June 26 – 29, 2023
Myrtle Beach, SC CME Conference
Register Now!
Daily Schedule anchor
Daily Schedule For Myrtle Beach, SC CME Conference
Whether you practice full-time and strive to sharpen your skills, or you work occasionally and need to improve your knowledge base, there’s something for everyone here! Perhaps you just want to stay current and pass your recertification exams. Plus, this exciting program allows participants to come early and/or stay over the weekend for a vacation. Discounted hotel rates apply! Schedule is preliminary.
Topics, times and presenters subject to change.
Product Theater (Non-CME) denoted by *
*Number of hours depends on your course selection. Rx denotes Pharmacology hours. Daily CME credits listed are the maximum number of credits available for that specific day.
Sunday, June 25– Early Registration 2:00 – 5:00 pm
- June 26
Day 1 – Monday
Dermatology - June 27
Day 2 – Tuesday (Room A)
Orthopedics - June 27
Day 2 – Tuesday (Room B)
Pain Management / Pharmacology Update - June 28
Day 3 – Wednesday (Room A)
Cardiology & Emergency Medicine - June 28
Day 3 – Wednesday (Room B)
Diabetes - June 29
Day 4 – Thursday
Women’s Health
Terri Nagy, MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA
6:30 – 8:00 AM
Registration & Breakfast
7:30 – 8:30 AM
It is Getting Kind of Hairy in Here! (Rx=0.25)
Thanks to COVID, hair loss has become much more commonplace. Amanda Mull published an article in The Atlantic on November 12, 2021, entitled “The Year America’s Hair Fell Out,” specifically referring to telogen effluvium. However, there are several different types of hair loss. This session will explore some of the most common types, the clinical presentations, diagnostic criteria, and treatment options.
8:30 – 9:30 AM
What is THAT in My Groin? (Rx=0.50)
It hurts! It itches! It won’t go away! Yes, we are going there. Why? Because this particular region presents with concerns that are difficult and embarrassing for patients to discuss, hard to diagnose, and extremely impactful when it comes to quality of life. We will explore such diagnoses as inverse psoriasis, lichen sclerosis, and hidradenitis suppurative.
9:30 – 9:45 AM
Break
9:45 – 11:15 AM
Skin Cancer! Damn! (Rx=0.50)
What is a dermatology conference without a session on skin cancers? Let’s look at the three big contenders, their presentations, diagnostic methods, and treatment options.
11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
Lunch on Your Own
12:30 – 2:00 PM
Kids, Bugs & Drugs (Rx=0.50)
As a derm PA, I can honestly say I have spent the majority of the last 19+ years tending to the needs of pediatric patients. This session will look at some common (and a few not-so-common) pediatric concerns. You will certainly take away a few pearls for diagnosing and treating these little ones.
2:00 – 2:15 PM
Break
2:15 – 3:45 PM
A Year in Pictures: AKA What The???
Every year, National Geographic releases their most remarkable photos in a publication called ‘A year in Pictures.’ We will spend our last session together looking at photos depicting various dermatologic conditions. You will have your chance to diagnose these conditions. We will then briefly discuss each case, diagnostic methods, and treatment options.
Karen Myrick, DNP, APRN, FNP, ONP, FAAN
6:30 – 8:00 AM
Registration & Breakfast
7:30 – 8:30 AM
Orthopedic Exam & CT Scans, X-rays and MRI’s, OH MY
A head-to-toe review and presentation of the key components of the examination of the musculoskeletal system will be discussed. High yield history questions and examination techniques will be detailed. Diagnostic testing for orthopedic and sports medicine chief complaints and mechanisms of injury will be discussed and recommended.
8:30 – 9:30 AM
Let Me Give You a Hand in Diagnosing Upper Extremity Injury & Conditions
Upper extremity injuries and conditions are common causes of patient visits to providers. Up top! This session will review the most common issues and highlight what the clinician should listen for in the history, and which examination techniques will be helpful in arriving at the patient’s diagnosis.
9:30 – 9:45 AM
Break
9:45 – 11:15 AM
Let Me Patella You Something About Lower Extremity Injuries & Conditions
This might be a knee-jerk reaction, but this is a session you all kneed. There is a wide span of differential diagnoses for the commonly injured or affected knee joint and lower extremities. We will systematically identify the evaluation, diagnosis and management of conditions and injuries which affect the lower extremities.
