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Cruise Conference Planning For Your Association

Updates in Cardiology, Internal Medicine, and Primary Care

7-Night Buenos Aires to Rio Cruise
from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil April 20 - 27, 2024
<em>Celebrity Eclipse</em>
Celebrity Eclipse
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
14.0 Contact Hours
Course Fees
$995 for Physicians, Attorneys, Psychologists, Doctors of Pharmacy, & Dentists
$750 for Physician Assistants
$595 for Nurses, Residents, Students & Others

Target Audience
Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Pharmacists
Program Purpose / Objectives

The purpose of these lectures is to provide an experienced clinician's perspective on the delivery of individualized, patient-centered care and to identify and treat important problems in primary care medical practice. Participants are expected to learn new skills and techniques in medical interviewing (e.g., taking appropriate sexual and spiritual histories), diagnostic reasoning (e.g., determining when to perform imaging studies in individuals with headache, appropriate diagnostic work-up of patients complaining of chronic fatigue), clinical skills (e.g., appropriate methods of determining accurate blood pressure readings), medication management (e.g., managing side effects of testosterone) and health counseling (e.g., encouraging proper dietary practices and exercise).

  • Obesity and Cardiometabolic Syndrome
    • Describe the pathophysiology of the cardiometabolic syndrome
  • The Mediterranean diet and other heart healthy diets
    • Describe the evidence supporting the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet. Confusion exits regarding optimal diets for the prevention of atherosclerosis.
  • Hypertension-new treatment recommendations
    • Outline the major changes in the new AHA/ACC guidelines regarding the treatment of hypertension
  • Erectile Dysfunction-The hard evidence
    • Explain the prevalence and the pathophysiology of erectile dysfunction.
    • Describe three treatment strategies for ED
  • Statin intolerance-the tricks of the trade
    • Describe the prevalence of statin intolerance Describe three treatment strategies for statin intolerance
  • Explain the pharmacologic mechanism of PCSK9 inhibitors in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia
  • Pre-Operative evaluation for noncardiac surgery
    • Explain the risk stratification for patients anticipating noncardiac surgery.
  • Congestive Heart Failure-Update
    • Describe a comprehensive and evidence-based approach to the medical management of congestive heart failure
  • Consider the use of new medications that significantly reduce mortality and morbidity due to heart failure
  • Health Promotion: Encouraging a Healthy Body, Mind, and Spirit
    • Assess the patient's current state of physical, psychological, and spiritual health.
  • Treatment of Migraine, Tension-Type, and Cluster Headaches
    • Effectively treat patients with migraine headache using non-pharmacologic means, abortive medications, and preventive medications.
    • Consider that tension-type and cluster headaches are discrete sub- types of headache, each of which requires a specific diagnostic approach
  • Diagnosing and Managing Depression: Overcoming the Blues
    • Sustain initial treatment for depression for six months after remission of symptoms to lower risk of relapse
    • Recognize that depression is a common, but often misdiagnosed illness, which can be treated effectively by primary care physicians using medical therapy, psychotherapy, and adjunctive treatment
    • Utilize the following adjunctive treatments where appropriate:
      • Patient education (“bibliotherapy”)
      • Diet (limit sugar, simple CHOs, caffeine)
      • Exercise (150 min/week)
      • Behavioral activation (pleasant activities)
      • Light (10,000 lux for 30 min daily)
      • Support (“iatrotherapy”)
      • Spirituality
  • Get Me Out of Here!: Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia in Primary Care
    • Elicit and assess symptoms of panic disorder and agoraphobia
    • Apply appropriate lifestyle modification and stress management skills, including muscle relaxation, breathing control, thought-stopping, and cognitive restructuring
  • Somatoform Disorders: Illness as a Way of Life
    • Recognize the key symptoms, signs, and clinical presentation of somatizing patients.
  • Communication: Becoming a Healer
    • Consider the clinician's role from the personal and psychosocial aspects of care their clinicians
  • The Faith Factor: Practicing Spiritually- Sensitive Care
    • Elicit a spiritual history in an ethically-appropriate manner. Spiritually-sensitive care enhances the clinician-patient relationship and may positively influence health care outcomes.
  • 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

    Dale A. Matthews, MD, FACP

    Dale A. Matthews, MD, FACP
    Dale A. Matthews, MD, FACP
    Associate Professor of Medicine (retired)
    Georgetown University School of Medicine
    Executive Healthcare Services (retired)
    Dale A. Matthews, MD, FACP has served on the faculties of Yale University, the University of Connecticut, and Georgetown University and has lectured at over 30 medical schools. He gives lectures on primary care general internal medicine, the doctor-patient relationship, and the psychological and spiritual dimensions of medicine, including the role of religion, faith, and prayer in clinical care. He is the author of The Faith Factor: Proof of the Healing Power of Prayer (Viking, 1998), a four-volume research work (The Faith Factor: An Annotated Bibliography of Clinical Research on Spiritual Subjects), three documentaries, and over 65 peer-reviewed scientific articles, book chapters, and other publications. Dr. Matthews is a graduate of Princeton (AB, cum laude, Romance Languages, 1976) and Duke University School of Medicine (1980). His internship and residency in internal medicine took place at the University of Connecticut (1980-3) and he completed the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar Program and Fellowship in Clinical Epidemiology at Yale (1983-5). In 1989, he was named the George Morris Piersol Teaching and Research Scholar of the American College of Physicians. He has received many awards for his compassionate patient care, including Washingtonian Magazine Top Doctor recognition. He has appeared on numerous television shows, including the Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, and Good Morning America. He lives in McLean, Virginia with his wife, Demetra, a certified public accountant. He has two adult children and three grandchildren. He enjoys family and church activities, Bible study and teaching, golf, baseball, piano, singing, songwriting, ballroom dancing, travel, and photography.

    George P. Rodgers, MD, MACC

    George P. Rodgers, MD, MACC
    Dr. Rodgers received the Distinguished Fellow of the American College of Cardiology Award in 2017

    Associate Professor of Medicine 
    Associate Chief of Cardiology 
    The University of Texas Dell Medical School
    Austin, TX.
      Dr. Rodgers is an Associate Professor of Medicine and the Associate Chief of Cardiology for Education at The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School. He led the development of the cardiovascular curriculum for the new medical school. Dr. Rodgers teaches medical students, residents and cardiology fellows on a regular basis. Beyond medical education, he has a particular interest in prevention the early detection of heart disease, team-based care and innovative value based care for the safety net population.

    Dr. Rodgers received his medical education at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He completed his fellowship training in cardiology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He began his cardiology practice in Austin in 1989. Dr. Rodgers has been very active in the American College of Cardiology over the last 25 years. He has served as the Chair of the Board of Governors, the Board of Trustees and as Co-chair Leadership Council of the Cardiovascular Team.

    He has also served on a number of other committees and writing groups within the College He received the Distinguished Fellow of the American College of Cardiology Award in 2017. This year he was awarded Master 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
    Sat Apr 20 Buenos Aires, Argentina
    - 6:45 pm
    Sun Apr 21 Montevideo, Uruguay
    9:00 am 7:00 pm
    Mon Apr 22 Punta del Este, Uruguay
    8:00 am 8:00 pm
    Tue Apr 23 *At Sea - Cruising
    - -
    Wed Apr 24 *At Sea - Cruising
    - -
    Thu Apr 25 Sao Paulo (Santos), Brazil
    7:00 am 4:00 pm
    Fri Apr 26 Buzios, Brazil
    10:00 am 7:00 pm
    Sat Apr 27 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    5:00 am -
    *Tentative course schedule, actual class times may differ.

    Ports of Call

    Buenos Aires, Argentina - The capital of Argentina is overflowing with creative energy. In this melting pot of cultures—native American, Spanish colonial, Italian, French, British, and more—the local Porteños greet you warmly with a kiss. Connoisseurs of culture find 300 theaters and 160 museums. Explore the French neoclassical Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo, near the port, or Teatro Colón, an opera house with interiors as beautiful as the acoustics, in the Centro. You'll shop till you drop in Buenos Aires, a leader in design. Find clothing, jewelry, and art at lavish Galerías Pacifico, near the port, or browse the fashionable Recoleta quarter for exclusive boutiques. Shop elegant Calle Florida, bustling with bustling with office workers by day and street performers at night. Look for native leather, antiques, and crafts. Eat and drink like a king on your cruise to Argentina, from elegant 19th-century bars to contemporary cafés and restaurants. Discover maté, the local tea, and don't miss the renowned steaks and excellent Malbec wines. Find pizza, pasta, and ice cream on every corner. For dessert, try alfajores, chocolate-covered double-decker cookies filled with dulce de leche.

    Montevideo, Uruguay - Montevideo is a thoroughly modern city with a rich artistic tradition - the reach of the rural estancias is all around you. If ever there were a time you were inclined to indulge, delicious steaks are the specialty of the house in virtually every restaurant.

    Punta del Este, Uruguay - The Saint-Tropez of Latin America is a favorite summer playground of southernmost South America. Sail the calmer waters or lounge on the beach along a 20-mile shoreline, and witness the big waves breaking at la Brava.

    At Sea - Cruising - Cruising

    Sao Paulo (Santos), Brazil - Though Rio de Janeiro gets the credit as the cultural heart of Brazil, São Paulo won’t disappoint travelers looking for a buzzy, cosmopolitan, and simultaneously artsy city. São Paulo is more than Brazil’s financial district, though its bustling industries certainly deserve their soaring skyscrapers. It’s also a foodie paradise that offers nearly every kind of cuisine. The romantic, colonial-style historic district and some of the best art and cultural institutions in the world are traveler favorites.

    Don’t miss museums like the Pinacoteca or the Museu de Arte de São Paulo, both of which embody the city’s art scene. Stop to peer at Edifício Copan, one of the city’s oldest and most beloved buildings. Sports lovers have to check out the Museu do Futebol, a museum completely devoted to soccer and the way the sport has shaped Brazilian culture. Stand in awe of Brazilian soccer prodigy Pelé at a dedicated exhibit, or take a guided tour to learn more about the sport than ever before. Coffee enthusiasts have to tour the Museu do Cafe, which even includes barista classes and samples of the area’s signature espresso.

    For those who want to simply walk off the ship and explore, Santos is the lovely city where your ship will dock near São Paulo. Santos can fill a pleasant day with a museums devoted to coffee (the Museo de Cafe) and the original Braziliian soccer legend, Pele.

    Buzios, Brazil - This peninsula beach resort, made popular in the 1960s by Brigitte Bardot, boasts more than 20 beaches, with those to the west experiencing calmer water than the east-facing Praia's, which are ideal for surfers and windsurfers. Boating, scuba diving and surfing are the most popular activities here, with excellent schools for novices wishing to learn. When the sun dips, enjoy delicious, fresh seafood at one of the popular pay-by-the-kilo restaurants before drinking and dancing the night away at one of the town's popular bars or nightclubs.

    Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Christ the Redeemer, one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World, stands atop the Corcovado peak. Survey the city from a platform below the 125-foot statue or hop on a cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain and get a different perspective of Rio and the Christ. Feel a rush to your senses from the awesome activity on world-famous beaches Ipanema and Copacabana. If the quiet side of Rio is what you seek, a visit to the lush botanical garden—home to some 8,000 species—will delight you!

    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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