8:00 a.m.

Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00 a.m.

Welcome and Opening Remarks, Heidi Leenay, Vice President, OptumHealth Education

9:30 a.m.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Current Approaches to Intestinal Failure Including a Patient’s Perspective, Audrea Medina, Intestinal Failure and Rehabilitation Patient; and David F. Mercer, MD, PhD, FRCS(C), FACS, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Intestinal failure is a debilitating condition that presents both acute and chronic medical management challenges. The condition requires specialized and individualized medical therapy to sustain life. Intestinal rehabilitation programs provide the complex care needed to achieve enteral autonomy and oral feeding with or without intestinal transplantation.

This keynote presentation will include participation from the director of one of the busiest intestinal rehabilitation programs in the United States, as well as a patient that received care through this life-changing program. It will provide you with a very personal view into the life of someone suffering from intestinal failure and her challenging journey through rehabilitation to be able to live the best life possible. The current medical and surgical techniques for managing intestinal failure will be shared, as well as the financial implications for different treatment options.

Learning objectives:

1. Identify both medical and surgical current, cutting-edge techniques for intestinal failure.
2. Compare and contrast the financial analysis for different treatment options that are available.
3. Relate, from a patient perspective, the experience of both living with intestinal failure and going through rehabilitation.

10:30 a.m.

Break

10:45 a.m.

Strategies to Predict, Induce and Monitor Graft Tolerance in Kidney Transplantation, Joseph R. Leventhal, MD, PhD, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Patients who receive a kidney transplant are committed to lifelong systemic immunosuppressive therapy, which can be associated with long-term and serious complications. Thus, achieving graft tolerance is the “Holy Grail” of kidney transplantation. Evidence suggests that hematopoietic chimerism via combined bone marrow and kidney transplantation may be a safe and feasible approach for inducing tolerance in kidney transplant recipients.

In addition, recently identified biomarkers that can detect tolerant or nearly tolerant patients have the potential to guide decisions on minimizing or discontinuing immunosuppression. Other novel biomarkers can be used to monitor transplant patients for acute and chronic rejection, as well as predict the risk of rejection. This presentation will review emerging strategies to predict, induce and monitor graft tolerance in kidney transplantation.

Learning objectives:

1. Discuss combined bone marrow and kidney transplantation as an emerging strategy to induce graft tolerance in kidney transplantation recipients.
2. Review novel biomarkers that can identify tolerant or nearly tolerant patients, monitor for acute and chronic rejection, and predict the risk of rejection.

11:30 a.m.

The Current Status of the Opioid Crisis and Its Impact on Transplantation, Gregory J. McKenna, MD, FACS, Baylor, Scott & White Transplant Services

Opioid addiction is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare. Organ donations have increased in the wake of America’s opioid epidemic due to deaths related to opioid overdose. This presentation will review the current state of the national opioid epidemic, the populations at risk for opioid abuse, and its effect on organ donation and transplantation.

Learning objectives:

1. State the current status of the opioid crisis as well as frustrations and barriers to managing this tragedy.
2. Identify the populations and communities that are impacted by this crisis.
3. Examine the ethical and legal ramifications of current practices of organ procurement on potential donors who have died from drug overdose and their families.
4. Discuss ethical issues surrounding the donation of organs from high-risk donors.

12:15 p.m.

Luncheon Presentation, Roger S. Shedlin, MD, JD, Chief Executive Officer, and Jon R. Friedman, MD, FAST, Chief Medical Officer, Medical Benefit Management, Optum (nonaccredited/optional; lunch provided)

Hear about the Optum programs addressing challenges unique to complex member cases and learn strategies for the effective clinical management of patients with complex conditions.

1:30 p.m.

Exhibit Hall Grand Opening Dessert Reception

2:30 p.m.

Pediatric Medical Home, Cynthia Peacock, MD, FAAP, FACP, Baylor College of Medicine

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) developed the medical home for children with special health care needs and developmental disabilities and their families as an approach to providing comprehensive primary care that is accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally effective to every child and adolescent. With a focus on children with special health care needs, this presentation will review the history of the medical home and the incorporation of an interdisciplinary team that includes patients and their families, primary care physicians, specialists and subspecialists, hospitals, and the community to address preventive, acute, and chronic care from birth to transition to adulthood.

Learning objectives:

1. Outline the attributes that define the foundation of a medical home and list the challenges as well as benefits of this model.
2. State how a medical home for children with special health care needs and developmental disabilities facilitates an integrated health system with an interdisciplinary team to ensure that all of the medical and nonmedical needs are met.
3. Explain how a medical home is able to provide assistance with transition to adult care.

3:15 p.m.

What Outcomes of Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Matter Most to Patients? Linda J. Burns, MD, National Marrow Donor Program^® (NMDP)/Be The Match

Learning objectives:

1. Discuss the results of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)-funded project — Engaging Patients in Developing a Patient-Centered Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Research — led by NMDP/Be The Match.
2. List the six major areas, aside from survival, that were identified by transplant recipients and caregivers as being the most important to them.
3. Identify transplant recipient- and caregiver-reported challenges with regard to HCT treatment and coordination of care, and the approaches that health care professionals can take to respond to these challenges.

4:00–5:00 p.m.

The Evidence for Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Low-back Pain, Robert B. Saper, MD, Boston University School of Medicine

Low-back pain (LBP) is one of the most common health problems in the United states, with approximately 25 percent of adults experiencing at least one day of LBP in the last three months. The economic burden of LBP is significant, with costs totaling $100 billion per year, two-thirds of which are accounted for by lost productivity. In 2017, the American College of Physicians (ACP) issued updated guidelines for the management of LBP, recommending nonpharmacologic treatment as first-line therapy for acute or subacute LBP. Although opioids are not recommended for acute LBP and are considered a last-resort option for chronic LBP, 60 percent of emergency department visits for LBP are treated with opioids. This presentation will outline the most current guideline recommendations for the treatment of LBP, including the evidence supporting nonpharmacologic treatments for LBP, and the role and risks of using opioids to treat LBP.

Learning objectives:

1. Discuss the evidence for nonpharmacologic treatments for acute, subacute and chronic LBP.
2. Outline the current guideline recommendations for the use of nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic therapies for LBP.
3. Describe the appropriate use and potential risks of opioids as a treatment for LBP in order to minimize harms related to adverse events and opioid misuse and addiction.

5:00–6:30 p.m.

Happy Hour Networking Reception — Exhibits Open
Support provided by UW Health – University of Wisconsin Transplant Programs

7:15–8:15 a.m.

11th Annual Wellness Walk 
>Learn more about the Wellness Walk

8:00 a.m.

Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00 a.m.

Welcome and Opening Remarks, Heidi Leenay, Vice President, OptumHealth Education

9:15 a.m.

Culinary Medicine: Transforming Health Through Nutritional Education, Timothy Harlan, MD, Tulane University School of Medicine

Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in the U.S. despite existing evidence that they could be postponed or prevented by individuals making healthier fundamental lifestyle choices. According to an article in Academic Medicine, only 27 percent of medical schools in theU.S. offer students the recommended 25 hours of nutritional training.

Dr. Timothy S. Harlan, a board-certified internist, chef and author is the executive director of the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine, the first of its kind teaching kitchen operated by a medical school. The center offers an innovative program teaching medical students about diet and lifestyle that bridges the gap between the basic sciences, clinical medicine, community and culinary education. The goal of the kitchen is that future doctors see the benefits of adding nutritional education to their treatment practice. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and on CNN, among other top-tier media outlets. During this session, Dr. Harlan will share with us the substantive impact of having a discussion with patients about the fact that eating nutritious food is the easiest path to health.

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize the importance of coaching patients on eating well and eating healthfully.
2. State the potential impact that educating individuals on food and diet has on chronic conditions.
3. Explain how culinary education on diet and lifestyle bridges the gap between medicine and health.
4. Explore the impact on transforming health that may be attained through teaching individuals and the community about food and culinary skills.

10:00 a.m.

Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cell Therapy: A Cure for Cancer? Michael R. Bishop, MD, University of Chicago

CAR T-cell therapy is a novel immuno-oncology treatment that has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment. It is an area that is expanding quickly — the first two CAR-T cell therapies were approved in 2017 and there are now over 200 ongoing clinical trials, of which 50 were added in 2016 alone. While the majority of CAR T-cell therapy studies involve B-cell malignancies, this treatment is being investigated in solid tumors as well. While CAR T-cell therapy is highly effective against relapsed/refractory (R/R) malignancies, serious toxicities present an important treatment challenge. This presentation will provide an overview of how CAR T-cell therapy works, review the most common and potentially lethal toxicities associated with CAR T-cell therapy and discuss future directions in this field.

Learning objectives:

1. Identify the currently available and emerging CAR T-cell therapies for R/R malignancies.
2. Explain how CAR T-cell therapy works.
3. Describe the most common and potentially lethal toxicities associated with CAR T-cell therapy and strategies for their management.
4. Discuss potential future directions of CAR T-cell therapy.
5. State the logistical requirements for and barriers to adopting CAR T-cell therapy in clinical practice.

11:00 a.m.

Break — Exhibits Open

12:00 p.m.

Lunch — Exhibits Open

12:30 p.m.
New topic!

Simultaneous Heart-Liver Transplantation for the Treatment of Decompensated Fontan Patients, Seth Hollander, MD, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University Medical Center

Since 1971, Fontan surgery has transformed the outlook for single-ventricle patients. This affects around 16 per 100,000 children and most now survive into adulthood. Many of these adults are dealing with failing Fontan physiology which poses many challenges—including cirrhotic livers—with transplantation offering the only realistic alternative to palliative care. This presentation will discuss combined heart-and-liver transplant for the management of these individuals.

Learning objectives:

1. State the incidence and outcomes of combined liver-heart transplantation for the treatment of decompensated Fontan patients.
2. Recognize the challenges of multiorgan failure in these individuals.

1:15 p.m.

Prostate Cancer: Guideline Recommendations and Emerging Therapies, Manish Kohli, MD, Mayo Clinic

Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer in men in the United States and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in this population. Recommendations for prostate cancer screening differ among published guidelines. Until recently, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) advised against PSA-based screening; however, they are in the process of revising and updating its screening recommendations based on data showing that PSA-based screening for prostate cancer among men age 55–69 years may reduce mortality. In addition, the treatment landscape for prostate cancer is continually evolving. This presentation will review the most current guidelines for prostate cancer screening, as well as new and emerging treatments for prostate cancer.

Learning objectives:

1. Outline the most recent guideline recommendations and evidence for PSA-based screening for prostate cancer.
2. Discuss the safety and efficacy data for newly approved and emerging therapies for metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer and nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

2:15 p.m.

Break — Exhibits Open

3:00 p.m.

Diabetic Management: Latest Guidelines and Emerging Technological Advances, Gregg Simonson, PhD, International Diabetes Center at Park Nicollet

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 30.3 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, and 1.3 million new cases are diagnosed every year. The 2018 American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines include important updates, such as new recommendations for patients with cardiovascular disease and screening for type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents; however, only half of physicians who treat patients with diabetes routinely adhere to ADA guidelines.

During this session, the most recent ADA guideline recommendations for diabetes care will be reviewed. The role of weight loss and surgical bariatric interventions in diabetes prevention and management will be discussed, as well as the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology to help automate and streamline diabetes self-management and potentially improve outcomes.

Learning objectives:

1. State the most recent ADA guideline recommendations for the diagnosis and management of diabetes, especially among specific patient populations.
2. Explain the importance of weight loss and bariatric surgical interventions in the prevention and treatment of diabetes.
3. Discuss new and emerging technological advances and devices for continuous glucose monitoring.

4:00 p.m.

