Our office will be closed Thursday, November 24th (all day) in observance of Thanksgiving Day. We will reopen on Friday, November 25th, at 8:30 am.

800-926-3775

University at Sea®

5700 4th Street North
St. Petersburg, FL 33703

E-Mail Us

Office Hours
Monday - Friday
9:00am - 5:00pm EST
Saturday
10:00am - 2:00pm EST
Cruise Conference Planning For Your Association

Old, New, Tried and True: Clinical Topics in Primary Care

7-Night Alaska Glacier Cruise
Round-trip Seattle, Washington
September 18 - 25, 2023
Royal Caribbean's <em>Quantum of the Seas</em>
Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas
14.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits
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, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, Physician Assistants
Program Purpose / Objectives
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

  1. Common infectious diseases seen in primary care practice and their recommended treatments; includes STIs and COVID
    Upon completion, participants should be able to:
    • Identify the typical infectious diseases seen in a primary care setting
    • Order the use of diagnostic testing as indicated
    • Select the appropriate antibiotic regimens
  2. ACIP 2023 recommendations for pediatric and adult immunizations
    Upon completion, participants should be able to:
    • Identify the appropriate vaccine schedules for children and adults
    • Recognize patients requiring variations from the usual immunization schedule (e.g., immunocompromised state or delay in previous vaccinations)
  3. Review of common musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions seen in primary care practice, including orthopedic diagnoses and rheumatologic illnesses
    Upon completion, participants should be able to:
    • Identify the diagnostic criteria for select MSK diagnoses seen in a primary care environment;
    • Create an appropriate management plan for conditions within the scope of primary care practice;
    • For more complex conditions requiring specialty care, plan co-management with colleagues in Orthopedics, Rheumatology, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and Physical Therapy
  4. Photo-review of common skin conditions seen in infants, children, and adults
    Upon completion, participants should be able to:
    • Identify typical skin conditions for which pediatric and adult patients seek care in a primary care practice;
    • Articulate appropriate therapeutic regimens for common dermatoses;
    • Distinguish dermatologic findings characteristic of systemic illness.
  5. Improving imaging in primary care practice through the use of the ACR Appropriateness Criteria
    Upon completion, participants should be able to:
    • Identify the appropriate imaging study sequence for patients with common clinical presentations seen typically in primary care practice (e.g., hematuria, cough, abdominal pain, headache).
  6. Review of common mental health issues seen in a primary care setting and their recommended treatments
    Upon completion, participants should be able to:
    • Describe common behavioral conditions and psychiatric illnesses seen in primary care practice;
    • Identify common psychotropic medications and counseling techniques used therapeutically;
    • Recognize which patients require co-management with a mental health clinician.
  7. Update on the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF): its mandate, how it functions, and its relation to clinical practice
    Upon completion, participants should be able to:
    • Define the overall mission of the USPSTF;
    • Demonstrate how to utilize USPSTF guidelines in clinical practice.
  8. Pharmacology update for primary care practitioners, with emphasis on new and emerging drug classes
    Upon completion, participants should be able to:
    • Identify new drug classes currently FDA-approved and clinically available for pharmacotherapy;
    • Recognize potential side effect profiles and drug-drug interactions between these novel medications and older pharmaceuticals used by patients.
  9. Addressing population health, wellness, and social determinants of health in primary care practice
    Upon completion, participants should be able to:
    • Identify commonly recognized social determinants of health;
    • Illustrate the connections between population health and traditional public health;
    • Demonstrate how clinicians can incorporate wellness into primary care practice.
  10. Common medical and surgical illnesses seen in pregnant patients
    Upon completion, participants should be able to:
    • Formulate a management plan for pregnant and post-partum patients with acute infectious diseases, cardiac symptoms suggestive of cardiomyopathy, new or chronic dyspnea, and fever;
    • Identify common surgical conditions seen in pregnant patients and their management.
  11. Pediatric care and office GYN scope-of-practice in primary care
    Upon completion, participants should be able to:
    • Distinguish areas of pediatric management (e.g., well-child care, school health, adolescent health) which are an appropriate part of primary care practice;
    • Demonstrate knowledge of the immunization schedule for children;
    • Recognize areas of women’s health care pertinent to the office GYN component of primary care, including reproductive health, cancer screening (cervical and breast), and identifying domestic violence;
    • Demonstrate knowledge of current CDC guidelines for STI diagnosis and treatment.
  12. Case studies in primary care practice, including pre-hospital care of office emergencies
    Upon completion, participants should be able to:
    • Identify challenging diagnostic and treatment issues encountered in clinical practice, including common pitfalls in diagnostic reasoning;
    • Determine a differential diagnosis in a series of unknown cases;
    • Indicate typical emergent situations seen in an ambulatory setting and their expected clinical management.


Disclosure Statement

The faculty and planners have no relevant financial relationship with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing health care products used by or on patients.

Program

September 19

  9:00 - 11:00am Common Infectious Diseases Seen in Primary Care Practice and their Recommended Treatments; includes STIs and COVID
  11:00 - 11:15am Break
  11:15am - 1:15am Review of Common Musculoskeletal (MSK) Conditions Seen in Primary Care Practice, including Orthopedic Diagnoses and Rheumatologic Illnesses

September 23

9:00 - 10:00am ACIP 2023 Recommendations for Pediatric and Adult Immunizations
  10:00 - 11:00am Photo-Review of Common Skin Conditions Seen in Infants, Children, and Adults
  11:00 - 11:15am Break
  11:15am - 12:15pm Improving Imaging Ordering in Primary Care Practice Through the Use of the ACR Appropriateness Criteria
  12:15 - 1:15pm Lunch
  1:15 - 2:15pm Review of Common Mental Health Issues Seen in a Primary Care Setting and their Recommended Treatments
  2:15 - 3:15pm Update on the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF): Its Mandate, How it Functions, and Its Relation to Clinical Practice
  3:15 - 3:30pm Break
  3:30pm - 4:30om Pharmacology Update for Primary Care Practitioners, with Emphasis on New and Emerging Drug Classes

September 24

 
  9:00 - 10:00am Addressing Population Health, Wellness, and Social Determinants of Health in Primary Care Practice
  10:00 - 11:00am Common Medical and Surgical Illnesses Seen in Pregnant Patients
  11:00am - 11:15am Break
  11:15am - 12:15pm Pediatric Care and Office GYN Scope of Practice in Primary Care
  12:15 - 1:15pm Case Studies in Primary Care Practice, including Pre-Hospital Care of Office Emergencies
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

Louis Verardo, MD

A native of Long-Island New York, Dr. Verardo is a 1978 graduate of the University of Bologna, Italy, and a 1981 graduate of the Family Practice Residency Program at Glen Cove Hospital on Long Island. He worked for several years in solo rural practice in Rhode Island, where he participated in and published original research in Lyme disease. He taught residents affiliated with Brown University’s School of Medicine, and he created a new elective rotation in Community Medicine for that institution. In the fall of 1985, he returned to Glen Cove and worked for 11 years as Associate Director of his former program.

In 1996, he took a new position as Medical Director of the Dolan Center, in Huntington, New York, a facility for the uninsured and underinsured in that community. In 2006, he was appointed Assistant Medical Director for Ambulatory Geriatrics at the Parker Jewish Institute’s Diagnostic and Treatment Center. In 2008, he returned to private practice in the South Shore area of Long Island, where he remained until joining the full-time faculty at Stony Brook medical school in late 2009. He then engaged in clinical practice, as well as teaching medical and dental students, and until July of 2016, he had also served as an Assistant Director of Stony Brook’s Family Medicine Residency Program. Although Dr. Verardo retired from active clinical practice on November 30, 2019, he remains a member of the faculty for the medical school course called Medicine in Contemporary Society, as well as serving as a facilitator for the Transition to Clinical Care course in 2020.

Throughout his career, Dr. Verardo has maintained an active teaching presence as a community faculty for several other institutions, including Long Island University (CW Post campus), Adelphi University, Molloy College, Touro College School of Health Sciences, and the former North Shore-Long IslandJewish Health System, now known as Northwell Health.

In addition to his work in Lyme disease, he has published work in familial alcoholism and on maintaining skills in neonatal resuscitation, and he has participated in practice-based research with a variety of national groups, including the Ambulatory Sentinel Practice Network (ASPN). He is involved with the Suffolk chapter of the New York State Academy of Family Physicians (NYSAFP), serving as a county delegate, and he has reviewed program content for several organizations, including the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM), the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM), the American Geriatrics Society (AGS), and the Primary Care Network (PCN), a national CME program for generalist clinicians based in Springfield, Missouri .

