Maui Derm NP+PA Fall 2026: Key Clinical Takeaways From 4 Days of Dermatology Education

Maui Derm NP+PA Fall 2026 brought dermatology nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) together at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, from September 16 to 19 for 4 days of clinical education, interactive cases, and practical discussions spanning the breadth of dermatologic care.

From new drugs and noteworthy literature to inflammatory disease, cutaneous oncology, pediatric dermatology, rare diseases, and dermoscopy, the program emphasized both what is changing in dermatology and how clinicians can apply evolving evidence to patient care.

Interactive sessions were woven throughout the meeting, frequently asking attendees to work through challenging clinical scenarios and select diagnoses or therapies before faculty explained their own approaches.

Emerging Evidence and New Therapies Set the Stage

The meeting opened with a look back at some of the most noteworthy dermatology literature published in 2026. Ted Rosen, MD; Vikash Oza, MD; Matthew Zirwas, MD; and Douglas DiRuggiero, DMSc, MSPAS, PA-C, reviewed recent articles across a range of journals before Rosen and George Martin, MD, shifted the conversation toward new products and therapies clinicians may encounter in 2026 and beyond.

The emphasis on emerging therapies continued throughout the meeting as faculty discussed new drugs, data, and treatment strategies across inflammatory and immune-mediated conditions.

One particularly timely discussion examined glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and their potential role in psoriasis. The interactive session explored agents such as semaglutide and liraglutide in the context of obesity-related inflammation, metabolic health, and psoriasis management.

Cutaneous Oncology Challenges Attendees From Diagnosis Through Treatment

Skin cancer was another major focus, beginning with a 2-part interactive cutaneous oncology update.

Faculty including Rosen, Martin, Jennifer Lee, MD, and John Strasswimmer, MD, PhD, presented cases spanning actinic keratoses through advanced nonmelanoma skin cancer. Attendees selected therapies using the meeting's survey app before faculty discussed their reasoning and approaches to diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas.

The meeting returned to pigmented lesions on its final day with an extended interactive clinic featuring cases across the spectrum from congenital nevi to metastatic melanoma. Faculty challenged attendees to weigh in on diagnoses and therapeutic decisions before discussing their clinical reasoning.

The program concluded with a 2-part dermoscopy workshop led by “Vinny” Seiverling, MD. The workshop emphasized interpretation of dermoscopic features, algorithms and pattern analysis for skin cancer detection, and applications of dermoscopy beyond malignancy, including infections, rashes, and hair loss.

Inflammatory Disease Remains at the Center of Dermatology Care

Inflammatory and immune-mediated skin diseases occupied a substantial portion of the program.

An inflammation and immunology workshop brought together Alisa Charrow, MD; Jerry Hawkes, MD; and Alisa Femia, MD, for discussion of connective tissue disorders, hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), and other conditions. Faculty reviewed new drugs, emerging data, and treatment approaches before working through challenging clinical scenarios, including HS in the setting of obesity.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) and itch received a dedicated interactive update featuring Oza, Hawkes, G. Michael Lewitt, MD, and Gil Yosipovitch, MD, PhD. The session paired discussion of new drugs, data, and treatment approaches with challenging patient cases.

Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) received an extended 2-hour update examining developments in the treatment landscape over the past year. Faculty then applied those updates to cases complicated by pregnancy, solid tumors, obesity and metabolic syndrome, tuberculosis, and other considerations that can influence treatment selection.

Together, the sessions reflected a recurring theme across the meeting: treatment selection increasingly requires clinicians to consider not only skin disease severity but comorbidities, patient characteristics, and broader health considerations.

Difficult Dermatitis Cases Put Diagnostic Skills to Work

Maui Derm also emphasized conditions that can challenge clinicians before treatment even begins.

During “Eczematous & Contact Dermatitis: ‘Cases That Will Leave You Scratching Your Head,’” Zirwas; William Liszewski, MD; and Kachiu Lee Mudd, DMSc, MSPAS, PA-C, presented difficult eczematous conditions and guided attendees through their diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Participants selected therapies through an audience-response system before faculty explained their reasoning.

