MONTANA STATE ASSEMBLY Fall Conference & Business Meeting
October 17-18, 2026
Location: Education center at St. Peter’s Health 2475 Broadway Helena, Mt 59601
Learning Objectives:
Identify strategies to improve communication, collaboration, and trust among surgical team members and departments.
Discuss the importance of our roles when things take a turn and everyday.
Acknowledge the importance of mentoring the next generation of Surgical Technologists.
AGENDA Saturday October 17th
Time
Speaker
Description
730-8am
Kristen Stone, MT AST President
Welcome!
8-9am
Dr. Parson, MD, Gynecology
When the GYN case takes a turn
9-10am
Alison Mitchell & Daisy Gibson, Instructors Great Falls College
Cutting edge mentorship: how to build
confident surgical techs
10-1015am
BOD
voting details and reports
1015-1115am
Dr. Michelotti, MD, Orthopedics
From the Surgeons perspective
1115-1200
lunch time!
12-1
Angela Ritchey, Steris
SPD Live! Identify key SPD and
instrument handling processes
and workflow challenges
1-2
Solveigh with Baxter
Hands on Heart anatomy
2-3
Belle & Brandy, Certified SPD Techs
Working as One: Improving Efficiency
Across Departments
3-4
Dr. Goldes, MD, General Surgery
Robotic Surgery
4-5
Voting results and new board
members sworn into office
AGENDA Sunday October 18th
Kristen Stone, CST, CSFA
Making the transition from CST to CSFA
10-11am
Katie Vulk, CST
Cautery smoke evacuation