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Cruise Conference Planning For Your Association

Cardiology, Internal Medicine, Mass Casualty and Disaster Management

7-Night Spain & Italy Cruise
Round-trip Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy
June 20 - 27, 2024
Royal Caribbean's <em>Oasis of the Seas</em>
Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas
14.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
14 ACPE Credits
14.0 (part II) MOC points in medical knowledge in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program
3.0 Hours of Pharmacology for Nurse Practitioners
14.0 Contact Hours
Course Fees
$995 for Physicians, Attorneys, Psychologists, Doctors of Pharmacy, & Dentists
$795 for Physician Assistants
$595 for Nurses, Residents, Students & Others

Target Audience
Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Pharmacists
Program Purpose / Objectives
  1. Overview of Mass Casualty Incidents (MCI)
    • Determine the general factors relevant in an MCI, be familiar with the definition and goals of terrorism, the history of terrorist attacks, and the other most common types of disasters
  2. Pre-Hospital MCI Management
    • Identify priorities (TRIAGE/SORT) of field and early hospital management
    • Discuss the function and structure of pre-hospital triage and Incident Command
    • Discuss their own management system and together we will determine strategies
  3. MCI in natural -induced and man-made disasters: Management process
    • Discuss the basic principles of how to treat different injuries in a mass casualty situation where you might possibly have 20-50 injured or more in your hospital at the same time
    • Analyze the gaps in equipment, personnel, and surge capacity in order to return to hospitals to update personnel
  4. Non-Conventional Disasters
    • Describe anticipated radiological, nuclear, chemical and biological scenarios
    • Be familiar with the terms and concepts that are unique to the medical management of mass casualties, including triage, surge capacity, decontamination, and critical mortality
  5. Ethical Challenges, Dilemmas and PTSD
    • Assess methods for psycho-emotional support and care of disaster casualties, their families, and responders
    • Consider personal experiences and lessons learned as well as results from longitudinal research studies investigating medical teams in Israel
  6. Translating COVID-19 pandemic surge to MCI surge
    • Apply the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic and at the cost of millions of lives lost to be better prepared for future pandemics
  7. Management of Heart Failure
    • Apply evidence based therapies for patients with heart failure with reduced and preserved ejection fraction
  8. Optimizing the Management of LDL-Cholesterol for Primary and Secondary Prevention
    • Improve evidence based cholesterol management for primary and secondary prevention.
  9. Moving Beyond LDL-C: Contemporary Approach to Triglycerides, HDL-C, and Lipoprotein(a)
    • Apply updated evidence to optimize management of HDL-C, Triglycerides and Lp(a)
  10. Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease -- Focus on Cardiometabolic Therapies
    • Understand and apply SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP1 RA in clinical practice.
  11. Management of Valvular Heart Disease and Atrial Fibrillation
    • Understand the role of valvular intervention and apply evidence regarding anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation.
  12. Clinical Cases in Cardiology
    • Familiarize yourself with common clinical scenarios for risk stratification, management of heart failure, valvular disease
Conference Sessions generally take place on days at sea (as itinerary allows), giving you plenty of time to enjoy your meals, evenings and ports of call with your companion, family and friends.
IMPORTANT NOTE: All conferees, their families, and guests must book their cruise within the University at Sea® meeting group through University at Sea® at 800-926-3775 or by registering online. This ensures our company can provide conference services and complimentary social amenities to all meeting participants and their guests. Thank you for your cooperation.
Faculty

Miklosh Bala, MD

Miklosh Bala, MD
General and Trauma Surgeon, Department of General Surgery, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel Dr. Bala Miklosh is a Director of Trauma and Acute care Surgery Unit and senior surgeon of Department of General Surgery of Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel. Residency in General Surgery in Hadassah Medical Center. Fellowship in Trauma and Surgical Critical Care in Baltimore, MD. Active member of EAST, AAST and ESTES. Currently work as a leading surgeon in Acute Care Surgery and Trauma and chief consultant for surgery in ICU. Member of trauma committee of Israeli Trauma Association. 

Dr. Bala's clinical and research experience in trauma care started in 2001 while he was a second year surgical resident at the Hadassah Medical Center and was first exposed to trauma surgery. Since then trauma surgery has become a major topic of his investigations and a main subspecialty. 

During his period of residency in general surgery at Hadassah Medical Center, he took care of and was involved in the management of hundreds of casualties that arrived at our Trauma Center following terrorist attacks. On the basis of his experiences, he helped to first introduce the civilian protocol for the management of mass casualty incidents MCIs and showed his team's high success rate in saving life by fully utilizing the limited resources available in civilian hospitals. He was able to summarize this experience in a number of recently published papers relating to different aspects of MCI management, for the first time assessed in terms of ICU need and blood use during the MCI (Published in Injury and European Journals). He summarized his data from hundreds of victims suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to terrorist attacks in an article published in the Journal of Trauma. 
Collection of this data is an ongoing project, for which he works in close collaboration with a psychological group in his hospital. The importance of these studies has been demonstrated in real-time and he have been invited as an expert speaker and guest lecturer to a number of teaching courses and conferences around the world. 

Lastly, he is active in National Homeland Security committee for disaster preparedness, where he works on preparedness for earthquake and chemical disaster on hospital and national levels. 
Other topics of special interest:
  • Trauma surgery and surgical critical care
  • Education in surgery and trauma

Nihar R. Desai, MD, MPH

Nihar R. Desai, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine
Yale School of Medicine
Associate Chief
Section of Cardiovascular Medicine
Investigator
Center for Outcomes Research and Investigation
New Haven, CT Nihar R. Desai, MD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Chief of the Section of Cardiovascular Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, an Investigator at the Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, and Medical Director for Value Innovation at the Yale New Haven Health System Heart and Vascular Center. His interests focus on cardiovascular health services and comparative effectiveness research, examining patterns of care, identifying opportunities to improve clinical outcomes, and evaluating the impact of novel care delivery systems on cost and quality. In addition, he serves as a clinical consultant on the CMS acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and coronary artery bypass graft surgery readmission and mortality measures. He graduated with highest honors from Lehigh University before completing an internship in the Clinton White House. He then attended the University of Connecticut School of Medicine where he received his Doctorate in Medicine and the Harvard School of Public Health where he received his Master’s in Public Health. Dr. Desai completed his residency training in Internal Medicine as well as his clinical fellowship in Cardiovascular Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He then completed a research fellowship at the TIMI Study Group with Dr. Eugene Braunwald. His scholarly work has been published in New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, Circulation, and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Our staff can assist you with all your travel arrangements.

Questions? Call us at 800-422-0711.
We can assist you with all your travel arrangements. We'd be happy to help you plan your flights, hotels or tours before and/or after your cruise conference.

Cruise Itinerary

DATE PORT OF CALL ARRIVE DEPART
Thu Jun 20 Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy
- 8:00 pm
Fri Jun 21 Naples, Italy
7:00 am 8:00 pm
Sat Jun 22 *At Sea - Cruising
- -
Sun Jun 23 Barcelona, Spain
5:00 am 6:00 pm
Mon Jun 24 Palma De Mallorca, Spain
8:00 am 4:00 pm
Tue Jun 25 *At Sea - Cruising
- -
Wed Jun 26 La Spezia, Italy
8:30 am 8:30 pm
Thu Jun 27 Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy
7:00 am -
*Tentative course schedule, actual class times may differ.

Ports of Call

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy - Extraordinary architecture, millennia of turbulent history, magnificent basilicas concealing unimaginable riches, and ornate fountains splashing at the heart of sun-drenched piazzas are just some of the many reasons to visit Rome. Art greets you on every corner, from elaborate statues to delicate frescoes. Stroll the ancient center and history comes to life as you explore the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Roman Forum. Enjoy Italian café culture in Trastevere, where you can wander the narrow streets and soak up a sense of la dolce vita, or throw a coin into the baroque Trevi Fountain to guarantee your return to this vibrant, intoxicating city.

Naples, Italy - Capital of Southern Italy and the largest city in Campania, Naples is the third most populated city in Italy (after Rome and Milan) with over a million inhabitants. It's the most important industrial center and trading port for the South. Naples itself can provide a day's fun and entertainment, if its somewhat rundown appearance doesn't dissuade you. Or, join a tour of incredible Pompeii, frozen in time since A.D. 79 when Mt. Vesuvius brought an end to that then-thriving city. Or, take a quick ferry across the bay to the flowery Isle of Capri. Or, (yes, there's more) visit fabulous Sorrento, vacation spot for the well to do.