11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
Lunch on Your Own
12:30 – 2:00 PM
When the Back is Out of Whack….
Back pain for the patient can be lower posterior pain for the provider! In this session, we will identify back problems seen in primary care, along the continuum of simple and common to complex and rare, the diagnoses of spinal issues will be discussed.
2:00 – 2:15 PM
Break
2:15 – 3:45 PM
Interactive Case Studies
This session will tie together concepts and techniques learned throughout the day. An interactive session, the participants will be asked to comment, help to come up with a list of differential diagnoses, and to identify key components of the history and physical examination, to make the perfect final orthopedic diagnosis.
Theresa Mallick-Searle, MS, PMGT-BC, ANP-BC
6:30 – 8:00 AM
Registration & Breakfast
7:30 – 8:30 AM
Demystifying Pain Assessment: What Every Clinician Needs to Know (Rx=1.00)
At least 116 million U.S. adults, more than the number affected by heart disease, diabetes, and cancer combined, suffer from chronic pain. Across the life span, pain is one of the most frequent reasons for healthcare visits, among the most common reasons for taking medications, and a major cause of work disability.
Effective management of pain requires an understanding of the underlying mechanisms responsible for its generation. Additionally, effective clinical interviewing and pain assessment is critical to the appropriate diagnosis and management of pain. In this presentation, a general overview of pain mechanisms will be discussed. The clinician will learn how to apply principles of effective communication and ascertain how to evaluate available assessment tools to form a framework for a comprehensive patient-centered approach to formulation and treatment planning.
8:30 – 9:30 AM
Rational Polypharmacy for Pain Management: The Non-opioid Version (Rx=1.00)
With the opioid crisis continuing to rage, the number of opioid-related deaths continuing to rise, insurance companies refusing to pay for quantities of opioids, pharmacists refusing to dispense quantities of opioids, peer-to-peer watchdogging, what is a clinician to do about helping manage their patient’s pain? This lecture will focus on using rational polypharmacy effective for the management of pain.
We will explore clinical indications, contraindications & dosing for common non-opioid analgesics, such as the use of anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and over-the-counter analgesics.
You will learn where analgesics act in the pain pathway and how the use of medications synergistically may make sense to use together.
9:30 – 9:45 AM
Break
9:45 – 11:15 AM
Safe Opioid Prescribing: How, When & When Not to Prescribe (Rx=1.50)
In response to the public health crisis of opioid abuse and overdose, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration issued a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) recommendation for all opioids. The REMS is part of a larger federal effort to reduce risks associated with prescribing long-term opioid therapy. This national response has recognized that improved knowledge of opioid safety is an essential clinical practice competency for all prescribers of opioids.
This lecture will discuss pain from a contextual perspective, patient selection, and assessment of risk associated with opioid use for long-term management of chronic pain. The CDC guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain and the use of opioids for short-term acute pain will also be discussed. A brief discussion on the consideration for and initiation of medication-assisted therapy (MAT). Prescribing opioids safely ultimately depends on the trust between the prescriber and patient. Training can improve trust by improving communication and collaborative skills.
11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
Lunch on Your Own
12:30 – 2:00 PM
Casting a Wider Net, the Use of Non-pharmacological & Complementary Treatments
Pain affects physical and mental functioning, quality of life, and productivity. Yet, in recent years, the over-reliance on pharmacotherapies alone has been seen as a highly ineffective way of managing chronic pain. As a result, the HHS Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force in 2019 released a report for best practice in managing chronic and acute pain, highlighting the use of a multimodal treatment strategy for improved outcomes.
Clinicians need the education, resources, and tools to engage and effectively manage their patients with chronic pain. In this up-to-date review, we will discuss the most practical, evidenced-based, possibly overlooked non-pharmacological modalities that clinicians can use as stand-alone therapies or in a combined multimodal treatment approach for the best possible outcomes in managing patients with chronic pain conditions.
2:00 – 2:15 PM
Break
2:15 – 3:45 PM
The Chronic Pain Trifecta: Common Pain Diagnoses in Primary Care (Rx=1.50)
In this session, we will cover the assessment and management of three of the most common chronic pain diagnoses in primary care – migraine, low back pain, fibromyalgia – highlighting what was learned in the earlier lectures regarding evidenced-based pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. Assessment and treatment of migraine have advanced in recent years. No longer should patients’ have to wait for a referral to a “headache specialist” for management. Instead, we will simplify the diagnosis, rule out a secondary/pathological headache, and introduce the newest treatments available.
