Track: Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Clinical Cardiology

Academic and clinical experts in cardiology, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) and organizational management participated as a team in an NIH study focused on increasing the uptake of CR among patients with heart failure (HF). These experts identified the most pervasive barriers to CR for patients with HF and the most promising strategies to increase the use of CR for patients with HF. In this exciting workshop, some of the faculty and the experts who participated in the project will discuss the barriers that are preventing patients with HF from being recruited to, enrolling in, and completing CR and the strategies that can address these barriers. Drs. Pack and Lagu will first highlight prior work that has identified organizational factors that may contribute; common transitions and points in time when patients get lost to follow-up; and opportunities for local and national improvement. Ms. Schafer will describe the process of bringing together experts and identifying the highest priority strategies and barriers. Following this, the panel (including prior presenters plus Drs. Khadanga, Keteyian, D’Aunno) will discuss how these barriers might be preventing patients with HF who are eligible for your own CR program from attending and will identify the strategies that participants agreed were the most feasible and effective for increasing CR use in this population. An expert in organizational change (Dr. D’Aunno) will also discuss how CR programs across the country are implementing process improvement strategies via an on-going learning collaborative (results of this collaborative coming to AACVPR 2024!). Discussion among session panelists and attendees will focus on reflections about how this work might drive local and national CR practice improvement, increase enrollment numbers for patients with HF, and inspire future research directions.

Speaker(s): Tara Lagu, MD, MPH; Patrick Schilling, BS, ACSM-CEP, AACVPR-CCRP; Steven J. Keteyian, Phd; Sherrie Khadanga, MD; Carol Haywood, PhD, OTR/L

CE Credit(s): 1.25

Learning Objectives:

• To discuss prior work that has identified common barriers and effective strategies to increase the use of CR for patients with HFnbsp;
• To describe unique expert-identified barriers to patients with HF and help attendees understand how these barriers might be presenting in their own programs.
• To discuss expert-identified strategies that allow CR programs to improve the referral, enrollment, and retention of patients with HF.
• To discuss how participants in a real-world learning collaborative are identifying and targeting individual local barriers and using expert-identified strategies to overcome them to increase CR use among patients with HF.

Track: Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Medicine

This session will review the upcoming evidence based practice guidelines for pulmonary rehabilitation that has been developed by the American Thoracic Society.

Speaker(s): Carolyn Rochester, MD, FCCP

CE Credit(s): 1.25

Learning Objectives:

• To list three guidelines contained within the EBG for pulmonary rehabilitation ATS 2023
• To describe the method for the development of these guidelines
• To implement two of the guidelines into your clinical practice

Track: Innovative Leadership

Million Hearts®, a national initiative – co-led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) - to prevent one million acute cardiovascular events, is working with partners to achieve a national goal of 70% participation in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) among eligible patient by 2027. Effective process improvements have been identified across the country to increase CR participation but are not being widely and systematically implemented. In 2018 Million Hearts® and AACVPR published the Cardiac Rehabilitation Change Package (CRCP), a set of evidence- or practice-based systems or strategies with corresponding tools and resources that can be put into practice to optimize CR uptake. This year a revised version of the tool will be released with new approaches to help users sustain or expand CR services and staffing models, offer hybrid CR programs, and improve access to CR for underrepresented groups of patients. Million Hearts® and AACVPR are partnering to widely disseminate the updated version of the quality improvement tool and mobilize cardiac rehabilitation programs, hospital quality improvement teams, and public health professionals to implement these process improvements. This AACVPR Breakout Session will provide an overview of the second edition of the CRCP and describe how the quality improvement tool has been and can be used to increase CR participation.

Speaker(s): Haley Stolp, MPH; Hilary K. Wall, MPH; Betsy Hart, MS, FAACVPR, ACSM - CEP, CCRP; Diann Gaalema, PhD; Megan Gross, MPH, CHES, ACSM-CEP

CE Credit(s): 1.25

Learning Objectives:

• To become familiar with the contents of the CRCP and how it is intended to be used by referring
• To share how the CRCP has impacted past users CR referral, enrollment, and/or adherence care processes and/or outcomes.
• To be confident in one’s ability to apply the CRCP to improve care for patients who are eligible for CR.
• To learn how to engage with hospital leadership and/or care teams and be empowered to implement at least one change idea from the tool.

Track: Program Management

Standard measures of obesity, (body weight and Body Mass Index-BMI), suggest that Asian American (AA) people have a lower prevalence than other racial groups in the United States. However, AA people (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asians) face a unique challenge in their pattern of adiposity with central obesity which raises the risk for multiple comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease, at lower BMI compared with other populations. Several organizations recommend lower BMI cutoffs for obesity in Asian people (BMI ≥25.0 or ≥27.5 kg/m2) instead of the standard ≥30.0 kg/m2. The risks of obesity and related comorbidities in this population are further influenced by diet, physical activity, and self-perceived obesity related to body perceptions all of which is compounded by access to race specific obesity information and therapies. Asian specific parameters for assessing obesity should become a standard expectation of clinical practice. Asian American people should equally be offered to subgroup specific tailored interventions owing to the heterogeneity of this population. This presentation will describe the health care disparities of AA populations related to the prevalence of obesity and comorbidities and mortality, race specific obesity criteria, physical activity and exercise, diet, acculturation, body perceptions of obesity, and the role of cultural beliefs. The access to anti-obesity medications, surgery and rehabilitation will be explored with discussions focused on health equity among the AA populations.

Speaker(s): Ana Mola, PhD, ANP-BC; Wen-Chih Wu, MD, FAACVPR

CE Credit(s): 1.25

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how standard measures of obesity (body weight and Body Mass Index-BMI) impact the health care disparity faced by the Asian American (AA) populations.
• Describe the influences of the AA populations’ lifestyle behaviors, self-perceived obesity body perceptions and access to race specific obesity treatment management are drivers of healthcare disparities within these groups.
• Analyze the health disparities learnings of the cardiovascular care of the AA populations by participating in breakout groups to further discuss and generate strategies to address these disparities.

Track: Behavior Change and Nutrition

Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation staff dedicate their lives to educating patients on cardioprotective behavior change, risk reduction, and strategies for increasing quality of life in the context of an acute health crisis. However, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation staff themselves are suffering a crisis of burnout, high rates of turnover, and reduced job satisfaction that worsened with COVID-19-related demands. Resources for staff often suggest overhaul-level changes to reduce stress, which are impractical for busy professionals. Three clinical psychologists will discuss individual-level modifiable contributors to burnout and manageable ways to reduce stress at work and at home. Dr. Hays will review the multilevel factors that contribute to burnout and distress in healthcare workers, relevant literature (including myths) about burnout, as well as common signs of burnout and distress. Dr. Goldstein will discuss interpersonal effectiveness strategies for improving relationships at home and at work, connecting with your personal and professional values, and health behaviors for health professionals. Dr. Lee will discuss compassion fatigue resulting from burnout and secondary traumatic stress, as well as behavioral strategies for promoting emotion regulation, resilience, and stress-related growth. Attendees will leave with identified actionable strategies they may utilize for improving their mental health, quality of life, personal fulfillment, sense of connection, and workplace relationships, because you cannot pour from an empty cup.