Diagnostic reasoning continued during a 2-part Grand Rounds program featuring cases that had challenged faculty in establishing diagnoses and selecting treatment. According to the program, the cases required extensive differential diagnoses and, in some instances, diagnostic workups and consideration of a broad therapeutic armamentarium.

An “Outside the Box” session further addressed uncommon dermatoses for which diagnosis and treatment may be difficult and controlled therapeutic trials or approved treatments may be limited.

Acne, Rosacea, and Pediatric Dermatology Bring Everyday Practice Into Focus

The meeting balanced complex and uncommon disease with updates on conditions clinicians routinely encounter.

Pediatric dermatology faculty reviewed current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches across clinical scenarios involving neonates and children.

Hilary Baldwin, MD, and Julie Harper, MD, then led an interactive acne and rosacea update. After reviewing their latest approaches to treatment, faculty presented challenging cases and asked attendees to select therapies before discussing their clinical reasoning.

The meeting also incorporated infectious disease and nail disorders. Rosen and Oza addressed diagnostic and therapeutic approaches across viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and arthropod diseases, while Phoebe Rich, MD, discussed approaches to a range of nail conditions.

Rare Diseases and Pigmentation Round Out the Program

The final day placed additional emphasis on diagnostic challenges and less common conditions.

A blistering disease session presented cases designed to test both diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making, while “NIRDS,” or “Novel Insights for Rare Diseases,” focused on establishing diagnoses and navigating therapeutic considerations in select rare and complex dermatologic diseases.

Martin also led a session on disorders of pigmentation, including melasma and vitiligo, highlighting differential diagnoses and current management strategies.

These sessions reinforced the meeting's focus on building clinical confidence not only for common presentations, but also for diseases clinicians may encounter less frequently.

Practical Education Beyond Therapeutics

Not every discussion centered on selecting a drug.

During “Impractically Practical: Procedural Pearls,” David Oberlin, MD, provided high-yield strategies for clinicians already comfortable with core dermatologic surgery. The session focused on technical refinements and efficiency strategies intended to improve procedural technique and outcomes in everyday practice.

The meeting also incorporated repeated opportunities for attendees to test their knowledge, including interactive cases, audience-response questions, diagnostic photographs, and “Last Man Standing” trivia.

During Skin Lesions Potpourri, for example, attendees reviewed clinical photographs of difficult-to-diagnose lesions and voted on their diagnoses while a leaderboard tracked correct responses in real time.

Translating a Rapidly Changing Landscape Into Practice

Across 4 days, Maui Derm NP+PA Fall 2026 highlighted just how broad the knowledge base of today's dermatology APP has become.

New drugs and emerging evidence continue to expand therapeutic options, while increasingly complex treatment decisions require clinicians to account for comorbidities, diagnostic uncertainty, patient characteristics, and long-term disease management. At the same time, practical skills—from dermoscopy and procedural technique to recognizing uncommon disease—remain central to everyday care.

By pairing scientific updates with interactive cases and practical clinical pearls, Maui Derm NP+PA Fall 2026 gave attendees opportunities not only to hear what is changing across dermatology, but to work through how those changes may influence decisions in the clinic.

References

1. Maui Derm. (2026). Maui Derm NP+PA Fall 2026 program. Maui Derm.
2. Marani, A., Neri, E., Morea, E., Bertolla, D., Gualdi, G., Borghi, A., Conti, A., & Amerio, P. (2026). Effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists on psoriasis: An “agent-specific” systematic review of the literature. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 15(13), 5126. PubMed record
3. Elzawawi, K. E., Elmakaty, I., Habibullah, M., Ahmed, M. B., Al Lahham, S., Al Harami, S., Albasti, H., & Alsherawi, A. (2024). Hidradenitis suppurativa and its association with obesity, smoking, and diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Wound Journal, 21(9), e70035. PubMed record