The diagnosis of fibromyalgia was once seen as a diagnosis of exclusion, possibly psychosomatic in origin. However, new research provides evidence that fibromyalgia is a central pain disorder. With new evidence to a more accurate diagnosis, new treatment paradigms are being explored.
Low-back pain is the number one reason patients present to their primary care provider’s office. At some time in their lives, every patient will suffer from LBP (either acutely or chronically). When it comes to effective treatment of LBP, it’s all about making the correct diagnosis.
By the end of this 90-minute lecture, you will gain the skills to assess migraine like a Neurologist, manage fibromyalgia like a Rheumatologist and treat low back pain like a Physiatrist!
Leslie Davis, PhD, ANP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, FACC, FAHA, FPCNA
6:30 – 8:00 AM
Registration & Breakfast
7:30 – 8:30 AM
Who’s Got Rhythm: 12 Lead ECG Interpretation Part 1
In this session, you will learn how the frontal, augmented, and chest (V) leads of the ECG align with the images on the printed copy of the 12 lead ECG. You will learn which two leads are the most useful to determine rate and rhythm. By the end of the first session, you will be a pro at on-the-spot interpretation of the underlying heart rate and rhythm.
8:30 – 9:30 AM
Larger, Slower, Turned to the Side: 12 Lead ECG Interpretation Part 2
In this session, you will learn what axis means, including likely causes and significance of an axis deviation, if present. You will use the “eyeball test” as one of the three ways to determine if left ventricular hypertrophy is present on a 12 lead ECG. In addition, you will get hands-on practice using a systematic approach to determine the difference between right versus left bundle branch blocks in ECGs with wide QRS waves.
9:30 – 9:45 AM
Break
9:45 – 11:15 AM
Ischemia, Injury, Infarct: Spot the Difference – 12 Lead ECG Case Studies
This session will utilize a systematic approach for recognizing acute ischemia, acute injury, and infarction in cases studies of 12 lead ECGs. You will get hands-on practice in interpreting case studies to apply the knowledge gained. After this session, you will recognize acute ischemia like a pro.
11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
Lunch on Your Own
12:30 – 2:00 PM
Prevent the Stroke: Stop the Bleed in Adults with Atrial Fibrillation (Rx=1.0)
In this session, you will utilize evidence-based risk stratification scoring tools to determine whether your patient with atrial fibrillation needs chronic anticoagulation to prevent stroke while considering the likelihood of bleeding. We will compare newer versus traditional anticoagulation options to stroke prevention, even for those with chronic kidney disease. The discussion will conclude with reviewing a systematic approach to managing bleeding, including using newly approved reversal agents, as appropriate, in patients on chronic anticoagulation.
2:00 – 2:15 PM
Break
2:15 – 3:45 PM
Taking “Failure” Out of Caring for Adults With Heart Failure (Rx=1.0)
The treatment of heart failure (HF) patients has become very complex, including figuring out how to optimize guideline-directed medical therapy for patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction and HF with preserved ejection fraction. This session will cover the latest treatment guidelines for treating adults with both types of HF. We will review how to start and titrate optimal medical therapy, including traditional baseline therapy and two new classes of medications. You will learn strategies for overcoming barriers to medication titration from an expert in the field, including which circumstances would trigger a referral to a HF specialist. Templates for conducting phone visits (within 72 hours) and clinic visits(within 7-10 days) for those hospitalized for HF will be shared for immediate use in your clinical practice. Patient education resources and a user-friendly app for health care providers will also be shared.
Diana Isaacs, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, CDCES, BC-ADM, FADCES, FCCP
6:30 – 8:00 AM
Registration & Breakfast
7:30 – 8:30 AM
Current State of Diabetes & Standards of Care
This session will include the prevalence and incidence of diabetes, distinguish between the different types of diabetes, how they are diagnosed, and the treatment goals.
8:30 – 9:30 AM
Pharmacologic Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes (Rx=0.75)
In this presentation, we will discuss the treatment algorithms from the American Diabetes Association and the Association of Clinical Endocrinology and introduce the various pharmacologic options.
9:30 – 9:45 AM
Break
9:45 – 11:15 AM
The Ins & Outs of Insulin Therapy (Rx=0.75)
This session will include differences between types of insulin, how to calculate doses, how to make adjustments, and how to use insulin in conjunction with oral and non-insulin injectable medications.