Speaker(s): Megan Hays, PhD, ABPP, FAACVPR; Carly M. Goldstein, PhD, FAACVPR; Sharon Y. Lee, PhD

CE Credit(s): 1.25

Learning Objectives:

• Examine the latest research regarding burnout and distress in healthcare workers as it applies to those working in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation.
• Understand signs of burnout and distress in yourself as well as colleagues.
• Identify strategies for improving relationships at work through interpersonal effectiveness skills, since healthcare is a team sport.
• Learn evidence-based strategies for reducing stress, changing behavior, and changing the course towards a more fulfilling professional and personal life.

Track: Research

The Beginning Investigator Award is given to outstanding researchers who are within five years of their latest degree or final training (ie, fellowship, residency), and who have not previously won the award. Six scientific abstracts are chosen as finalists for this award, and each is given a platform presentation during a special session at the AACVPR Annual Meeting. The presentations are then judged by the AACVPR Research Committee.

CE Credit(s): 1.25

This session will review the current Medicare rules for CR/ICR/PR/SET, preview of proposed 2024 Medicare rules for CR/ICR/PR/SET.

Speaker(s): Lorri Lee, MHA, BS, CCRP, ACSM-CEP, FAACVPR; Susan Flack, RN, MS, FAACVPR; Stacey Greenway, MA, MPH, FAACVPR, CCRP, RCEP

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will be familiar with billing & coding frequently asked questions
• Attendees will understand current Medicare regulatory issues for CR/PR/SET services.
• Attendees will be knowledgeable regarding current AACVPR legislative actions on behalf of CR/PR/SET.

The goal of this session is to describe the focused efforts on increasing CR participation in the U.S. as supported by these 4 NIH funded projects. Each of the 4 grantees will describe the research plans that they have implemented to increase participation in CR in their respective populations of interest. Some preliminary data may be presented. These populations include lower socioeconomic patients, minority patients, urban patients, and older patients.

Speaker(s): Daniel E. Forman, MD, FACC, FAHA; Diann Gaalema, PhD; Steven J. Keteyian, PhD; Pamela N Peterson, MD, MSPH

CE Credit(s): 1.25

Track: Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Medicine

This session will provide an overview of current evidence-based exercise training prescription guidelines, recommendations, and clinical considerations for traditional pulmonary rehab exercise. In addition, exercise prescription and training considerations beyond the basics will be discussed. The intent is to provide clinically relevant information and guidance for both the new and experienced pulmonary rehab clinician that can be directly applied into their clinical practice.

Speaker(s): Kim Eppen, PT, PhD, FAACVPR

CE Credit(s): 1.25

Learning Objectives:

• Identify exercise-related limitations and causes for exercise limitations in people with pulmonary conditions.
• Review evidence-based guidelines and/or recommendations for guiding traditional pulmonary rehab exercise testing, prescription, and training.
• Describe potential benefits from exercise training in pulmonary patients and considerations to optimize outcomes.
• Discuss clinical considerations for applying exercise strategies to diversified pulmonary patients.

Track: Innovative Leadership

The way in which we talk with people about their health substantially influences their motivation for change. Words matter. How do we in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation best provide people with the tools they need to take a more active role in their health and wellbeing? When our views, struggles, and perspectives are recognized, we feel that our opinions have been heard and that we matter. In cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, there are many opportunities to use deep listening skills and offer statements of reflection that motivate individuals to explore their desire to change. In this section, we'll focus on the skill of identifying change talk and practice how to promote internal motivation with reflective statements. In conclusion, we’ll discuss the practical integration of coaching skills into your day-to-day cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services. There will be plenty of time for audience interaction and input.

Speaker(s): Ashleigh Funk, BA,CCRP, NBC-HWC, ACSM-CPT; Michelle Murray, MSN, BS, RN, NBC-HWC; Michelle Murray, RN, NBC-HWC

CE Credit(s): 1.25

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the essence of the coach approach and its value in the change process.
• Describe the qualities of change talk and reflective statements and discuss how the skills contribute to deep listening.
• Integrate coaching skills during clinical interactions within the cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation environment.

Track: Program Management

This session will review metrics from the AACVPR patient-centered and program-based performance measures and discuss trends and potential data quality issues. Presenters will share strategies to improve performance, discuss steps to develop a plan for continuous quality improvement and review how each clinician can take ownership of their program’s quality.

Speaker(s): Dianne V. Jewell, PT, DPT, PhD, FAACVPR; Quinn R Pack, MD, MSc; Anne Gavic, MPA, RCEP, MAACVPR; Mark Stout, MS, CCRP, FAACVPR

CE Credit(s): 1.25

Learning Objectives:

Track: Behavior Change and Nutrition

Nutrition guidance given in the 5th edition of the Guidelines for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programs provided new information regarding the interaction between pulmonary disease and changes in nutrient supply and demand which results in further debilitated clinical state. Recent research has confirmed the unique nutrition risks caused by pulmonary disease. PR clinicians need to be able to identify participants who are at greatest risk and be familiar with most current and relevant methods to evaluate general nutritional status (and malnutrition risk). Recent research will be presented regarding clinical benefit of diet assessment, anthropometric measures, and laboratory clinical values. In addition, practical guidance will be given in how to meet the key diet goals by phenotype. Key behavioral targets, and examples of SMART goals will be given. Guidance will be given re: when to refer patients to dietitian and further evaluation by the physician.

Speaker(s): Ellen S Aberegg, MA, LD, RD, FAACVPR

CE Credit(s): 1.25

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to state why diet assessment and anthropometric measures are essential components of evaluating risk at admission to PR.
• Participants will be able to state why weight loss is not inevitable.
• Participants will be able to state specific diet goals for each phenotype associated with nutrition risk.

Track: Research

AACVPR strives to provide diverse educational opportunities for our members. During this session, authors will present their peer-reviewed research in a specific topic area, and presentations will be moderated by experts in the field.

