5:00–7:00 p.m.

Welcome Reception (provided)

7:00–8:30 p.m.

Group Dinner (provided)

      7:00 a.m.

Registration and Continental Breakfast

      8:00 a.m.

Welcome and Opening Remarks

      8:30 a.m.

Keynote Address — Closing the Gap in Health Equity, Soma Stout, MD, MS, Institute for Healthcare Improvement

In the United States, racial/ethnic minority, rural, and low-income populations continue to experience suboptimal access to and inequity of health care despite decades of recognition of health disparities and policy mandates to eliminate them. There are a number of disease states with recognized disparities and many health care interventions designed to achieve health equity fall short due to gaps in knowledge and translation. This session will address disparities in the quality of and access to health care, barriers to health equity, and components of an effective social history as part of the individual’s medical-history-taking and physical examination.

Learning objectives:

1. Explore disparities in the quality of and access to health care and associated innovative interventions.
2. Discuss the barriers to health care as a result of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics.
3. Identify local resources that help underserved populations and state how to make those resources available to patients who may benefit from them.

      9:30 a.m.

Break

      9:45 a.m.

Current and Future Applications of Gene Therapy, Stephan A. Grupp, MD, PhD, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Gene therapy has been investigated as a potential intervention in a number of diseases and/or disorders, including chronic neuropathic pain, melanoma, cardiovascular disease and cancer. This presentation will review the latest evidence-based practice guidelines surrounding gene therapies, as well as available safety and efficacy data surrounding its use in a variety of disease states.

Learning objectives:

1. Identify the ways in which gene therapies can be used to address different disease states.
2. State the safety and efficacy of various gene therapies used in clinical trials.
3. Discuss the future of gene therapy, including its potential to revolutionize cancer treatment.

    10:45 a.m.

Chronic Pain Is a Disease, Not a Symptom of Disease, Scott G. Pritzlaff, MD, Stanford University Pain Management Center

When pain becomes chronic, it is no longer merely a symptom, but a disease in itself. According to the National Health Interview Survey, an estimated 25.3 million adults in the United States suffer from chronic pain. This session will focus on what is new in the management of chronic pain and in what ways this field is evolving. The importance of interprofessional strategies to integrate pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical treatment options for chronic pain will be addressed, as well as the importance of improving communication with patients about chronic pain diagnosis and treatment.

Learning objectives:

1. Identify new methodologies in the management of chronic pain.
2. State challenges encountered by health care providers in the management of chronic pain.
3. Discuss the latest guidelines for managing noncancer chronic pain.
4. Describe how interprofessional teams of health care providers can work with patients and their family members to optimize shared decision-making and management of chronic pain conditions.

    11:45 a.m.

Lunch Buffet (provided)

    12:00 p.m.

Satellite Symposia (optional; not affiliated with the Medical Director/Physician Leadership Forum)

      1:00 p.m.

Dessert Reception and Exhibit Hall Grand Opening

      1:45 p.m.

Medical Advances and Optimal Treatment Approaches for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Dermot McGovern, MD, PhD, FRCP (Lon), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that 1 to 1.3 million people suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the United States. These patients often require long-term management involving steroids, maintenance therapy with immunomodulators and biologicals, and acute interventions. During this session, factors affecting the risk and course of IBD and the most updated protocols and guidelines for diagnosing and treating IBD will be discussed. New therapies targeting the immune process that are revolutionizing the treatment of IBD will also be presented.

Learning objectives:

1. Discuss the medical advancements and optimal treatment approaches for IBD, including new therapies targeting the immune process.
2. State the latest pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical treatments for IBD.
3. Explain the role of the interprofessional team in optimizing patient-centered communication surrounding IBD.
4. Recognize the environmental factors affecting the risk and course of IBD, including environmental triggers and the role of diet.
5. Describe the latest vaccination recommendations for preventing infection in immunosuppressed patients with IBD.  

      2:30 p.m.

Preventive Cardiovascular Care: What’s New? Haitham Ahmed, MD, MPH, Cleveland Clinic

Accumulating evidence has revealed that intestinal microbiota play an important role in human health and disease, including cardiovascular diseases. This session will discuss the roles of gut microbiota and focus on gut microbes as a factor and therapeutic target in cardiovascular disease. In addition, the latest guidelines for prevention and treatment of co-morbid conditions associated with cardiovascular disease will be reviewed.

Learning objectives:

1. Describe the latest guidelines for preventing and treating co-morbid conditions associated with cardiovascular disease, including hyperlipidemia and hypertension.
2. State the role that the gut microbial endocrine organ plays in cardiovascular disease.
3. Describe strategies to target the gut microbial endocrine organ for improving cardiovascular disease.
4. Explain how health care providers can work as an interdisciplinary team with patients and families to optimize shared decision-making and management of cardiovascular disease.

      3:15 p.m.

Break

      3:30 p.m.

Alzheimer’s: Is There Hope on the Horizon? Howard Feldman, MD, FRCP, University of California, San Diego

More than 5 million Americans are currently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, making it the sixth leading cause of death in this country. However, health care providers are challenged with diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease and in discussing the diagnosis with patients and their families. A factor that leads to a delayed diagnosis is difficulty in distinguishing between normal signs of aging and the progressive dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease. This session will describe the challenges of diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease, common clinical signs and symptoms, pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical interventions, and resources to optimize the management of patients with this disease.

Learning objectives:

1. Describe how the clinical signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease differ from memory loss associated with other geriatric syndromes.
2. Identify advances in technology to improve diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression in Alzheimer’s disease.
3. State emerging strategies and progress in the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

4:15–5:00 p.m.

Chronic Kidney Disease: Early and Effective Intervention and Evidence-based Guidelines for Optimal Management, Joseph Vassalotti, MD, National Kidney Foundation

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant public health problem in the United States and a major source of suffering and poor quality of life for those afflicted. It is responsible for premature death and demands a high economic price from both the private and public sectors. The prevalence of CKD is increasing, and more than 50 percent of adults 30–64 years old are projected to develop CKD over their lifetimes. Studies suggest that interdisciplinary management of CKD — such as pharmacist medication therapy management, risk stratification and early treatment — can improve patient outcomes. With a focus on early identification and intervention to lessen the burden of CKD, this session will review practice guidelines and the latest innovations for diagnosing, evaluating, and managing this disease. It will also cover new tools, such as CKD checklists, that may improve adherence to professional guidelines and care.

Learning objectives:

1. Discuss strategies for early and effective detection and intervention for CKD.
2. State practice guidelines and pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical interventions to diagnose, evaluate, and manage CKD, including the use of CKD checklists.
3. Describe challenges in meeting evidence-based guidelines for managing CKD and provide suggestions on how to overcome those challenges.

5:00–7:00 p.m.

Networking Reception and Exhibits (provided)