At Sea - Cruising - Cruising

Barcelona, Spain -

Barcelona is a one of the world's great cities. Stroll down her tree-lined boulevards, the magnificent Passeig de Gràcia or the more touristed Las Ramblas. On the Passeig, shop a serious fashion district while marveling at examples of Mordenisme architecture, seemingly sculpted from the stuff of dreams (Gaudi's masterpiece of a family home, Casa Batlló is well worth a visit). If a trip on the Passeig hasn't convinced you of Gaudi's genius, a visit to La Sagrada Familia Cathedral will do the trick; this fantastic, soaring marvel will live on in your memory long after you've returned.

Not far from the Passeig and just north of Las Ramblas, the Gothic Quarter (the Barri Gotic) provides an abundance of shopping opportunities for all tastes, and a bit of European history to boot - check out the tranquil Cathedral of Barcelona. To see a bit of local life a visit to a food market is a quick, fun detour: try Santa Caterina near the Cathedral or Mercado de La Boqueria, right off of Las Ramblas.

Barcelona's food is also a highlight: stop into a tapas bar and try a variety of delicacies. "Standard" restaurants of every style are available, too. And, there's music, too! Visit an underground jazz club or the magnificent Palau de la Música Catalana; or stop by the Palau Dalmases for a stunning, flamenco performance (it's near the Picasso museum). Did we mention art? One of the largest collections of Picasso's art is found at the Museau Picasso, and a great collection of contemporary, figurative (i.e not abstract) painting and sculpture is housed at the European Museum of Modern Art just around the corner.

It's probably clear by now that you really can't get it all done in a day (even if all means "just the must-sees"). So, stay for a day or three in the Gothic Quarter or near Plaça de Catalunya and really get a feel for what makes Barcelona such a wonderful place. Partly it's the result of the "accidents" of its history and present: as the regional capital of Spain's prosperous Catalunya region, Barcelona has a "flavor" that is a bit of a mix between Spanish and French (it's located quite close to the French border). Yes, you can practice your Spanish here - it attracts Spaniards from throughout the country - but you'll also see and hear Catalan with it's own charm. You won't regret your time here.

Palma De Mallorca, Spain - The Spanish island of Mallorca offers towering mountains and dramatic cliffs rising over clear, blue water — but its jewel is Palma de Mallorca, the island's capital and largest city, where you'll find quaint historic streets, Gothic castles and gastronomic delights. Cruise to Palma de Mallorca and check out one-of-a-kind Palma Cathedral: The 14th-century Gothic spires of exterior contrast the modernist interior designed by in the early 1900s by Gaudi. See the circular courtyard and Arab-inspired arches of Castell de Bellver, and take in the fresh scent of the miles of pine forest that surround it. Or rent bikes and pedal east to Palma Beach, where you can soak in the sun on the white sands and clear waves.

La Spezia, Italy - La Spezia, Italy is a lovely Ligurian town not far from some of Italy’s most attractive sites, including Florence, Pisa, Cinque Terra and even Genoa. It is an ideal port of call for an overnight stay, depsite not being well-known outside Italy. Historically, La Spezia was a prominent trade center during the Roman Empire. Today it remains not only one of Italy’s busiest port towns, but also home to the country’s largest naval base. As a cruise port, La Spezia is convenient, centrally located and a little underrated. This is the region reputed to make the world's best olive oil; be sure to try a local focaccia to see for yourself.

The Cinque Terre are merely a short train trip from Stazione La Spezia Centrale (no roads), making it easy to explore the port of call and surrounding areas in a day or half-day excursion. Florence, home of the Renaissance, is just two hours away;start your day on the coast of the Ligurian Sea and end the day looking up in awe at the Gothic-style Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Genoa is also well within reach, a little closer than Florence really, and is a quite beautiful city.

Our staff can assist you with all your travel arrangements.

Questions? Call us at 800-422-0711.
We can assist you with all your travel arrangements. We'd be happy to help you plan your flights, hotels or tours before and/or after your cruise conference.
SHORE EXCURSIONS
Please note that our shore excursions are operated separately and
independently of those offered by the cruise line.
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