JANUARY 2024

Optimal Care Grand Rounds Series: 1 + 1 = 3: The Value of Medical-Behavioral Integration in Whole-Person Health
January 24, 1–2 p.m. ET
This live webcast will delve into the significance of combined physical and behavioral health treatments on patient outcomes and discuss the key components of evidence-based integrated behavioral health models. Participants will also examine hurdles to adopting these integrated models, including systemic and cultural barriers, to better enable them to advocate for and navigate the provision of whole-person health care.
Live, Accredited Webcast

March 2024

Optimal Care Grand Rounds Series: Evidence-based Approach to Headache Management in Primary Care
March 27, 1–2 p.m. ET
This live webcast is designed to enhance primary care providers’ competency in managing headaches with a focus on evidence-based approaches. Participants will engage in a comprehensive review of migraine pathophysiology to better recognize and differentiate migraine symptoms. It will examine traditional therapies for migraine, both acute and preventive, introduce cutting-edge anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) targeted therapies and compare the efficacy and application of these treatments, enabling informed decision-making in clinical practice. Participants will also explore the application of anti-CGRP therapies beyond migraines, considering their role in treating a variety of headache and facial-pain conditions.
Live, Accredited Webcast

April 2024

Essentials of Oncology and Transplant Management for the Health Care Team
April 11-12, Scottsdale, AZ
Learn about current topics and exciting advances in the fields of solid organ and blood/marrow transplantation and oncology. The agenda will be designed to address current, critical issues that you can apply to the management of patients and/or their benefits.
Live, Onsite Conference

May 2024

Optimal Care Grand Rounds Series: Osteoporosis Screening, Diagnosis and Management
May 8, 1–2 p.m. ET
This live webcast will focus on the necessary skills to effectively identify, diagnose, and manage osteoporosis, highlighting the latest screening recommendations, diagnostic criteria, and evidence-based treatment strategies. Optimal management approaches and monitoring recommendations that minimize potential adverse effects of therapy will be discussed, and participants will gain enhanced competency in tailoring interventions based on patient characteristics and disease severity.
Live, Accredited Webcast

July 2024

Optimal Care Grand Rounds Series: Advances in the Management of Coronary Artery Disease Utilizing CCTA and CAC Scoring
July 24, 1–2 p.m. ET
This live webcast is designed to provide updated knowledge on the diagnosis and management of coronary artery disease (CAD) with a focus on the benefits of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring. It will explore the diagnostic accuracy, patient safety, and clinical outcomes associated with CCTA and compare this approach to traditional functional-stress-testing methods. The utilization of CAC scoring for risk assessment and in the evaluation of low-risk chest pain will be highlighted, and the role of the primary care physician (PCP) in implementing a CCTA-first approach will be discussed. 
Live, Accredited Webcast

September 2024

Save the date! Medical Director and Clinician Leadership Forum 2024
September 23-24, Las Vegas, NV
The Forum is designed for medical directors and other clinical executives/leaders working in the managed health care industry. During this two-day, live conference experts will share their insights into topics that are critical to the management of large patient populations. This year’s Forum will focus on innovations and evidence-based research related to optimizing patient care, outcomes and benefit management.
Live, Onsite Conference

October 2024

Save the date! 33rd Annual National Conference
October 14-16, Minneapolis, MN
For over three decades, managed care payer and employer clinicians, medical directors, executives and product directors, as well as representatives from leading medical centers from across the U.S. come together to hear about the hottest topics and most important advances in the care and management of medically complex patients. During this three-day, live conference experts will address gaps in the management of complex medical and behavioral health care, innovative clinical, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion health care topics.
Live, Onsite Conference

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Click on the title to take the on-demand webcast(s).

The Impact of Trauma on Children and Youth: A Paradigm Shift
Early childhood ruptured attachments, adversity and trauma experiences have significant impacts on health, development and well-being throughout the lifespan. Understanding these impacts and learning care strategies that can enhance professionals’ and caregivers’ abilities to prevent or mitigate these impacts can reduce the incidence of health crises and improve overall well-being and quality of life. Participants will learn the fundamentals of attachment patterns, developmental trauma and associated behaviors and will discuss strategies for working with traumatized children and supporting parents and caregivers. This on demand webcast will provide an essential foundation for understanding the need to implement new care practices and will advance participants’ knowledge of cutting-edge attachment and trauma-response care in their professional and personal lives.