CE Credit(s): 1.25

Track: Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Clinical Cardiology

The average patient attending cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is typically older, physically inactive, obese, and may have to manage multiple chronic health conditions. However, there are many patient cases within CR programs that are much younger and have a long history of competing in various sports and/or endurance events. CR practitioners may be accustomed to prescribing cautious exercise regimens with slow weekly progression rates that are appropriate for the average CR participant and may therefore feel unequipped to optimize a training plan that fits the individual needs of the athletic CR participant. This can be related to setting moderate to vigorous intensities relative to their maximal aerobic capacity, programming high intensity interval training, designing sports specific exercises aimed at enhancing performance, and/or moving through sternal precautions at a rate faster than what is followed for older, less active adults. Accordingly, this session will review screening considerations and highlight exercise interventions for starting and progressing athletic CR patients back to towards competition levels and highlight strategies that can be applied in CR programs that facilitates the achievement of the patients’ performance goals.

Speaker(s):Cemal Ozemek, PhD, FAACVPR

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how to determine whether an athletic CR patient can progress to pre-CR training levels.
• Understand when athletic patients’ progress needs to be slowed due to clinical status.
• Understand general AET and RET prescription strategies.
• Understand how to design a sport specific exercise plan.

Track: Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Medicine

Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) is an effective but highly underutilized therapy for patients with chronic lung disease. National estimates suggest that as few as 3% of eligible patients participate after a hospitalization for COPD. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) funded two randomized controlled trials to test innovative approaches to increase PR participation. Moreover, the NHLBI previously funded a mixed-methods approach to identify effective implementation strategies to increase PR participation rates which is in its second year. In this session, we will hear from each of these investigators who will describe their proposals, unique approaches to improving pulmonary rehabilitation, and results.

Speaker(s): Roberto Benzo, MD, MSc

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will review the problems of low pulmonary rehabilitation participation and the known barriers and facilitators to enrollment.
• Attendees will be able to define alternatives for Rehabilitation after a COPD related hospitalization.
• Attendees will be able to summarize the innovative approaches being taken by each of these investigators to improve pulmonary rehabilitation participation (including health coaching, behavior change and remote monitoring).
• Attendees will conclude on how these approaches could be applied in the clinical setting.

Track: Innovative Leadership

Next to food and clothing, achieving personal and professional success is rated at the very top of the hierarchical order of human needs. Everybody want to be somebody! In this talk, the presenter (a student of highly successful people) will detail skills, strategies and secrets that, if regularly followed, will empower the attendee “to live the life that they imagine.” This motivational/inspirational presentation will provide the attendee with a compendium of foundational and critical behavioral skills that can empower professional success, including: look for the good in people and situations; how to activate the law of attraction; establish goals in writing; take action (#1 success characteristic); know that persistence pays; ask for things you want; enhance your speaking, writing and interviewing skills; why its important to work with and learn from people you want to emulate; the essence of superb people skills; and to regularly apply the law of sow and reap. Complementary approaches, tactics, and perspectives (e.g., the 80/20 rule [Pareto Principle]) that can help you achieve your breakthrough (major) life goals will also be covered. The “take home message?” Professional success and leadership opportunities don’t just happen — you create them.

Speaker(s): Barry A. Franklin, PhD, MAACVPR

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Review common behavioral skills of highly successful people in all walks of life
• Clarify the dividends of organization/association membership and achieving Fellow status
• Explain how small improvements in performance, service, or product quality over time can yield big rewards in life
• Summarize time management skills and the 80/20 rule (Pareto Principle) to double or triple your productivity

Track: Program Management

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn how to implement a new CR or PR program or add one of these to an existing program, despite various challenges and limited resources. We work in an ever-changing environment and provide cardiac and pulmonary rehab in a variety of settings (small rural programs to large metropolitan centers), yet we all share similar challenges. Through our combined experience in implementing new CR and PR programs we will deliver a cookie cutter package that will help any healthcare facility begin the process of implementing successful programs and overcome barriers. Let us be your resource in bringing these vital outpatient services to your area.

Speaker(s): Karen A. Edwards, MS, RCEP, RRT, FAACVPR; Jennifer Hart, MSc.

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the value of cardiac and pulmonary rehab in healthcare and how to approach conversations with your key healthcare leaders.
• Outline a basic template and checklist to utilize as you start your CR or PR program.
• Identify polices around including current smokers in pulmonary rehabilitation.
• Discuss common challenges and how to overcome barriers.
• Demonstrate how to implement AACVPR guidelines as the program is built to prepare for AACVPR Certification from the get go.

Track: Behavior Change and Nutrition

Many programs screen for depression using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9). The last item asks about the frequency of, “Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself.” How should staff in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation respond when they encounter patients endorsing suicidal ideation? The purpose of this rapid-fire discussion is to briefly present background information on suicide in patients eligible for cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation in order to go beyond merely following the local protocol. That is, what conversations do staff need to initiate with these patients? How can staff be more comfortable having these conversations? How serious is the risk of suicide for a patent endorsing suicidal ideation? What are some less well-known risk factors for a suicide attempt? What actions can be taken beyond the typical emergency psych referral? How can staff cope emotionally with caring for risky patients?

Speaker(s): Joel W. Hughes, PhD, FAACVPR; Matthew Whited, PhD, FSBM

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn strategies to initiate conversations with patients in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation who screen positive for suicidal ideation.
• Participants will learn less well-known risk factors for a suicide attempt.
• Participants will be able to describe action steps for supporting suicidal patients that go beyond an emergency psych referral.
• Participants will develop at least one action item to implement upon returning to their cardiopulmonary rehabilitation site.

Track: Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Clinical Cardiology

This session will discuss the roles of cardiac rehabilitation professionals in managing chronic diseases for patients who participate in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation.

Speaker(s): Ray W. Squires, Ph.D., MAACVPR, FAHA, FACSM; Randal Thomas, MD, MSc; Amanda Bonikowske, PhD; Thomas P. Olson, MS, PhD

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Define the concept of Disease Management as a critical component of Cardiac Rehabilitation.
• Describe systems of Disease Management developed by Stanford University and the Mayo Clinic.
• Provide outcome data for Disease Management in Cardiac Rehabilitation.
• Describe methods of Disease Management for patients who participate in technology-assisted home-based Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Track: Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Clinical Cardiology

The efficacy of cardiac rehabilitation is well established, however certain populations continue to be underrepresented and may require additional support. Interventions may be required to support these underrepresented populations in both attending CR, as well as maximizing the benefits gained while in CR. One such intervention is the use of case management. Case management has been used both to support secondary prevention more generally, as well as to specifically support attendance at CR. In this session we will review the current literature on how case management has been used to support patients, such as those who are eligible for CR, and effects on common risk factors such as medication management, attendance at medical appointments, and management of symptoms. Additionally, we will report on two recently completed randomized trials where case management was used as an intervention to improve CR participation, and secondary prevention more generally, among underrepresented populations (i.e. women and those with lower socioeconomic status).

