Accreditation Information


37th Annual Conference of the MI ACC
October 11 – 12, 2025 | Grand Rapids, Michigan

https://akhinc.formstack.com/forms/250255

Please claim your credit by October 31, 2025.

If you have questions about this CE activity, please contact AKH Inc at [email protected].


 

Activity Overview

This activity will help clinicians use the latest evidence in patient care, improve risk assessment, combine lifestyle and medication strategies, and follow guidelines more confidently. It will support team-based care, increase use of preventive tools, and lead to better outcomes for high-risk patients.

Target Audience

This activity is designed for an audience of physicians, physician associates, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and nurses.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the educational activity, participants should be able to:

Session 1 - Prevention

  • Apply current guideline recommendations to determine which patients benefit most from CAC scoring.
  • Interpret coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores and stratify patients into cardiovascular risk categories.
  • Describe how physical activity, nutrition, and lifestyle changes prevent and treat obesity and recognize challenges in applying these strategies.
  • Explain the role of lifestyle changes in optimizing outcomes with incretin-based obesity therapies and managing weight after discontinuation.
  • Describe the role of preventive cardiology and how emerging diagnostics and therapies shape care for high-risk patients.
  • Explain how preventive cardiology and multidisciplinary cardiometabolic clinics identify and manage high-risk patient populations.

Session 2 - Atrial Fibrillation - Redefined

  • Classify atrial fibrillation (AF) by stage and modify AF risk factors.
  • Assess thromboembolic risk and apply guideline recommendations for left atrial occlusion in AF patients.
  • Apply guideline indications to determine rhythm control or catheter ablation strategies in AF.
  • Implement early rhythm control strategies in appropriate AF patients.
  • Evaluate digital health and consumer devices for AF detection and recognize key limitations.
  • Integrate evidence-based and technology-informed approaches into individualized anticoagulation strategies for AF.

Session 3 - Updates in Structural Heart Disease

  • Apply criteria for expanded transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) indications in decision-making.
  • Identify prevalence and clinical impact of coronary artery disease in patients undergoing TAVR evaluation.
  • Explain the pathophysiology of aortic stenosis and its clinical implications.
  • Describe tricuspid valve anatomy and leaflet morphology to guide assessment.
  • Identify and classify the etiologies of tricuspid regurgitation.
  • Quantify tricuspid regurgitation severity using the updated grading scheme.

Session 4 - Women's Heart Health

  • Identify gaps in recognition and diagnosis of INOCA, ANOCA, and microvascular disease.
  • Apply current management strategies for INOCA, ANOCA, and microvascular disease.
  • Classify high-risk cardiovascular conditions in pregnancy and determine when multidisciplinary management is needed.
  • Select and interpret appropriate diagnostic tests for pregnant patients with heart disease.
  • Develop delivery plans that consider cardiovascular risk, obstetric factors, and anesthesia management.

Session 5 - Cardiac Zebras: Infiltrative, Inflammatory, and Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathies

  • Identify patients at risk for cardiac amyloidosis based on LVH, heart failure, and risk factors.
  • Outline the evaluation process and management challenges for cardiac amyloidosis.
  • Recognize signs or symptoms that warrant further evaluation for rare or infiltrative cardiomyopathies.
  • Devise assessment and management plans for patients with suspected inflammatory or infiltrative cardiomyopathy.
  • Communicate the importance of genetic testing in patients with unexplained cardiomyopathy or arrhythmias.

Session 6 - Device Strategies for Heart Failure: Personalizing Care Beyond Medications

  • Identify patients with advanced heart failure who may benefit from device monitoring.
  • Identify available device monitoring strategies.

Criteria for Success

A certificate of completion will be awarded based on the participant's attendance and completion of the online evaluation/claim credit form.

https://akhinc.formstack.com/forms/250255

Please claim your credit by October 31, 2025.

If you have questions about this CE activity, please contact AKH Inc at [email protected].

CE credit provided by AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare.

 akh

Joint Accreditation Statement:

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare and Michigan Chapter, American College of Cardiology. AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 7.75 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.

Physicians
AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare designates this live activity for a maximum of 7.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 7.75 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

Nurses

Credit being awarded: 7.75 ANCC contact hours.

Pharmacists

AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare has been authorized by the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 7.75 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Physician Assistant

AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare has been authorized by the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 7.75 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Nurse Practitioners
aanpThis activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Accreditation Standards of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) through the joint providership of AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare and Michigan Chapter, American College of Cardiology.  AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare is accredited by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners as an approved provider of nurse practitioner continuing education. Provider number: 030803. This activity is approved for 7.75 contact hour(s) (which includes 3.0 hour(s) of pharmacology).

Commercial Support

There is no commercial support for this activity.

