Thank you for your interest in our conference.

 

We will be applying to AAPA for CME credit and AANP for CE credit after we have finalized our scheduled speakers.

Topic

Credits Offered

The number of credits will be determined by the number of sessions that are offered and will be determined after the proposals and acceptance of sessions are completed in November.

Accommodations 

Holiday Inn St. George Convention Center
1808 S. Crosby Way
St George, UT 84790

Click here to book. March 26, 2025-March 29, 2025

Hilton Garden Inn
1731 S Convention Center Drive St. George UT 84790

Click here to book. Room blocks are available from March 26 to March 29, 2025.

Getting Here:

If attending from out of state, Las Vegas Airport (LAS) is a 2-hour drive away, alternatively, St. George Airport is a 15-minute drive from the Dixie Convention Center. 

Things to do:

St. George has so much to offer for adults and families.  Hiking and biking among stunning red rock scenery are among the most popular activities in the area, and St. George is situated within driving distance to 5 National Parks, Zion being the closest (45m).  For more information on area activities and updates visit https://greaterzion.com/.

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Additional Information

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Sponsors

Registration Refund and Cancellation Policy

In Honor Of John Charles Allen

John Allen was a physician assistant serving Provo, UT for 35 years and the founder of what is now known as Red Rock CME Conference (formerly Mesquite PA Conference).  He was part of the second graduating class of Utah MEDEX Program (now UPAP) in 1973 and served patients at the Family Medical Clinic in Provo, UT until his untimely death in 2011.

John came into the PA profession following studies at Eastern Arizona College and BYU, and serving an LDS mission in South Africa, Zambia, and Rhodesia.  During his education, John was called to service in the Army and attended Combat Medic School at Fort Sam Houston in Texas where he was awarded "Most Outstanding Trainee."  As part of his work in the Army, he was sent to Ethiopia where he served in a small field hospital until his discharge. 

John Allen had a long and distinguished PA career and was an active leader in the Utah Academy of Physician Assistants (UAPA) and advocate for the PA profession.  Over the years he precepted PA students and was an outstanding role model for PA students.  John Allen loved his role as a PA for his community and is remembered as a pioneer of the PA profession in Utah, and he is greatly missed by our PA community.  

History of the Conference:
Thank you to Marti Trunnell, for this history of the conference.

The origins of the Red Rock CME, on the occasion of this, the 35th meeting!
Long, long ago, in a land not so far away, a guy named John Allen had a light-bulb
moment. “Let’s bring CME to the PAs in Southern Utah, so they don’t always have to
come ‘up here’ for meetings.” It was 1989. I was but a new grad, class 18 of UPAP, but
I had attended the UAPA meetings as a student. I was privy to, and enthusiastic about,
John’s idea.

John and, I believe, Dave Anderson, put on the very first meeting. The then Peppermill
resort (which, in earlier iterations had long been the only casino in the dusty town of
Mesquite,) allowed them to meet in a literal dungeon of a basement of one of the many
separate buildings that were just hotel rooms. I believe there were four pharmaceutical
vendors, and approximately ten attendees.

I joined the “Committee,” as it were, the next year, and if memory serves (ever more
doubtful. . .) so did Diane Robinson, the delightful and loveable secretary at the
program. But. We were still in the basement. We had a few more vendors. Space was
tight. We also had perhaps double the attendees because we had invited Nevada PAs.
Lo and behold, meeting number three was in the penthouse of one of these buildings.
Light! Space! (Dave tells me it was the owner’s digs?) Regardless, there was
evidence this Springtime conference was taking off.

We are now talking 1991, the third year. And this is the main thing I wanted to
communicate. It illustrates John’s playful heart. He warned all attendees to dress
casually. Coats and ties were forbidden. And if they were worn, he got the big pair of
scissors out of his pocket and proceeded to cut off all ties. He then proudly displayed
them on a bulletin board.

As I recall, we were in the penthouse for two years. And this was very close to the time
when the Peppermill changed hands and became the Oasis. It was also around the
same time management was taking us seriously and allowed us to use the
CONFERENCE ROOM!

It turns out, the timing of this event has proved serendipitous. Yes, the southern
providers attended. But in late March and early April, people “up north” were anxious to
get out of the winter muck and head south to sunshine. In the earlier events, we always
had a big group event. (Probably because the group was not all that big.) There was a
place outside of Mesquite where we had a barbecue with dancing and hayrides and
even skeet-shooting. We had softball games, vendors vs. providers. Then came the
Fun Run and the Golf Tournament. In addition? Can you say family friendly? The
Oasis had five big swimming pools, a full arcade, mini-motorway track . . .
I literally raised my kids in their elementary years at this conference. It was the highlight
of their Spring.

Things changed again, when, in 1995, a huge new white Hotel/Casino went up across
the street. It was called Player’s Island, (owned by none other than Merv Griffin, a TV
talk-show personality remembered only by the elderly among us.) We were now
sufficiently legit. They came a-courtin’. They wanted us to move our conference there.
Which we did.

And after a couple of years there? That building changed hands and became the
Casablanca. (I have always thought it ironic that when it was white, it was Player’s
Island. And when it was peach colored, they named it Casablanca, which means, of
course, White House.)

We had a lot more room now. And a big, lovely pool, and a catered Awards Banquet at
poolside. Many of the earlier traditions remained; the Fun Run, the Golf Tournament
and oh, yes. Some speakers. And workshops.

There were others generous with their time and efforts that came and went on the
committee. I’d like to take a moment to thank the late Vickie Hamm, and her family
members, who had worked with Dave at Dr. Sundquist’s office. Sheri Combe was
always there, as was her sister. Please forgive me if I have left anyone out! In 1997 I
bowed out of serving on the Committee so I could do justice to serving as UAPA
President.

John passed away in 2008 in a tragic freak accident. Dave Anderson, ever faithful, took
the reins and did a fabulous job. We are all deeply in his debt. And the conference
moved from Mesquite to St. George in, 2016? Is that correct?

THIRTY FIVE YEARS THIS YEAR! From little acorns, mighty oaks shall grow!
Marti Trunnell, PA-C Emeritus (dinosaur)