Speaker(s): Diann Gaalema, PhD; Sherrie Khadanga,MD

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Review the efficacy of case management in the context of secondary prevention.
• Examine evidence on how case management effects attendance at medical follow-up, including CR.
• Learn about similarities and differences in case management needs between different underrepresented populations.

Track: Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Medicine

This session will describe the most significant publications in 2023 in the field of pulmonary rehabilitation. A review of the current research with implications for translation of the research into clinical practice will be afforded.

Speaker(s): Brian W. Carlin, MD, MAACVPR, FCCP, FAARC

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• To list three new research findings in the field of pulmonary rehabilitation
• Name two evidence based guidelines results from the ATS 2023 evidence based guidelines for pulmonary rehabilitation
• Develop a strategy to implement two of the most recent research findings into your clinical practice

Track: Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Medicine

The implementation of research in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation (CR/PR) centers is critical to optimize CR/PR program delivery and outcomes. The goal of this breakout session is to provide CR/PR directors, physicians, and staff insight into implementing research in a 'how to' format. This will be accomplished with four different topics. First, the learning objectives will be outlined followed by a discussion on the importance of research in the CR/PR setting for patient outcomes. Then, an overview of different types of research will be discussed including retrospective chart review, quality improvement, and clinical trials in the CR/PR setting. Second, the integration of research into CR/PR practice via quality improvement projects will be discussed. Specific examples and insights will be provided regarding project initiation, collaboration among providers and staff, database management, staffing, dissemination of findings, and incorporation of the quality improvement project findings into clinical practice. Third, the implementation of large and small clinical trials will be discussed with specific considerations for pulmonary and cardiovascular disease patients. The development and implementation of clinical trials (with an emphasis on smaller clinical trials) in the CR setting will be discussed. Specific examples and insights will be provided for steps needed to initiate a small clinical trial in this population (e.g., necessary infrastructure) as well as how such trials can be/are used to inform and improve clinical practice. Fourth, a cardiac rehab staff member will share insight and advice for incorporating research within the clinical setting (e.g., time management, implementation of research within clinical practice). Questions and answers will follow the last speaker.

Speaker(s): Joshua Smith, PhD; Bryan Taylor, PhD, FACSM; Rosalyn Salstrand, MS, RCEP; Kara Sweere, RN

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Distinguish types of research (e.g., quality improvement project versus clinical trial).
• Compare implementation of research strategies for pulmonary and cardiovascular disease patients.
• Identify barriers to research in your CR/PR center

Track: Program Management

AACVPR Program Certification is the only peer-review accreditation process designed to review cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation programs for adherence to standards and guidelines developed and published by AACVPR and other professional societies. AACVPR-certified programs are recognized as leaders in their field because they offer the most advanced, evidence-based practices and care. This session will provide an overview of each page of the 2024 certification application and insight on how to successfully complete the certification process. Programs seeking AACVPR Certification for the first time and those renewing their certification are encouraged to attend.

Speaker(s): Julie Dunagan, MBA, MS, CCRP, CEP, FAACVPR; Tonja Bell, MS, CCRP, FAACVPR

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will be able to provide an explanation and requirements for each page of the Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation certification application.
• Attendees will be able to describe the patient-centered and program-centered performance measures.
• Attendees will be able to identify common errors and omissions on program certification applications.

Track: Behavior Change and Nutrition

The purpose of this presentation is to educate the outpatient cardiac rehab professional on the integrative and functional medical nutrition therapy approach to cardiac patient care. Cardiac rehab professionals will learn about this integrative approach and the comprehensive way of assessing patients for better personalized care. Best practices to adopt within the outpatient cardiac rehab environment will be shared for practical takeaways to address patient health priorities and support relationship-centered care.

Speaker(s): Ruth A. Rasmussen, PhD, RDN, LD, CCRP

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Describe integrative and functional medical nutrition therapy (IFMNT) approach and defining characteristics.
• Discuss the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease within the IFMNT framework.
• Explain the IFMNT approach for cardiac patient assessment, nutrition care process, and intervention.
• Understand practical ways of integrating best practices from the IFMNT framework within the outpatient cardiac rehab environment.

Track: Research/Other

This session will update the work of the Data Analytic Center, present preliminary data from the registries, and outline the process for research submissions.

Speaker(s): Todd Brown, MD, MSPH, FACC, FAHA, MAACVPR

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the purpose and mission of the AACVPR Data Analytics Center.
• Learn about the variables and content of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Registry.
• Understand the process to submit ideas for publications.
• Learn about the variables and content of the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Registry.

Track: Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Clinical Cardiology

In this session we will examine the prevalence and role of frailty in cardiac rehabilitation along with rationale and practical considerations of exercise modalities for patients with frailty who require comprehensive intervention. The session will include 4 different topics: 1. The definition of the frailty syndrome and methods for assessing frailty. 2. The bidirectional relationship of frailty and cardiovascular disease. 3. Modifications to individualize the delivery of cardiac rehabilitation to address the components of frailty. 4. Fall risk prevention in cardiac rehabilitation: assessment/interventions.

Speaker(s): Marta Supervia, MD, MSc, PhD, CCRP; Amanda Bonikowske, PhD; Cemal Ozemek, PhD

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• To discuss contemporary guidance on assessing frailty.
• To review the relationship between cardiac disease and frailty.
• To identify the evidence-based strategies to treat CR patients with frailty.
• To review the latest guidance to prevent falls in frail and non-frail patients in CR.

Track: Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Medicine

Since inception, the foundations of pulmonary rehabilitation have been exercise and education. Evidence supporting the exercise component is substantial but limited for education. Despite limited evidence, educational interventions have been assumed to be the “right thing to do” and are supported by leading international societies. This session will review the available evidence and provide considerations to optimize outcomes related to individualizing education and self-management strategies for our patients.

Speaker(s): Aimee Kizziar, MHAL, BA, RRT-NPS, RCP, CES; Karen A. Edwards, MS, RCEP, RRT, FAACVPR

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Review the research on the educational component of pulmonary rehabilitation.
• Discuss the potential barriers to engaging in education and self-management interventions.
• Discuss how to recognize, screen for, and consider factors that can influence learning and individualize our interventions accordingly.
• Apply individualized approaches to education and self-management strategies to optimize outcomes.