Disclosures

It is the policy of AKH Inc. to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, scientific rigor, and integrity in all of its continuing education activities. The author must disclose to the participants any significant relationships with ineligible companies whose products or devices may be mentioned in the activity or with the commercial supporter of this continuing education activity. Identified conflicts of interest are mitigated by AKH prior to accreditation of the activity. AKH planners and reviewers have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

DISCLOSURES

Name

Relationship

Commercial Interest (clinical area)

Alfred Albano, MD (faculty)

N/A

Nothing to disclose

Karthik Ananth, MBBS, FACC (chair)

Consultant

BridgeBio (amyloidosis)

 

Researcher

Ionis Pharmaceuticals; Bristol Myers Squibb; Alnylam; Kardigan (amyloidosis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy)

 

Speaker

Bristol Myers Squibb (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy)

Lindsey Aurora, MD (faculty)

N/A

Nothing to disclose

Nagib Chalfoun, MD, FHRS, FACC (planner)

Speaker

Medtronic

Jennifer Cowger, MD, FACC (faculty)

Advisor

Abbott (heart failure)

 

Consultant

Abbott; BrioHealth Solutions; Medtroinic; Endotronix; Procyrion; Phope; Pumpin Heart; Corwave (heart failure; shock)

 

Individual stocks and stock options

Procryrion (cardiorenal syndrome)

 

Speaker

Abbott; Zoll (heart failure)

Neal Duggal, MD (faculty)

Consultant

Medtronic

Pedro Engel, MD, FACC (faculty)

Consultant

Edwards LifeSciences

David Fermin, MD, FACC (faculty)

Advisor

Alnylam; Bristol Myers Squibb (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; amyloidosis)

 

Researcher

Bristol Myers Squibb; Lexicon (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy)

 

Speaker

Bristol Myers Squibb (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy)

Tiberio Frisoli, MD, FACC (faculty)

Consultant

Edwards Lifesciences (mitral valve disease; tricuspid valve disease)

Brittany Fuller, MD (chair; faculty)

N/A

Nothing to disclose

Xu Gao, MD (faculty)

N/A

Nothing to disclose

Ivan Hanson, MD (chair)

Speaker

Bristol Myers Squibb

Milena Jani, MD, MSc (chair)

N/A

Nothing to disclose

Arfaat Khan, MD (faculty)

N/A

Nothing to disclose

Dennis Kerrigan, PhD, FACC (faculty)

Researcher

Lilly; Kento Health Inc (heart disease; obesity)

Tom Lalonde, MD, FACC, FACP (chair; faculty)

N/A

Nothing to disclose

Stephane Leung, MD (chair)

N/A

Nothing to disclose

Nishaki Mehta, MD (chair)

Advisor

Aop; Altathera; Boston Scientific; Irhythm; Medtronic (electrophysiology)

 

Consultant

Abbott; Boston Scientific; Irhythm; Medtronic (electrophysiology)

 

Speaker

Abbott; Bosyon; Medtronic (electrophysiology)

Hakan Oral, MD (chair)

N/A

Nothing to disclose

Vince Pallazola, MD, FACC (faculty)

N/A

Nothing to disclose

Rhym Radjef, MD, FACC (faculty)

N/A

Nothing to disclose

Madhulata Reddy, MD (faculty)

N/A

Nothing to disclose

Nishtha Sareen, MD MPH FACC FSCAI (faculty)

Consultant

Abbott (coronary artery disease)

Dipak Shah, MD, FACC (faculty)

Advisor; Speaker

Abbott (left atrial appendage occlusion)

Supriya Shore, MD (faculty)

N/A

Nothing to disclose

Devraj Sukul, MD, MSc, FACC (faculty)

Consultant

AngioWave, Inc; IschemaView, Inc (coronary artery disease)

Marty Tam, MD, FACC (chair)

N/A

Nothing to disclose

Dorothy Caputo, MA, BSN, RN – President, AKH Inc

N/A

Nothing to disclose

Bernadette Makar, MSN, APRN-BC, NP-C (planner/reviewer)

N/A

Nothing to disclose

Dorothy Duffy, RPh (planner/reviewer)

N/A

Nothing to disclose

Michele Bielarski, RN (planner/reviewer)

N/A

Nothing to disclose

AKH Inc Staff and Planners

N/A

Nothing to disclose

MI ACC Staff and Planners

N/A

Nothing to disclose

All of the relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated.

 

 

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use and Investigational Product

This educational activity may include discussion of uses of agents that are investigational and/or unapproved by the FDA. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

Disclaimer

This course is designed solely to provide the healthcare professional with information to assist in his/her practice and professional development and is not to be considered a diagnostic tool to replace professional advice or treatment. The course serves as a general guide to the healthcare professional, and therefore, cannot be considered as giving legal, nursing, medical, or other professional advice in specific cases. AKH Inc. specifically disclaim responsibility for any adverse consequences resulting directly or indirectly from information in the course, for undetected error, or through participants misunderstanding of the content.

If you would like to opt out from future communications from AKH please send an email to [email protected] with your information with "Opt Out" in the subject line.