2026 Summit Session Descriptions
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This opening session will introduce the structure of the conference, the identity and mission of the Florida Asthma Coalition, and the evolution of asthma therapeutics across the lifespan. Framed through the lens of caring for both the patient and the family, the session will provide a broad yet meaningful scientific arc that sets the stage for the more detailed pediatric and adult diagnostic and management lectures that follow.
The discussion will highlight the coalition’s collective work, the scientific breakthroughs that have reshaped contemporary asthma care, and the ongoing need to identify unmet needs and persistent gaps. Together, these elements underscore our shared commitment to helping patients and families breathe easier.
Presented by: Katiana Garagozlo, MD, FAAP, ATSF
The session will provide an overview of the latest updates from the GINA guidelines, focusing on pediatric asthma care. The primary goal is to bridge the gap between existing guidelines and clinical practice by addressing several critical issues, including misclassification of asthma severity and insufficient treatment adjustments, overreliance on short-acting beta-agonists, and inadequate management of environmental triggers.
Additionally, the session will emphasize the importance of referring patients with severe asthma to a pulmonologist, which can enhance the use of biologic therapies.
Presented by: Juan Carlos Cardet, MD, MPH
This session will offer an overview of the most recent research on asthma, focusing on its epidemiology, risk factors, particularly affected populations, mechanistic insights, biomarkers, treatments, practical interventions, and relevant policies.
The session aims to help participants identify more efficient diagnostic and treatment methods for adult asthma.
Presented by: JoJo O’Neal
This session will shed light on what asthma looks like through a patient’s eyes and offer suggestions for providing effective, caring treatment.
Moderated by: Angela Garcia, PharmD, MPH, CPh | Panelists: Kayla Stasik, RRT, AE-C; Kellie Robertson, BS, RRT-NPS; and Julie Tremblay, PharmD, BCPPS
This panel will discuss three areas where transitions occur for patients with asthma: their own life cycle with the disease, across providers from pediatrics to adults, and through various health system access points, including primary care, community pharmacy, school health, specialists, and institutional care, including urgent care, emergency departments, and hospitals (and those respective care teams). Different speakers will share their experiences and best practices to help the audience identify where they can improve their care and collaborations, empowering patients with asthma to optimize management and outcomes while reducing risks and barriers that increase the burden of the disease.
Presented by: Brian Stiles, BS, RRT
This session will explore how growing up with asthma shaped Brian’s path into respiratory therapy, highlighting the connection between personal experience and professional purpose.
Presented by: Nissa M. Shaffi, BS
This session will deconstruct the evolving federal policy landscape and its multifaceted impact on Floridians. We will navigate the complexities of Medicare Drug Price Negotiations, Pharmacy Benefit Manager oversight, and changes to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage, while examining how emerging utilization management proposals on Capitol Hill are reshaping patient access and affordability.