings together experts to address issues providers encounter in everyday practice. It’s an opportunity to learn practical, evidence-based approaches, share experiences with colleagues, and take that knowledge back to their patients and practices.”

Speakers from USA Health and beyond

Presenters will be drawn from academic medicine, clinical practice and a number of specialties within USA Health, the academic health system of the University of South Alabama. The program also features guest speakers from other institutions in Alabama, Mississippi and Texas. The announced speakers include:

• Anitra Beasley, M.D., MPH, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine and board chair of the Society of Family Planning
• Catherine “Casey” Brock, OTD, OTR/L, CLCP, CLT, BCB-PMD, an occupational therapist with USA Health
• Robert A. DeSantis, M.D., FACOG, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Ellisville, Mississippi
• Robert Israel, M.D., FACP, an internal medicine physician with USA Health
• William Kilgo, M.D., a neurologist with USA Health
• Paul H. Moore III, M.D., FPMRS, a urogynecologist with Urology Associates in Mobile
• Mildred Ridgway, M.D., a gynecologic oncologist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson
• Emily Spurlin, M.D., an obstetrician and gynecologist with Alabama Fertility in Birmingham
• Shannon Kelley Tyler, M.D., an infectious diseases specialist with USA Health

The mix of specialties on the roster — internal medicine, neurology, infectious diseases, occupational therapy, urogynecology, gynecologic oncology and fertility care — mirrors the range of subjects on the agenda and underscores how many corners of medicine intersect with women’s health.

Continuing education credits available

Attendees can earn up to 12 interprofessional continuing education credits, according to USA Health. Physicians may claim up to 12 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits, while nurses may earn up to 12 nursing continuing professional development contact hours. Organizers said the program as a whole is valid for 12 continuing education credits.

As background, most physicians, nurses and other licensed clinicians are required by their licensing boards or certifying bodies to complete a set amount of continuing education on a regular cycle in order to maintain their credentials. AMA PRA Category 1 Credit is a widely recognized designation for accredited continuing medical education activities for physicians. Interprofessional credit means a single activity has been planned so that members of different professions can learn together and each claim credit toward their own requirements.

Hotel rooms and reservation deadline

A block of rooms has been set aside at the Golden Nugget at a discounted rate for people attending the conference. Those reserving by phone should use group code S260386, organizers said, while the code is not needed when booking online.

The deadline to reserve a room in the block is Oct. 19, or earlier if the block sells out, according to organizers. With that date less than two weeks away, providers planning to attend may want to secure lodging soon.

About USA Health

USA Health is the academic health system of the University of South Alabama in Mobile. Its Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology provides clinical care for women in the region and trains future physicians through the university’s Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine. Hosting a regional educational conference is one way academic medical centers share expertise with practicing clinicians in surrounding communities, including those in smaller towns and rural areas who may have fewer opportunities to attend national meetings.

Biloxi, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, sits roughly an hour’s drive west of Mobile along Interstate 10, placing the conference within easy reach of providers from coastal Alabama, south Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle.