Always Learning: Merit at the 2026 Bioidentical Hormone Revolution Symposium at Sea
Merit providers Stephanie Sisk APRN, Amanda Duarte APRN, and Veronica McPike, APRN at the 2026 Bioidentical Hormone Revolution Symposium at Sea.
In late March, Merit providers Amanda, Stephanie, and Veronica set sail from Miami aboard Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas for the 2026 Bioidentical Hormone Revolution Symposium at Sea — a three-night CME event hosted by the BHRT Training Academy, sailing the Bahamas and CocoCay.
For three days, our team sat in on sessions led by cardiologists, endocrinologists, and men's health specialists — all focused on the science and strategy behind bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. They came back with fresh clinical insights, new conversations already in motion about future services like peptides, and if Amanda has anything to say about it, plans to go back next year.
Because that's who your Merit team is. They don't settle for what they already know. They chase what's next for you.
A Different Kind of Medical Conference
Most medical conferences look the same — a convention center, fluorescent lighting, and back-to-back PowerPoints. This one looked a little different.
The Bioidentical Hormone Revolution Symposium at Sea is a fully accredited CME event held aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. For our team, that setting made all the difference. The clinical content was rigorous, but the format left room for something traditional conferences often don't: real conversation. Coordinated dinners and late-night gatherings kept the learning going long after sessions ended — the kind of in-depth exchanges that are often where the most valuable insights happen.
Attendees were a strong mix of APRNs and physicians from across the country, all there to go deeper on hormone health and bring something meaningful back to their patients.
What They Actually Learned
One session stood out above the rest — an endocrinologist's presentation connecting hormones and metabolic health. It walked through the relationship between hormonal status, insulin sensitivity, and metabolic changes in a way that was both clinically grounded and immediately applicable.
Some of the material reinforced what Merit is already doing. But there were also updates and new discussions that pushed Amanda's thinking further.
"I left feeling more confident in both confirming my current approach and implementing a few new considerations." — Amanda, APRN
That combination — validation plus evolution — is exactly what good continuing education looks like.
What It Confirmed About Merit
Connecting with providers from across the country gave our team something just as valuable as the sessions themselves: perspective.
Those conversations confirmed that Merit is operating at a high standard — that our approach to safety, patient selection, and evidence-based care holds up against best practices nationally, and in many cases exceeds what Amanda saw in other settings.
"It validated that we are very intentional about maintaining a conservative, patient-first approach." — Amanda, APRN
It's one thing to believe that about your own clinic. It's another to sit in a room full of providers from around the country and walk away knowing it.
What's Coming Next — A Peek at Peptides
One of the more exciting threads from the conference was the conversation around peptides — and it's one our team is actively exploring.
Peptides are small protein chains that act as messengers in the body. Some are already widely used in medicine — GLP-1s, which power many of today's weight loss medications, are a type of peptide. Others are still being studied for their role in healing, metabolism, inflammation, and more targeted treatment approaches.
Amanda came back energized. "They will allow a more targeted treatment plan. The future of peptides is very exciting."
We want to be transparent: many of the peptide therapies generating excitement are still in the research phase, and we are not offering them yet. That's intentional. At Merit, we don't add something until we're confident in both the evidence and the safety profile. But this is an area we're watching closely, and we'll keep you posted.
Why This Matters for You
Hormone therapy isn't a set-it-and-forget-it area of medicine. The science continues to evolve — and that evolution matters for the patients we care for every day.
Early research from the Women's Health Initiative raised widespread concerns about hormone therapy — but that study had serious flaws. It used synthetic, oral hormones in older women with pre-existing health conditions, and the findings were broadly misapplied to all hormone therapy, leaving a generation of women undertreated and afraid. What we know now tells a very different story. Bioidentical hormones, when used safely, have since been shown to be protective against breast cancer and heart disease. The type of hormone and how it's delivered matters — and when started at the right time with the right formulation, BHRT supports bone density, cardiovascular health, brain function, and overall quality of life in ways the WHI study never captured.
"For Merit patients, we focus on evidence-based, safety-first care, while remaining aware of developing areas like BHRT." — Amanda, APRN
Staying current isn't about chasing trends. It's about making sure that when you come to us, you're getting care that reflects the best of what medicine knows today.
Always One Step Ahead
“The best providers never stop learning. BHRT at Sea was one of the most valuable experiences our team has had — for our education and our connection as a team. Our clients come to Merit for real results, and that means we have to stay one step ahead. We’ll be at the Obesity Medicine Association Summit in Maryland this September, and we’re already planning to return to BHRT at Sea next year.”
Experience the Merit Difference
Whether you're just beginning to explore hormone health or you're already on your wellness journey with us, know this: your Merit team is always learning, always growing, and always one step ahead for you.
If you're ready to take the next step, we'd love to talk. Contact us today to schedule a consultation at our Topeka or Leawood location and find out what evidence-based, patient-first hormone care can do for you.
And if you're not quite there yet — that's okay too. Follow us on Instagram for updates on new services, team news, and everything happening at Merit.