Track: Innovative Leadership

The growing older adult population has led to an increase in the number of older patients with cardiopulmonary diseases in exercise rehabilitation programs. Chronic low physical activity levels, high sedentary time, sarcopenic obesity, suboptimal diet, and additional comorbid conditions increase the risk of physical frailty in this population. Aerobic exercise training (AET) has long been held as the primary exercise intervention delivered to all patients enrolled in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programs, with comparatively less attention and time placed on delivering high quality resistance exercise training (RET). Although the average participant accumulates numerous health benefits after completing traditional cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, a subset of older physically frail participants acquire marginal to no appreciable benefit. A rapidly growing body of evidence highlights the efficacy of RET over AET in decreasing fall risk, improving strength, balance, and independence. Moreover, the benefits acquired through RET can be enhanced when combined with a dietary intervention with a focus on protein supplementation. In the applied setting, cardiopulmonary session structure, staffing, as well as limited practitioner familiarity with screening patients for physical frailty, prescribing and delivering high-quality targeted RET coupled with dietary counseling in physically frail patients may contribute to a missed opportunity to optimize the patients’ outcomes. Accordingly, this session will review evidence-based screening and assessment strategies for physical frailty, RET prescription and progression, as well as guidance on how to feasibly translate these evidence-based practices to the real-world rehab setting.

Speaker(s): Sherrie Khadanga,MD; Daniel E. Forman, MD, FACC, FAHA, Carmen Terzic, MD, PhD

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Understand physical frailty screening and assessment strategies.
• Interpret results from an assessment and develop a training plan aimed at reducing future falls and increasing physical independence.
• Understand general dietary recommendations aimed at reversing physical frailty in older adults.
• Understand how to distribute work responsibilities to facilitate targeted RET interventions during exercise sessions.

Track: Program Management

Learn how Baystate Health system used an NIH initiative to improve Heart Failure participation and completion of their cardiac rehab program to 15% of their patient population.

Speaker(s): Patrick Schilling BS, ACSM-CEP, AACVPR-CCRP

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Summarize the scope of heart failure in the United States.
• Explain the challenges and opportunities for inpatient and outpatient referrals.
• Describe participation in NIH HF collaborative.
• Identify participation rates and development of a patient dashboard.
• Review how a continuous quality improvement cycle can help facilitate long term change.

Track: Behavior Change and Nutrition

How to have meaningful conversations when addressing lifestyle/nutrition modifications throughout the patients AHF/ALD journey from diagnosis to post transplant. Will take a look at the DASH diet – dissect the major components into easy-to-understand components. Provide meaningful context about the benefits for following the DASH diet to help increase motivation to create these lifestyle changes. In this session strategies will be presented on how small changes over time will lead to great success. We discuss the method of communicating changing from talking in absolutes to a most-of-the-time conversation to help improve adherence among our patient population.

Speaker(s): Carolyn Feibig, MS, RD

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• The audience member will develop a deeper understanding of the DASH Diet and the benefits it provides to their patient population as a life-long eating pattern. They will be able to distinguish between a healthful DASH style eating pattern vs a Fad Diet eating pattern and thus communicate the benefits of DASH to their patient.
• The audience member will be able to engage in meaningful conversations with their patient about how to make lifestyle changes. Moving the conversations from the negative (cannots) to the positive (can) will help the patient feel engaged and part of the team. Using language that impowers the patient to take an active role in the desired lifestyle modifications..
• The audience member will learn techniques to establish a rapport with the patient even when discussing sensitive topics such as weight and daily activity. Many times, people who are overweight feel judged leading to shame. Having open honest conversations and demonstrating how small changes make a big difference will help break down the wall of perceived judgement and allow for real conversations and action in a safe space.
• The audience member after this session will be able to guide their patient population from beginning diagnosis to post transplant on how to make small lifelong positive changes while following the DSAH lifestyle. They will be able to help their patients see the long-term benefit to following a DASH lifestyle for life not just as a means to an end. They will leave with resources they can use when counseling their patients and reputable DASH diet recipe web links.

Track: Research

Track: Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Clinical Cardiology

This session will provide a review of the pertinent information from the 2023 2016 guidelines relative to practitioners who provide supervised exercise therapy (SET) to patients with symptomatic (i.e., claudication) peripheral artery disease. It will also provide an overview of important reseach since 2016 that is being used to inform a revision of these guidelines. The focus will be on exercise training and risk factor modification.

Speaker(s): Jonathan K. Ehrman PhD, FAACVPR

CE Credit(s): 0.75

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will know the guideline statements relative to exercise training.
• The participants will know the guideline statements relative to risk factor reduction.
• Participants will be introduced to important research that may inform the next revision of these guidelines.
• Participants will learn about effective exercise training techniques for patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease.

Track: Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Medicine

Home oxygen therapy products are becoming harder to source and use effectively. Consolidation of manufactures and reduced reimbursement presents a challenge for clinicians to apply long term oxygen therapy (LTOT) therapeutically. This presentation will discuss technology from dosing capabilities ranging from conserving methodology to high flow oxygen therapy. New ambulatory devices will be discussed including new Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POC).

Speaker(s): Robert McCoy, BS, RRT, FAARC

CE Credit(s): 0.75

Learning Objectives:

• The learner will be able to describe three methods of dosing oxygen to a patient.
• The learner will be able to identify three issues that will change the FiO2 of a POC with increased respiratory rate.
• The learner will be able to describe three options for ambulatory LTOT.
• The learner will be able to describe three benefits of High Flow Oxygen therapy.

Track: Innovative Leadership

Unprecedented staff turnover across the United States has created significant challenges for cardiac rehab programs regardless of size, location, or certification status and introduced a wide range of staff skillset and experience to programs. Proficiency in ensuring new staff is educated and trained in all of the cardiac rehab staff competencies is key to maintaining quality programs during this tumultuous time. This session will review challenging staffing scenarios and create a road map for staff competency training that will fit any program’s needs.

Speaker(s): Julianne DeAngelis, MS, CCRP, FAACVPR; Ashley Wishman MS, CEP, CSCS, EIM3, FAACVPR

CE Credit(s): 0.75

Learning Objectives:

• Review staff competencies and certification requirements.
• Examine the challenges created by high staff turnover and influx of new hires.
• Deliver real world strategies for teaching and training competencies to new hires.

Track: Research 

This presentation aims to assist program leaders how to build a healthy team in a safe culture.

Speaker(s): Ginny Dow, RN, BSN, BC, CCRP, FAACVPR; Cynthia Walters, EdD; Victoria Yandle, DNP, MSN, RN, CCRP

CE Credit(s): 0.75

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the benefits of having a team built for diversity, inclusivity, and equity.
• Understand how diversity can provide a stronger work culture and improve patient care.
• Strengthen intercultural communication skills and teams.
• Describe the benefits of utilizing a multidisciplinary team in cardiovascular and pulmonary rehab.

Track: Research 

Poor diet quality is prevalent in the U.S. and globally, including after a diagnosis of CVD, and has massive public health, health equity, and economic burdens. Cardiac rehab/secondary prevention programs offer the best care model for improving diet quality in those with CVD. This session will discuss the nutrition core component of CR, its comparative efficacy vs. other core components, and the need to expand the CR nutrition intervention to include a wider focus on cardioprotective foods, biomolecules, and dietary patterns. The components of three evidence based plant-forward diets will be reviewed in detail, along with the clinical evidence and mechanistic studies to support their promotion for cardiovascular risk reduction. Also reviewed will be some less evidence-based dietary practices popular among CVD patients, and best CR practices for diet behavior change.

Speaker(s): Karen E. Aspry, MD, MS, FACC, FNLA FAHA

CE Credit(s): 0.75

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the impacts of poor diet quality and its prevalence even after a diagnosis of CVD
• Know the current nutrition core component for CR/SP programs and its efficacy based on recent data
• Describe evidence-based diet patterns and their components, commonalities and slight differences, and popular dietary practices with little support for long term use
• Understand the growing evidence that food components have vasculoprotective and other biological effects that support the view of ‘food as medicine

Track: Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Clinical Cardiology

In this session, we will provide an overview of the impact and implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac rehabilitation. Initially, the “two pandemics” will be discussed. This involves the concept of how unhealthy lifestyles, inadequate physical activity and poor fitness synergistically worsened the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease and the public at large. The second speaker will discuss the implications of long COVID on cardiac rehabilitation. According to the CDC, between 20% and 30% of those who have been infected with COVID-19 have suffered “long COVID”. This condition can include a wide range of ongoing health problems which can last weeks, months, or even years. Even after testing negative for COVID-19, patients with long COVID and cardiovascular disease have significantly worse outcomes. Many long COVID sufferers struggle to remain physically active or even perform normal activities of daily living. This discussion will focus on managing patients in cardiac rehabilitation programs who have experienced long COVID. Finally, we will discuss implementing rehabilitation in the post-COVID era. While the COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental effect on cardiac rehabilitation programs, a great deal was learned about innovative methods to provide cardiac rehabilitation services. The AACVPR estimated that only ˜29% of CR programs in the US remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic severely impeded the AACVPR and AHA goal of increasing national participation to 70%. The COVID pandemic has highlighted the value of novel methods of implementing cardiac rehabilitation. Many hospitals and health systems have embraced home-based and/or hybrid programs, along with novel methods to quantify adherence to lifestyle changes remotely. The latter presentation will focus on how COVID-19 has affected cardiac rehabilitation both for better and for worse, along with directions for the future.

Speaker(s): Jonathan Myers, PhD; Josef Niebauer, MD, PhD, MBA; Cemal Ozemek, PhD, FAACVPR

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Review how unhealthy lifestyles, inadequate physical activity and poor fitness synergistically worsened the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease and the public at large.
• Recognize the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on rehabilitation programs, and how it has changed cardiac rehabilitation going forward.
• Understand the impact of “long COVID” and its influence on managing patients in cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Track: Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Medicine

This lecture centers on the best practices in COPD care with a focus on the 2023 GOLD guideline updates. The discussion will include a description of the UC Davis Comprehensive COPD Clinic and how we provide expert management of COPD with a multi-disciplinary team.

Speaker(s): Michael Schivo, MD, MAS

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Detail key updates in COPD care according to the revised GOLD guidelines.
• Describe the role of a multi-disciplinary team in quality COPD management.
• Summarize the specific roles Respiratory Therapists hold in quality COPD management.
• Identify common avoidable pitfalls in COPD care.

Track: Innovative Leadership

There are many barriers to effectively executing the cardiac rehabilitation program. The current VUCA environment post-COVID of staffing issues and care limitations makes managing these programs complex. This segment will review the types of leadership styles, when to choose a style, and how to effectively use it with the cardiac rehab team. Strategies of how to engage staff to encourage staff retention will be discussed, along with take-home example tools to strengthen staff unity, purpose, and retention.

Speaker(s):Janelle C. Swank RN, MSN/MBA; Adam deJong, MA, MAACVPR

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• By attending this session, the learner will be introduced to the character traits often associate with strong leaders.
• By attending this session, the learner will strengthen the understanding of leadership styles and how using a set of diverse styles can enhance the management of the cardiac rehab team.
• By attending this session, the learner will grow their ability to understand situational agility in leadership choices that meet the circumstance of the team.
• By attending this session, the learner will identify healthy and unhealthy embeddedness in their staff.
• By attending this session, the learner will learn how to connect with staff using an engagement tool, an innovative meeting tool, and a risk assessment tool.

Track: Program Management

The goal of this session is to provide an overview of program certification requirements for ITPs and discussion on the common pitfalls and opportunities to improve your ITP.

Speaker(s): Julie Dunagan, MS, FAACVPR, CCRP; Tonja Bell, MS, CCRP, FAACVPR

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Develop fundamental elements of the ITP for Program Certification.
• Identify common issues and ITP examples.
• Recognize ITP opportunities for improvement.

Track: Behavior Change and Nutrition

Diabetes and obesity are major risk factors for heart disease and indeed, many cardiac rehab patients suffer with one or both diseases. Despite herculean efforts by both health care providers and patients, prevalence for both has been steadily increasing for the last 40 years. Finally, with the advent of incretin drugs, our patients with diabetes and obesity have new hope. These drugs can facilitate significant A1c and weight loss reductions. This presentation will cover the new incretin drugs – how they work, their comparative strengths and side effects, and who can benefit from them. You’ll leave with a solid foundation of these medications and be better able to help your patients who take them.

Speaker(s): Mary Finckenor, MA, RD, CDCES, BC-ADM, CCRP

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to identify which incretin drugs are indicated for diabetes and which are for weight loss.
• Participants will be able to verbalize the mechanism of action of incretin drugs.
• Participants will be able to explain the prescribing criteria for incretin drugs indicated for weight loss.
• Patients will be able to verbalize side effects and contraindicatons of incretin drugs.

Track: Research

This session will highlight selected studies that have appeared in JCRP during the past year. The presenter(s) will briefly review the rationale (i.e., importance and relevance of the study), key findings, and the potential impact on cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programming. The goal of the session is to highlight the most impactful and clinically relevant research that was published in JCRP. Also, the session will "translate" the research results so that the rehabilitative professionals can integrate the findings into their clinical practice to meaningfully affect patient health outcomes.

Speaker(s): Leonard Kaminsky PhD, FAACVR

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will be able to explain the clinical significance of selected research studies that appeared in JCRP.
• Attendees will be able to summarize the content and the conclusions of the selected studies.
• Attendees will be able describe ways to apply the information conveyed in the session to their current practice

Track: Innovative Leadership

Digital mechanisms for delivering patient education have proven effective to improve outcomes in cardiovascular disease management with reports of a myriad of benefits including increased adherence to prescribed medications, improvement in quality of life, decreases in anxiety and depression levels, maintenance of heart-healthy behaviours, improvement in knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs, and reduction of cardiovascular disease risk factors, and hospitalization rates. While cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) teams may be aware of the evidence for the clinical effectiveness of virtual interventions, development and implementation of these programs remain a challenge. In 2017, the team at the UHN-Toronto Rehab Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation program developed an open-access, 12-week video-based education program called THRiVE, delivered on their Cardiac College™ (www.cardiaccollege.ca) and Diabetes College™ (www.diabetescollege.ca) websites. Since this time, the need for virtual interventions in CR has increased and THRiVE has become central to the delivery of multilingual patient education in many sites around the world. Global partner programs follow an established process to adapt the curriculum to meet their program needs and various digital delivery mechanisms have been used to deliver the education. With the goal to highlight the actual, practical process to implement various digital mechanisms in CR to deliver patient education, the UHN team and guests will present case studies that focus on delivery through several avenues including a website, videoconferencing platforms, a commercial app, and an app with electronic medical record integration. Barriers and facilitators to implementation will be discussed.

Speaker(s): Gabriela Ghisi, PT, PhD; Paul Oh, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FACP, FAACVPR; Michelle Murray, RN, NBC-HWC; Renee Konidis, R. Kin., MScCH (FCM)

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the process to adapt an evidence-based, digital patient education curriculum to meet the needs of cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) patients in local settings.
• Through case studies, explain the practical process used to implement digital approaches (e.g., app, videoconferencing, website) to deliver education in CR.
• Describe the development and implementation of the MyChart Care Companion app for CR and its integration with the EPIC health information system.
• Identify strategies and tools used to overcome barriers to implementing a digital platform to educate CR patients.

Track: Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Medicine

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an influx of patients with the diagnosis of “long hauler” COVID-19 in our traditional Pulmonary Rehab program (PR). These patients have presented with unique issues in both their physical and psychosocial status which have required additional attention and emotional support. This presentation will focus on psychosocial clinical outcomes of patients with COVID-19 in PR, the value of initiating a peer support group and the changes noted with the implementation of a specific COVID support group.

Speaker(s): Jacqueline Pierce, PT, CCS, CCRP; Maria L Buckley, PhD

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the unique psychosocial symptoms of patients in PR with COVID 19.
• Compare and contrast the psychosocial outcomes of Patients with Covid 19 and standard PR to those patients with COVID 19 who attended a specific covid support group.
• Describe the unique emotional issues with this group.
• Provide strategies for implementing a Covid-19 support group.

Track: Innovative Leadership

Learn how two healthcare systems successfully applied strategies from the Million Hearts initiative in similar yet different ways and optimized patient participation and completion in their cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Speaker(s): Patrick Schilling BS, ACSM-CEP, AACVPR-CCRP; Anthony C. Vempala, MS Ex.Sc., MA Theo, CCRP-AACVPR, Carolina Martinez, MS, ACSM-RCEP, EIM3

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the Million Hearts 2027 initiative and their strategies to improve cardiac rehabilitation referrals, enrollment and adherence.
• Identify ways in which large and small programs can benefit through collaboration and developing a network.
• Identify effective strategies to improve adherence in cardiac rehabilitation through a ‘reimagining’ of your program.
• Identify effective strategies to improve referrals and enrollment in your cardiac rehabilitation program.
• Identify effective strategies that integrate your cardiac rehabilitation program into the overall strategic business development vision of your comprehensive cardiac care program and healthcare system.

Track: Program Management

During this session the value of time and efficiency will be highlighted as we talk about the implementation of programmatic changes. These changes include building new class schedules that include 91 minutes sessions, group admissions, billing and referrals. During this session you will have the opportunity to collaborate with your peers to help navigate your electronic medical record, or lack thereof.

Speaker(s):Jessica Hyduk, RCEP, RN

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will be able to effectively implement programmatic changes to enhance efficiencies and increase adherence to their programs.
• Attendees will endorse the concept and value of a 91 minute cardiopulmonary rehab session.
• Attendees will be able to compare the use of their the electronic medical records with their peers in order to expedite and manage the referral process.

Track: Behavior Change and Nutrition

Speaker(s):Galina D. Kitchens, Psy.D.

CE Credit(s): 1.00

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about the role a of resident psychologist at each stage of the cardiac/pulmonary rehabilitation program.
• What can we do to address patients’ resistance to addressing their psychological needs while working on improving their physical health.
• Learn to structure a stress management program that will hold patients’ interest and attention.

Track: Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Clinical Cardiology

The Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago offers comprehensive cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services. Navigating the global public health emergency expanded the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program landscape, offering opportunities to extend services to a home-based or hybrid environment and bridge critical gaps in program enrollment and completion. Guidelines and formatting for this new care model are in preliminary stages of development, requiring individual facilities to strategically build a program that is effective and safe. Obtaining institutional buy-in and support to establish and implement services requires navigation of multiple hospital layers, which can be challenging. Building a hybrid cardiac rehabilitation program platform in the pediatric patient population is unique, adding additional complexities to navigate.This session will discuss processes involved in building a pediatric hybrid cardiac rehabilitation program model and share strategies to promote successful program implementation. We will highlight the similarities between pediatric and adult hybrid programming and discuss some of the challenges pediatric programs face. The session will offer attendees opportunities to collaborate with other centers and brainstorm ideas to improve hybrid cardiac rehabilitation programming, share lessons learned and build upon successful strategies. Several case studies will be reviewed to highlight patient outcomes, patient experience and unique monitoring strategies. Additionally, the session will encourage attendees to discuss the future and vision of pediatric hybrid cardiac rehabilitation programming and identify opportunities to enhance pediatric hybrid cardiac rehabilitation services.

Speaker(s): Melissa McMahon, MS, ACSM EP-C; Kendra M Ward, MD, MS; Brittany Holst, MS, ACSM-CEP, EIM; Garett Griffith, PhD, MPH

CE Credit(s): .75

Learning Objectives:

• Identify key stakeholders for successful hybrid cardiac rehabilitation program development and implementation.
• Describe key program components for safe, effective, and successful pediatric hybrid cardiac rehabilitation.
• Discuss strategies to deliver safe and effective hybrid cardiac rehabilitation services, understand approaches to risk stratification, and identify creative solutions to bridge monitoring gaps for higher risk patients.
• Understand complexities of hybrid cardiac rehabilitation program development and learn unique strategies to enhance hybrid cardiac rehabilitation services through interactive and collaborative discussion.