The Impact of Interprofessional Patient-centered Care in Transplantation, Jennifer Eldred, PA-C, Emory Healthcare; Ram Subramanian, MD, MBA, Emory University School of Medicine; and Sarah B. Todd, PharmD, BCPS, Emory Healthcare

The goal of interprofessional collaboration within the health care team is to improve patient outcomes through practicing safe, high-quality, accessible, patient-centered care leading to an optimal health care experience. Collaboration among health professions is increasingly becoming a focal issue in health care, with evidence suggesting that teams of people from different disciplines who work together can improve work processes and patient care outcomes. With a focus on the transplant team, this presentation will discuss how collaboration improves coordination, communication and, ultimately, both quality and safety of patient care.

Learning objectives:

1. Define “interprofessional collaboration” within the health care team and explore how this approach can improve work processes and care outcomes in transplant patients.
2. Identify the benefits and challenges to interprofessional collaboration within the transplant team and state how the challenges can be navigated and how clinicians can effectively support this approach to care.

5:00–6:30 p.m.

Optum Provider Network Reception (Ticketed event; by invitation only.)

5:00–7:00 p.m.

Optum Client Reception (Invitation only)

7:30–8:45 a.m.

Hope in Action: Organ Donation Impacts and Legacies
A Breakfast Panel with the Optum Transplant Solutions Team
(Ticketed, nonaccredited event; by invitation only.)

8:00 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

9:00 a.m.

Trends and Innovations in Organ Transplantation
Cardiothoracic Transplantation: Benjamin Mackie, MD, Tampa General Hospital
Abdominal Transplantation: Amit D. Tevar, MD, Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh

Numerous challenges exist in the field of organ transplantation, such as limited donor organ availability, high costs, and donor organ transport and preservation. Disparities in the availability of donor organs is also increasing, particularly impacting blacks, Hispanics, and Asians. Changing trends in the indications for organ transplantation may also impact organ allocation and transplantation strategies. Because cost can limit access to organ transplantation, the effects of policy changes on cost need to be carefully evaluated. This session will review the trends in organ transplantation as well as innovations that have been developed to address the ongoing shortage of donor organs, with the goal of optimizing the care of living donors and recipients.

Learning objectives:

1. Identify trends that contribute to disparities in donor organ availability and organ allocation.
2. Describe the factors that influence the cost of organ transplantation and strategies to improve cost efficiency.
3. Discuss innovations that have the potential to improve donor organ availability.

10:15 a.m.

Break

10:30 a.m.

Best Practices and Emerging Therapies for Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS), Erica Warlick, MD, University of Minnesota Health

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 10,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with MDS each year. Survival can be as high as six years in lower-risk patients and as low as less than six months in higher-risk patients. MDS also carries the risk of transforming into acute myeloid leukemia, although the majority of deaths are caused by MDS itself or related complications. The prevalence of MDS is highest in older individuals, and the incidence of MDS is expected to rise with the aging population.

Treatment options for MDS are limited and only 4 percent of patients with MDS are considered for hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Emerging agents may expand the treatment options for MDS patients, and there are several in late-stage clinical trials. This presentation will review the most current, evidence-based guidelines and practices for the management of MDS, including advances in HSCT as a treatment option. Emerging therapies for MDS that have shown promise in clinical trials will also be discussed.

Learning objectives:

1. Describe the emerging novel and targeted therapies for MDS that are in late-stage or phase-three clinical trials.
2. Discuss genetic prognostic factors that may help guide management of MDS using HSCT.
3. Review the current guidelines and evidence-based practices for the management of MDS.

11:15 a.m.

Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD), Pankaj Madan, MD, MS, Methodist Healthcare

Adults living with congenital heart disease comprise a rapidly expanding population of heart disease patients. There are roughly 1.3 million adult patients in United states, which exceeds the number of children living with congenital heart defects. Hospitalization rates and care utilization rates of this group of patients is on the rise. This complex patient requires specialized and coordinated care. This presentation will focus on the clinical burden of ACHD in U.S., its unique problems and the need to get these patients into specialized centers.

Learning objectives:

1. State the incidence of ACHD in the U.S.
2. Explore the medical and surgical complexities of ACHD.
3. Explain the importance of these individuals receiving coordinated specialized care.

12:00 p.m.

Adjourn