2026 Kansas Association of Sleep Professionals Conference
The Kansas Association of Sleep Professionals (KASP) is a nonprofit organization established to bring together Kansas sleep professionals and forward our common interest in the field of Sleep Medicine.
Established in 2003, our mission is to promote and improve education standards of practice and communication between fellow sleep professionals and to be an advocate for our patients and professionals.
Program Overview:
This two-day conference provides healthcare professionals with current, evidence-based updates in sleep medicine. Expert faculty will discuss emerging research, clinical management strategies, and innovative treatments related to sleep disorders, including restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, shift work, sleep deprivation, PTSD, pediatric sleep testing, and the impact of medications, supplements, and THC on sleep. Through lectures, case studies, and panel discussions, participants will gain practical knowledge to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of patients with sleep-related conditions.
Date
October 2-3, 2026
Location
Marriott Kansas City Overland Park, 10800 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, KS 66210
Registration Costs
Registration Cost through September 21, 2026:
$190 for Day 1 only
$190 for Day 2 only
$265 for BOTH days
Registration September 22-September 28, 2026
$200 for Day 1 only
$200 for Day 2 only
$275 for BOTH days
Cancellation Policy:
Cancellations received at least 14 days prior to the event will be eligible for a refund of 50% of the registration fee. Refunds are calculated based on the amount paid at time of registration, regardless of pricing tier. Cancellations received fewer than 14 days prior to the event will not be eligible for a refund, and the full registration fee will be retained as a cancellation fee. Registration fees are not transferable to any other attendee or to future events. Registrants who do not attend the program and do not cancel their registration at least 14 days prior to the event will be considered no-shows and will not be eligible for a refund.
Target Audience
Physicians, Sleep Technologists, Advanced Practice Providers, Nurses, Respiratory Therapists, Psychologists, Pharmacists and other allied health care professionals.
Objectives:
- Evaluate current research, guidelines, and emerging trends in sleep medicine and apply evidence-based practices to patient care.
- Identify and compare diagnostic and treatment approaches for sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and sleep disturbances related to PTSD.
- Assess the impact of lifestyle factors, medications, supplements, and shift work on sleep health and develop strategies to improve patient outcomes.
- Discuss special populations and emerging therapies in sleep medicine, including pediatric sleep testing, hypoglossal nerve stimulation, myofunctional therapy, and the effects of THC on sleep.
Agenda for Friday, October 2, 2026
7-7:45 a.m.
Registration
7:45–8 a.m.
Welcome and Conference Preview
Jennifer Liebenthal, MD, FAASM, Clinical Associate Professor - University of Kansas Medical Center
8–9 a.m.
Restless Legs Syndrome: A Tale of Two Guidelines
Joseph Andrew Berkowski, MD, FAASM - ReLACS Health
9–10 a.m.
How to Navigate Sleep and Shift Work
Het Dharia, MBBS -Mercy Hospital, Joplin
10–10:15 a.m.
Break (Feel free to visit exhibitors)
10:15–11:15 a.m.
Current Research on Sleep Deprivation
Dr. Sara Wasserman, PhD, MA -Wellesley College
11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Myofunctional Therapy
Kelly Bradshaw, AAS, RDH, COM®, ACE, IAOM certified orofacial myologist- Kansas City Myo and Wellness
12:15–1:15 p.m.
Lunch (Feel free to visit exhibitors)
1:15–2 p.m.
Sleep Issues Related to Over-the-Counter Drugs and Supplements
Katie Henn, PharmD, BCACP, CSP - The University of Kansas Health System
2–3 p.m
Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulator Treatment Therapy
Christopher Larsen, MD, Division Director General Otolaryngology, University of Kansas Medical Center
3–3:15 p.m.
Break (Feel free to visit exhibitors)
3:15-4:15 p.m.
Updates on Weight Loss Drugs and Sleep Apnea
Atul Malhotra, MD - UC San Diego Health
4:15-5:00 p.m.
RLS Tales from a Direct Specialty Care Sleep Clinic
Joseph Andrew Berkowski, MD, FAASM - ReLACS Health
5:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks
Agenda for Saturday, October 3, 2026
7:15-7:45 a.m.