11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
Lunch on Your Own
12:30 – 2:00 PM
Reducing Cardiovascular Risk (Rx=0.75)
This session will focus on the foundational pillars of reducing risks for people with diabetes including managing lipids and blood pressure, and a deep dive into the data that supports use of GLP1 agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors to reduce cardiovascular risk.
2:00 – 2:15 PM
Break
2:15 – 3:45 PM
Diabetes Technology & Beyond (Rx=0.50)
This presentation will explore the different types of diabetes technology including continuous glucose monitors, connected insulin pens, insulin pumps and mobile apps to support people with diabetes.
Melissa Rodriguez, DMSC, PA-C
6:30 – 8:00 AM
Registration & Breakfast
7:30 – 8:30 AM
The Ins and Outs of the H-P-O Axis (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Ovarian)
In this session, the discussion of hormonal control of the menstrual cycle will be presented. We will also review the hypothalamus to the reproductive organs. In addition, you will learn what happens when things go awry and its implications on fertility quality of life. We will also review the treatments for amenorrhea, anovulation, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and others. Most importantly, patient education techniques will provide an easy tool for your patients and staff. You will understand the normal menstrual cycle and all its distorted presentations.
8:30 – 9:30 AM
Abnormal Uterine Bleeding (AUB) in the Reproductive Age (Rx=0.25)
In this session, we will explore irregular menstrual bleeding. This is a common concern experienced by menstruating people and has many potential causes. We will review the oft-cited PALM-COEIN framework, which includes the most common causes, including structural and non-structural causes. There will be a brief review of the assessment process during the focused history and physical exam, that will quickly help to understand the benefits of laboratory and imaging tools. The initial management of the identified condition and available treatment options will also be shared.
9:30 – 9:45 AM
Break
9:45 – 11:15 AM
The Birthing Process
We were born for this, right? Other than pain, most people generally know very little about the process. Let’s review the physiology of pregnancy and its contributions to the birthing process, including critical hormones and adaptations. A dive in the past shows us prehistorical and ancient depictions of laboring women surrounded by supporting women. We aim to understand this connection, the advancement of maternal care, and tips and tricks for the best experience. We will also review deliveries in low-resource settings.
11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
Lunch on Your Own
12:30 – 2:00 PM
Optimizing the Postpartum Period for Primary Care (Rx=0.25)
In this session, we will review what should happen after birth. Historically, women will only follow up with their obstetrician for six weeks postpartum. With the high rate of maternal mortality, particularly in the postpartum period, it is important to identify the specific needs to provide appropriate care better. We will review the most common causes for maternal morbidity and mortality and potential medical complications in the future. Additionally, can the implementation of a postpartum handoff be of use? At your next visit with a mother, know how to best approach the obstetric history to optimize her health.
2:00 – 2:15 PM
Break
2:15 – 3:45 PM
Ovarian Overview
The mighty ovary will be reviewed in this session. We will explore its function from early life until menopause. Additionally, we will discuss the theories behind ovarian cancer formation and its relationship to the fallopian tubes. Ultimately, you will learn to assess ovarian pathology and the dysregulation of hormone synthesis. Next time you have a patient concerned about a corpus luteal cyst, it will be a breeze to explain.
Don’t Miss Out On Our Early Deal Specials!
The earlier you register, the more you save!
In-Person Conference
Super Saver
On/Before January 27
$927
Early Bird
On/Before February 27
$987
Advance
On/Before May 27
$1,037
Standard
After May 27
$1,057
Bonus!
In-person conferences include FREE virtual access!
Includes a FREE On-demand course by topic! Up to 13 CME hours – a $297 value!
Receive a $100 rebate check when you book 3 nights at our host hotel using our group code!
Virtual Conference Only
Super Saver
On/Before Jan 27
$727
Advance
On/Before May 27
$777
Standard
After May 27
$827
CME Virtual Conference
Participate in this Live Streaming conference as though you are on-site with us, as you would In-person! We have created a CME online experience that puts you right in the conference room. Watch in real-time, ask questions, and network with other live streaming attendees. You can participate in this CME conference from anywhere with a WiFi connection—poolside, hotel lobby, hotel room, or from the convenience of your home or office.
Recordings of the live event will be available for review for three days only, post-conference to all in-person and virtual participants.