Unraveling the Past, Paving the Way for the Future – Rethinking Pulmonary Function Tests Beyond Race 
Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs) are commonly utilized for the diagnosis and ongoing monitoring of pulmonary conditions. However, the inclusion of race in the reporting and interpretation of PFT results introduces the potential to contribute to health disparities and amplify race-based health inequities. This activity aims to enhance participants’ comprehension of race-based adjustments in clinical algorithms and increase competency in race-neutral and impartial interpretation of PFTs. The faculty speaker for this webinar, Dr. Nirav Bhakta, served as the co-chair of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) workshop responsible for shaping the 2023 ATS statement on race in PFT interpretation. Drawing upon his extensive expertise as a pulmonologist and his pivotal role in the formulation of these new ATS guidelines, Dr. Bhakta will delve into the historical context behind race-specific PFTs, address the rationale behind the shift, and review the pivotal aspects and implications of adopting a race-neutral approach.

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Treatment Options for Children
This activity will focus on various evidence-based treatments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including psychopharmacology, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and intensive behavioral therapies, including applied behavioral analysis (ABA). The significance of early intervention services and educational support beyond preschool will be highlighted. In addition, the benefits of supportive practices such as mindfulness and stress management for caregivers will be explored.

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Overview, Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
This activity will provide an overview of neurodiversity and examine the essential features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including deficits in social communication and interaction, as well as distinct patterns of repetitive behaviors, interests and activities. It will also discuss ASD and developmental screening and explore optimal approaches to care following a diagnosis. 

Bladder Cancer Update: Advances in Treatment and the Role of Early Diagnosis
This activity will provide participants with an overview of early bladder cancer (BC) diagnosis and its impact on survival rates. It will explore recently approved therapies for BC both as standalone treatments and in combination with established therapeutic approaches. Emerging therapies and their potential benefits will be examined, and the value of biomarkers will be discussed. Participants will gain insight into treatment strategies to optimize patient outcomes in BC. 

Incorporating Palliative Care Into Your Primary Care Practice
Providing appropriate care to patients at the end of life, and to their families, is an important role in a primary care practice. Incorporating palliative care into a primary care practice has the potential not only of improving the quality of care delivered to patients, but also of enhancing the professional satisfaction of physicians. The primary care setting is an excellent venue for addressing end-of-life care relevant to all patients, and the primary care provider (PCP) can serve as an advocate for improved care of the dying by maintaining comfort and optimizing quality of life. This activity will discuss the role of palliative care in a primary care setting and the impact it has on quality of life for patients and their families. Patients who can benefit from palliative care will be identified and strategies to engage patients in the palliative-care discussion will also be reviewed, along with resources for both patients and providers that require a higher level of care.

Active Surveillance and Management of Prostate Cancer
Early-stage prostate cancer, which is confined to the prostate gland, grows slowly and has a five-year survival rate of approximately 99 percent. Early detection and diagnosis can have a significant impact on prognosis and quality of life; however, questions still exist regarding the best approach to screening and active surveillance of this disease. This activity will provide an overview of the natural history of early-stage prostate cancer and review current data on the benefits and drawbacks of screening. It will discuss important aspects of diagnosis and describe evidence-based strategies for detection of early-stage prostate cancer.

Unlocking Patient-reported Outcomes to Advance Quality, Experience and Decision Making
Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) can be an effective tool in assessing the impact of the clinician, health care team, and health care system on patients’ general health, quality of life, and outcomes. The tracking of PRO scores can be used to clarify which performance areas are being competently delivered, reveal areas needing improvement and determine the comparative effectiveness of treatment approaches. This activity will explore the value of PRO measures in the health system and discuss methods of optimally integrating these measures. It will discuss strategies that the health care team and health system can use to interpret and apply PRO data to add value to current care delivery practices.