Objectives

After participating in this educational activity, attendees should be able to:

Lecture:  8:00 - 9:00
Review mosquito and tic-borne infections that occur in New England.
Review common presentation and management of these conditions.
Review Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis and RMSF.

Lecture:  9:00 - 10:00
Determine the most appropriate first line treatment for their patients presenting with symptoms of a major depressive disorder.
Gain increased knowledge of the various classes of antidepressant medications, their most common side effects, dosing schedules and duration of treatment.
Gain knowledge in determining the efficacy of their choice of treatment as well as when and how to switch antidepressant agents in a safe and appropriate manner.

Lecture:  10:15 - 11:15
Review and understand the restrictions of flavored tobacco in the commonwealth.
Discuss evidence that supports restricting tobacco and flavored tobacco products.
Discuss of the use of e-cigarettes and its health impact.

Lecture:  11:15 - 12:15
Describe the importance of developing de-escalation skills.
Identify three strategies for assessing violence.
Review preventing assaults and injuries.

Lecture:  1:15 - 2:15
Discuss and understand the process to begin the goal of care discussion.
Discuss and understand the process of the serious illness conversation.
Discuss the resources available to assist with conversations.

Lecture:  2:15 - 3:15
Define “potentially inappropriate medication” and list resources to identify those medications.
List pertinent changes made in the January 2019 update of the American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria.
Identify steps for evaluation of medication appropriateness and patient specific factors that may play a role.

Lecture:  3:30 - 4:30
Recognize the signs of heart failure.
Discuss appropriate treatment based on best practices and seek referral to specialized care when needed.

Lecture:  4:30 - 5:30
Discuss the impact of the opioid epidemic in the US.
Discuss the pathophysiology of Opioid Use Disorder as a Medical Disease.
Analyze the evidence supporting the use of medications to treat opioid use disorder, including buprenorphine (Suboxone ) and Methadone.
Discuss strategies and methods to prioritize harm reduction over abstinence in the treatment of patients with opioid use disorder in order to save our patient's lives.

FACULTY

Esteban Delpilar-Morales, MD
Assistant Professor
University of Massachusetts Medical School - Baystate
Physician
Baystate Medical Center

Stephen Luippold, MSN, PMHCNS-BC
Instructor, Department of Psychiatry - UMASS Medical School
Clinical Assistant Professor Bay Path University PA Program
Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist - Child and Adolescent Psychiatric
Mental Health and Adult Psychiatric Mental Health
Baystate Medical Center

Cherly Sbarra, JD
Public Health Attorney

Robert W. Horton, MSN
Program Director, Behavioral Health Nursing
Baystate Medical Center

Alice Leveston, MSW, LICSW, BCD, APHSW-C
Social Worker, Inpatient Palliative Care & Geriatrics
Baystate Medical Center

Richard Conroy, PA-C
Physician Assistant Inpatient Geriatric Consult Service
Baystate Medical Cener

Megan Carr, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP
Geriatric Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) Unit Pharmacist
Baystate Medical Center

Sheila Shoemaker, ACNP, MS
NP LVAD Coordinator
Baystate Medical Center

William Soares III, MD, MS
Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
Clinician and Researcher
Baystate Medical Center

Faculty Disclosure

None of the members of the faculty and planning committee for this educational event have commercial relationships with any entity producing, marketing, re-selling or distributing health care goods and services consumed by or used on patients.