Track: Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Medicine

Similarities and differences among certified Pulmonary Rehabilitation programs throughout New England were analyzed. Strengths and challenges discussed with potential alterations to improve patient attendance and outcomes.

Speaker(s): Sam Pannier, MS, MHA, ACSM-CEP, CCRP

CE Credit(s): .75

Learning Objectives:

• Identify weaknesses in their current program and develop an action plan to strengthen their pulmonary rehab program.
• Identify key components needed to start a sucessful pulmonary rehab program.
• Compare their program's similarities and differences with certified programs throughout New England.

Track: Innovative Leadership

This session will outline critical collaborative cross-department relationships that foster and sustain Cardiac rehabilitation success. The focus of this session will be to identify these key stakeholder relationships and provide best practices to forge and leverage partnerships within the Cardiovascular Service Line and broader organization.

Speaker(s): Matthew Thomas, MS, MBA, ACSM-CEP

CE Credit(s): .75

Learning Objectives:

• Identify 3 strategic alliances that can help program growth and development.
• Provide best practice strategies to create, uphold, and grow strategic partnerships within the traditional hospital organization.
• Demonstrate the power of human capital as it pertains to referral, participation and adherence..
• Demonstrate how reciprocal partnerships improve patient outcomes and program growth.

Track: Program Management

Cardiac rehabilitation programs often operate as part of a greater collaborative network under one common organization. These have been referred to as “sister-sites”. Although this organizational structure can be beneficial, it can also present numerous challenges in standardization of care and in the delineation of responsibilities across each unique site of operation. This interactive session will provide attendees with creative strategies for the development and implementation of multi-center cardiac rehabilitation program (sister-site) collaborative techniques. Staffing roles, programming, and quality improvement opportunities will be reviewed. The Mayo Clinic enterprise experience will be highlighted as a case example.

Speaker(s): Rosalyn Salstrand, MS, RCEP; Adam M. Shultz, MS, CEP

CE Credit(s): .75

Learning Objectives:

• Describe approaches to foster multi-site cardiac rehabilitation collaboration initiatives across key facets of high-quality programming (clinical practice, education, research, and quality assurance).
• Identify ways to include cardiac rehabilitation staff in specialized, interest-based leadership roles to facilitate program development.
• Summarize benefits for standardization of workflows and procedures across multi-center cardiac rehabilitation organizations.

Track: Behavior Change and Nutrition

Learn ideas to engage patients in weekly conversations about cessation. Ensure clinicians are aware of non-traditional tobacco products and the effects they have on their health. The benefits of nicotine replacement therapy. Participants will be allowed to discuss what their programs are doing.

Speaker(s): Althea Woodley, RRT

CE Credit(s): .75

Learning Objectives:

• Define what other programs are doing for tobacco cessation.
• Employ ideas on how to have weekly conversations with your patients about tobacco cessation.
• Define non-traditional tobacco and tobacco like products on the market.
• Discuss nicotine replacement therapy.

Track: Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Clinical Cardiology

Speaker(s): Paul Oh, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FACP, FAACVPR; Ray W. Squires, PhD, MAACVPR, FAHA, FACSM

CE Credit(s): 1.25

Track: Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Clinical Cardiology

This session will provide learners with insights on exercise prescription and progression strategies for challenging diagnoses in cardiac rehabilitation. Specifically, an emphasis will be placed on diagnoses for which there is a paucity in evidence-based guidelines. Cardio-oncology, pediatrics, spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), adult congenital heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HOCM), and aortopathy will be investigated, with illustrative case examples being utilized for each.

Speaker(s): Adam M. Shultz, MS, CEP; Amanda Bonikowske, PhD; Thomas P. Olson, MS, PhD

CE Credit(s): 1.25

Learning Objectives:

• Summarize pathophysiological challenges to exercise prescription that practitioners face for each respective diagnostic group.
• Review exercise prescription and progression approaches for challenging cardiac rehabilitation diagnoses.
• Illustrate the application of exercise prescription concepts through case examples.

Track: Program Management

This session will take a progressively systematic approach to 4 core areas critical to creating and sustaining a competent workforce within the Cardiopulmonary landscape. Content experts will present proven best practice approaches to 1) designing and implementing a comprehensive internship program, 2) development of clinical/career ladders 3) best practice approaches to managing and developing a diverse workforce, and 4) leveraging available resources to support colleagues within the Cardiopulmonary workforce.

Speaker(s): Matthew Thomas, MS, MBA, ACSM-CEP; Betsy Hart, MS, FAACVPR, ACSM - CEP, CCRP; Laura A. Richardson, PhD, ACSM-CEP, FACSM

CE Credit(s): 1.25

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will be able to draft internship contracts which attract competent candidates while managing clear internship expectations that support both student and department.
• Attendees will be given a proven career ladder model that promotes recruitment, advancement and retention within Cardiopulmonary Rehab departments.
• Attendees will be given hiring and vetting procedures aimed to minimize vacancies and improve retention within Cardiopulmonary Rehab.
• Attendees will be given organization resources that support continued education, professional development, and attract quality candidates.

Track: Behavior Change and Nutrition

Patients with cardiac and pulmonary disease have higher rates of anxiety than the general population, and symptoms can have serious implications for secondary prevention. Symptom manifestations can potentially affect many facets of both cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, from attendance to outcomes, in addition to disease prognosis. Cardiac rehabilitation has been shown to alleviate symptoms of anxiety in patients after myocardial infarction or in those with heart failure. In pulmonary rehabilitation, symptoms of mild to moderate anxiety may improve with the program alone, while more severe symptoms may see less effect. However, anxiety that persists may interfere with attendance at CR and PR or prevent patients from engaging in the appropriate amount or intensity of physical activity. Treatment needs in both groups may require additional pharmacologic or therapeutic interventions in order to complete a program successfully. In this session we will review the current literature on anxiety and participation in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and the benefits gained during participation. We will also discuss the implications for identifying, supporting, and including those with anxiety in these programs.

Speaker(s): Diann Gaalema, PhD; Katherine Menson, DO

CE Credit(s): 1.25

Learning Objectives:

• Review the effects of anxiety on participation in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.
• Examine evidence on how anxiety may impede improvements in outcomes.
• Discuss methods for identifying and supporting those with anxiety in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation.