Echo’s Leading Edge: Keep Current With This September CME in Cleveland

Feeling a bit behind the curve in your use of the latest echo technology? If you can spare a couple of days this September, Cleveland Clinic will bring you up to speed on just about everything there is to know about effective use of echocardiography in contemporary clinical practice.

That’s the mission of “State-of-the-Art Echocardiography,” a comprehensive CME-certified (and MOC-eligible) course taking place Friday to Sunday, Sept. 14-16, 2018, at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown.

A faculty of nearly three dozen Cleveland Clinic experts — cardiologists as well as cardiac sonographers — will use case-based formats to provide guidance on the optimal use of echo across a broad range of cardiovascular care. The 2.5-day course features full sessions devoted to various aspects of each of the following:

• Aortic stenosis
• Mitral regurgitation
• Echo guidance in device therapy for heart failure
• Endocarditis
• Adult congenital heart disease
• Cardiomyopathy
• Structural heart disease

An additional session is focused on special topics including diastolic dysfunction, strain imaging, echo’s role in cardio-oncology and contrast utilization in echocardiography. Optional workshops are offered the first day of the course on the following:

• 3D image reconstruction and cropping
• How to employ strain and 3D volumes/ejection fraction in clinical practice
• Transthoracic and transesophageal echo in an echocardiography simulation lab

“Attendees will also learn about the latest relevant research studies, get updates on the newest ACC and ASE valve disease guidelines, and be privy to expert assessment of technical innovations and fast-evolving areas such as multimodality imaging, 3D imaging, strain and point-of-care ultrasound,” says course co-director Richard A. Grimm, DO, Director of Echocardiography at Cleveland Clinic.

“We’ve put a premium on assembling a faculty with multidisciplinary expertise,” adds co-director Brian Griffin, MD, Head of the Section of Cardiovascular Imaging. “Panels of cardiovascular specialists with deep experience in fields such as structural heart interventions, heart failure, electrophysiology and critical care will debate management of challenging cases.”

If the substance of this extensive course isn’t enough of a lure, note that American Society of Echocardiography members qualify for a reduced fee and participants may earn up to 20.5 ABIM Maintenance of Certification (MOC) points in addition to CME credit. The early-registration discount ends Aug. 17.

For more information or to register, visit ccfcme.org/echocardio.