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
Mon Sep 18 Seattle, Washington
- 4:00 pm
Tue Sep 19 *At Sea - Cruising
- -
Wed Sep 20 Sitka, Alaska
12:00 pm 7:30 pm
Thu Sep 21 Icy Strait Point, Alaska
8:00 am 5:00 pm
Fri Sep 22 Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier
6:30 am 10:30 am
Fri Sep 22 Juneau, Alaska
1:45 pm 7:00 pm
Sat Sep 23 *At Sea - Cruising
- -
Sun Sep 24 Victoria, British Columbia
6:30 pm 10:00 pm
Mon Sep 25 Seattle, Washington
7:00 am -
*Tentative course schedule, actual class times may differ.

Ports of Call

Seattle, Washington - Sailing out on a cruise from Seattle? Make sure you spend a few a days in the beautiful Emerald City. If you’re a nature lover, this jewel in the Pacific Northwest is the perfect place for you to explore ahead of your cruise vacation. Though it offers plenty of metropolitan delights — think great restaurants, bars, a ton of shopping and lots (and lots) of hip coffee shops — Seattle is a big city with a wild, great-outdoors soul. It’s surrounded by ancient forests, sprawling public parks and, of course, the misty Puget Sound, where you can slow-moving tugboats, sleek kayaks and the occasional pod of whales. Head to Discovery Park for beautiful views of the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges or visit the Olympic Sculpture Park near Elliott Bay. And if you’re craving a drink and a tasty bite to eat, head to one of Seattle’s many rooftop bars and take advantage of those extra-long northern summer days while you sip local brews and expertly crafted cocktails.

At Sea - Cruising - Cruising

Sitka, Alaska - Sitka truly offers the best of Alaska. Its small-town appeal stems from a unique blend of Russian, Tlingit and American history. Its snow-capped peaks and volcanic Mount Edgecumbe pose among the state’s most postcard-worthy scenes. And its rare wildlife astounds, from Saint Lazaria Island’s orange-beaked puffins to Alaska Maritime Refuge’s 40 million seabirds. This is off-the-path Alaska, where you can kayak Sitka Sound alongside swimming sea otters or fly-fish for the world’s biggest halibut. Whether it’s hiking Baranof Island trails or listening to tribal stories passed down for generations, in Sitka the midnight sun never sets on adventure.

Icy Strait Point, Alaska - Immerse yourself in secluded beaches, old-growth forests and Alaskan adventure - the best of Southeast Alaska is yours, including some of the best whale-watching and bear viewing opportunities anywhere.

Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier - One of Alaska's lesser-known gems, Endicott Arm Fjord marks the southern edge of Fords Terror Wilderness area. As you drift through its 30 -mile-long stretch, you can't help but be awed by the sorrounding granite cliffs, mountain valleys and dozens of gushing waterfalls. Drifting icebergs, deep blue waters and a spectacular tidewater glacier only add to this natural spectacle's appeal.

Victoria, British Columbia - Though Toronto and Vancouver are the more famous Canadian destinations, it’s high time for the sophisticated and beautiful city of Victoria, British Columbia (BC) to have its big moment. The quaint charm and English manners of Victoria will take you back in time to the days of British occupation in the 19th century. Victoria is known as “the garden city” for its lushness and its commitment to keeping the city beautiful. Head to Butchart Garden or Beacon Hill Park to enjoy nature during your time in port.

Of course, a little history lesson is another must while on a cruise to Victoria, BC. Tour the expertly maintained Craigdarroch Castle and the Parliament Buildings, or stop in the Royal BC Museum, a natural history museum dedicated to the history of human settlement in the region. There’s also the Emily Carr House, a museum dedicated to the life and works of the famous painter, Emily Carr. Victoria exudes an intellectualism where art galleries and afternoon tea await you, but so do long bicycle rides along the seafront. Stylish cafes and restaurants are modernizing the city, all while maintaining its signature look: something straight out of a postcard.

Non-Americans/Canadians, please Click Here to determine if you'll need a visa to board this cruise, which visits Canada

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.
©2019 - University at Sea®