Registration
7:45-8 a.m
Welcome
Jennifer Liebenthal, MD, FAASM, Clinical Associate Professor - University of Kansas Medical Center
8–9 a.m.
PTSD and Sleep
Suzanne Stevens, MD - Kansas City VA Hospital
9–10 a.m.
Updates from the American Academy of Sleep
David Kuhlmann, MD, FAASM - Bothwell Regional Health Center
10–10:15 a.m.
Break (Feel free to visit exhibitors)
10:15–11:15 a.m.
Pediatric Home Sleep Tests
Shannon Sullivan, MD, Clinical Professor, Stanford Health Care
11:15–12:15 p.m.
Panel Discussion on THC and Sleep
John P. Greenwood, MD, AdventHealth Medical Group Pulmonology
Jennifer Liebenthal, MD, FAASM, Clinical Associate Professor - University of Kansas Medical Center
12:15 p.m.
Closing Remarks
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Speakers
Jennifer Liebenthal, MD, FAASM, Clinical Assistant Professor - University of Kansas Medical Center
Dr. Liebenthal is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She is the medical director of the Neurology Sleep Medicine clinic. Dr. Liebenthal completed medical school and an internal medicine internship at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, followed by a neurology residency and clinical neurophysiology fellowship at the University of Chicago. She subsequently completed a sleep medicine fellowship at Stanford University. Dr. Liebenthal specializes in the management of complex sleep disorders, and her clinical interests include a wide range of sleep disorders, including parasomnias such as REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, hypersomnia, restless legs syndrome, sleep disordered breathing, insomnia, and circadian rhythm disorders. She enjoys teaching residents, fellows, and medical students during their rotation in Sleep Medicine.
Katie Henn, PharmD, BCACP, CSP, The University of Kansas Health System
Joseph Andrew Berkowski, MD, FAASM - ReLACS Health
Andy Berkowski, MD, FAASM is a sleep neurologist and founder of ReLACS Health, a direct specialty care sleep medicine clinic dedicated to the treatment of complex sleep disorders including restless legs syndrome and insomnia through telemedicine. After completing his sleep medicine fellowship at Stanford, Dr. Berkowski was an academic sleep physician for over six years at Michigan Medicine and the Cleveland Clinic before founding ReLACS Health in the spring of 2022.
In addition to serving patients in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, and Ohio as part of his clinic work with ReLACS Health, he volunteers on the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board of the RLS Foundation and co-authored its 2026 Updated Algorithm for the Management of RLS. He also was the vice chair of the Clinical Practice Guidelines Task Force for the Treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) whose landmark guidelines were published in 2025. His academic and clinical interests include the use of buprenorphine for severe RLS and management of augmentation.
Shannon Sullivan, MD, Stanford University
Dr. Shannon Sullivan is a Clinical Professor at Stanford University in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary, Asthma and Sleep Medicine, and by courtesy, the Department of Psychiatry, Division of Sleep Medicine. She chaired the AASM’s Public Safety Committee, Vice-Chaired the COVID-19 Task Force, and recently completed her term as a member of the AASM Coding and Reimbursement Advisory Committee. She is a Board member of the National Sleep Foundation. Clinical interests include the development and evolution of sleep-disordered breathing over the lifespan.
Christopher Larsen, MD, Division Director General Otolaryngology, University of Kansas Medical Center
Christopher Larsen, MD is an academic general otolaryngologist, he is the Division Director of General Otolaryngology, and Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Dr. Larsen is a board-certified general otolaryngologist with special interests in sleep disordered breathing (pediatrics and adults), benign salivary gland conditions/salivary gland obstruction, and cranial nerve stimulation. He treats all disorders of the ears, nose, and throat, with subspecialty capabilities in sialendoscopy and surgery for obstructive sleep apnea. He graduated with High Distinction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1997, and with High Distinction from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2001. He moved to Kansas City for KUMC general surgery and otolaryngology residency training from 2001-2006. Upon graduation, he joined the KU Otolaryngology faculty in July 2006. He is the division director for General Otolaryngology at KU and enjoys taking care of patients of all ages. Dr. Larsen is actively involved in clinical research, currently acting as the primary investigator for a new antifungal medication to treat otomycosis (fungal otitis externa). He is also one of the top enrolling physicians in the ADHERE clinical registry, tracking outcomes of upper airway stimulation surgery for one year after implantation. He started the regions first UAS program implanting Inspire in the Fall of 2016.
Atul Malhotra, MD, UC San Diego Health
Atul Malhotra, MD is Vice Chair of Medicine for Research at UCSD. He is Research Chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep Medicine and Physiology, Peter C. Farrell Presidential Chair and Tenured Professor In Respiratory Medicine. He is active clinically in the intensive care units and in the outpatient clinics. He runs a large NIH funded laboratory with over 610 original plus >350 reviews/chapters since 2000. In 2015, he was President of the American Thoracic Society.
David Kuhlmann, MD, FAASM - Bothwell Regional Health Center
David Charles Kuhlmann, MD, is the Medical Director-Sleep Medicine, at Bothwell Regional Health Center, in Sedalia, MO. Dr. Kuhlman completed his medical degree at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. He also completed a residency in Neurology at Indiana University in Indianapolis, Indiana, and a fellowship in Sleep Medicine with the University of Michigan Health System. He is a Board Member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine since June 2021.
Suzanne Stevens, MD - University of Kansas Medical Center
Suzanne Stevens, MD, MS, is a board-certified sleep neurologist that is in private practice in Overland Park, KS, since 2022. Prior to that, she was at the University of KS Medical Center from 2006–2021, where she started the Department of Neurology Sleep Medicine program with the first accredited sleep lab at KU. She loves all things sleep but particularly loves treating the challenging cases of hypersomnia, augmentation of RLS, and managing Inspire as a treatment for OSA. She has three children that are growing up. The eldest is a Marine in the United States Marine Corps, the middle is a pre-med student at St. Louis University, and the youngest is graduating high school this year.
Kelly Bradshaw, AAS, RDH, COM®, ACE certified personal trainer, ACE certified Health Coach, Precision Nutrition certified sleep, stress, & recovery coach - Owner & Founder, Kansas City Myo & Wellness; IAOM certified orofacial myologist
Kelly Bradshaw is a Certified Orofacial Myologist®, Registered Dental Hygienist, and Health Coach with a passion for helping clients improve sleep, energy, and overall wellbeing through airway-focused care and lifestyle interventions. She is the owner and founder of Kansas City Myo & Wellness, where she works with children and adults to address oral dysfunction, optimize breathing, and support restorative sleep. With over 15 years in the dental field, Kelly blends clinical expertise with a holistic approach, incorporating myofunctional therapy, nutrition, stress regulation, and lifestyle to create individualized care plans. Her work emphasizes the powerful connection between oral function and systemic health, particularly as it relates to sleep-disordered breathing. Kelly regularly collaborates with dental, medical, and allied health professionals to improve patient outcomes and is passionate about educating both providers and the public on the role of oral function in sleep health.
Continuing Education Credit Statements:
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by University of Kansas Medical Center and The Kansas Association of Sleep Professionals. University of Kansas Medical Center is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Physician: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
The University of Kansas Medical Center designates this live activity for a maximum of 11.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nursing: ANCC Contact Hours (APRN/RN)
The University of Kansas Medical Center designates this activity for a maximum of 11.5 ANCC contact hours. Nurses should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Psychology
The University of Kansas Medical Center designates this live activity for a maximum of 11.5 APA Continuing Education Credit(s). Psychologists should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs.
IPCE
This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 11.5 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.
Respiratory Therapy
The KRCS CEU Evaluator has approved this program for 11.5 hours of Live Respiratory Continuing Education on behalf of the Kansas Respiratory Care Society, a chapter society of the AARC.
Sleep Tech
This program has been approved for a maximum of 11.5 contact hours Continuing Sleep Technology Education (CSTE) credit by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists, 4201 Wilson Blvd., 3rd Floor, Arlington, VA 22203
Course # 575P2224 | Program # 712169
Planning Committee: Jennifer Liebenthal, MD, FAASM; John P. Greenwood, MD; Katie Henn, PharmD, BCACP; Jennifer James,RPSGT; Constance Shivers-Smith, RPSGT; Melissa Wasinger and Nikki Cooper