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SentaraCardiovascular CT Imaging:
Intensive Level II Training Course and Introduction to 3D Vascular Angiography & Stress Perfusion CT

Co-sponsored by Sentara

Training Course

DOWNLOAD THE BROCHURE WITH COMPLETE DETAILS, AGENDA AND REGISTRATION INFO

Program Dates
September 23-27, 2013
October 21-25, 2013
November 18-22, 2013
January 27-31, 2014
February 24-28, 2014


All programs at Sentara Heart Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia.

  • Accredited for 58.75 CME hours
  • Comprehensive Cardiac Interpretation
  • Typical &Tertiary Referral Cases
  • Cath, IVUS, ICE, Nuclear, MRI, & Echo Correlations

GET INFO ON: Level III Apprenticeship in Cardiovascular CT and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, including Pediatric and Adult Congenital MRI

COURSE INFO LINKS:
Course Format : Target Audience : Objectives : Location : Dates : Tuition : Registration
Vendor Exhibits : Schedule : Typical & Referral Cases : Accommodations : Faculty
About CVAL & Sentara : Accreditation : Educational Grants : Contact Info

Course Information

 Multiple approaches to evaluation of cardiovascular CT studies exist with varying accuracy depending on the type of workstation, type of scanner, referral population, patient selection, and training mentor preferences. Few courses offer an algorithmic, comprehensive approach to interpretation and offer coronary cath/ IVUS, echo, and MRI correlations or review extracardiac thoracic interpretation or the application of CTA to peripheral angiography.Many clinical CT coronary imaging programs have no ongoing internal cath correlation programs for quality assurance.
Sentara Heart Hospital and Cardiovascular Associates, Ltd. have joined together to design a comprehensive course to provide a unified educational program based
on the standards co-developed by the ACC and SCCT.

A distinguished faculty will conduct a five day program acquiring and interpreting cardiovascular CT angiographic studies in a focused environment offering (1) an algorithmic, comprehensive approach to interpretation of up to 210 studies, with emphasis on elimination of interpretation errors (2) invasive angiographic correlations for most cases (3) instruction in extracardiac thoracic interpretation, and (4) instruction in CT peripheral angiography and MRA angiography.

Course Format

The emphasis will be hands-on interpretation of teaching cases with correlation to clinical history, outcome, other imaging studies, as well as interpretation of daily consecutive cases with appropriate reporting in a small group format limited to 9 participants per week. One physician will be assigned to each state-of-the-art workstation. In addition, the format will utilize a combination of lectures on clinical & operational subject matter, live patient preparation and acquisitions, videotaped acquisitions, 20 minute intermittent ‘chalk talks’, and daily and selfassessment questions to underscore key material, pitfalls, and artifacts.

 A certificate of course participation toward ACC and SCCT Level II or III certification will include the number of contrast and non-contrast cases covered, the number of cases with correlation to invasive coronary angiography, the number of hours of CME credits, live patient acquisitions and an anonymous patient list using case numbers enumerating and identifying the indication and diagnosis.

Target Audience

  • Cardiovascular Disease Specialists
  • Radiologists
  • Fellows-in-training
  • Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgeons
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Objectives

After the activity, participants will be able to…

  •  Operate a 3-dimensional workstation to extract pertinent information from a thoracic volume of interest (VOI), then analyze and interpret the cardiovascular findings systematically, using the VRT-MIP-MPR method, to construct a complete and accurate Cardiovascular CT Report
  • Judge the quality of Cardiovascular CT studies and its relationship to cardiac CT technical factors including the advantages and disadvantages of various types of cardiovascular CT scanners: 32 slice, 64 slice, 256 slice, dual source CT, and PET-CT hybrid imaging
  • Formulate an acquisition protocol for CT contrast administration, recognizing the kinetics of triphasic injection and caveats in special patient populations such as those with valvular disease, a history of adverse reactions to contrast media, intra-cardiac shunts, and high BMI
  • Cite CT radiation dose reduction strategies, radiation risk measures, and published radiation dose values in comparison to other cardiac modalities, and manipulate CT scan collimation, temporal resolution, and the three fields-of-view for cardiac patients to minimize risks to the patient
  • Characterize plaque density and vulnerability for individual lesions, difference between abnormal findings and image artifact, and caveats of stenosis estimation including the effect of window and level view settings
  • Evaluate regional contractility, calculated estimation of ejection fraction, myocardial resting perfusion, native and mechanical valves, and pericardial disease
  • Evaluate typical and complex tertiary referral studies including acute aortic syndromes, pulmonary embolism, simple congenital heart disease, post-aortic surgery studies, pre and post electrophysiologic intervention, and cardiac masses, etc. (see table of typical and tertiary cases presented)
  • Interpret extracardiac thoracic structures such as pleural effusions, lung nodules, lymphadenopathy, infiltrates and cite the Fleischner Society guidelines for Management of Small Pulmonary Nodules Detected on CT Scans
  • Construct an appropriate workflow and staff training program, utilizing the patient SPARR (Selection, Preparation, Acquisition, Reconstruction, and Reporting) system including the appropriate integration into clinical care
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Course Location

Sentara Heart Hospital Cardiac Diagnostic Unit and Advanced Imaging Center
Physician Reading Room
600 Gresham Drive, Norfolk, Virginia

Tuition

  • $3600 for Practicing Physicians
  • $1800 for Fellows-in-training with letter of verification from the Program Director.

Tuition includes digital course syllabus on thumb drive, interpretation manual, and CME certification.

Registration

Space availability is limited to 9 participants and registrations are accepted on a first payment-received basis. The deadline for Registration is 45 days prior to the start of each course. Please call the Course Coordinators at (757) 819-1400 to confirm a course date, then complete the Registration Form and send it along with your payment to:

Course Coordinators, Cardiovascular Associates, Ltd.
5700 Cleveland Street, Suite 228
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462

If paying by credit card, you may fax the completed registration form to the Course Coordinators, at Fax (757) 213-9374. Upon receipt of your registration, a confirmation letter and list of accommodations will be mailed and emailed to the addresses listed on your Registration form.

Cancellation for any reason over 6 weeks prior to the course date will result in a complete refund of tuition. Between 4 -6 weeks prior to the course date, 50% of the tuition will be refunded. Between 2-4 weeks prior to the course date, 25% of the tuition will be refunded. No refunds will be made for cancellations within 2 weeks of the course start date.

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Schedule

MONDAY - Live acquisitions throughout the day
0730-1000 Buttonology 101: Extracting pertinent information from a thoracic volume of interest (VOI) by vessel walking via VRT-MIP-MPR
1000-1015 Quick Stretch Break
1015-1215 Buttonology 102: Workstation Navigation and Manipulation for efficient algorithmic reading in 4 dimensions
1215-1245 Lunch
1245-1545 CT hardware basics and Quality Acquistions by SPARRR
1545-1600 Coffee Break
1600-1830 Intrathoracic VRT Anatomy of normal and Small group Interpretation of typical cases using vessel walking and perfusion analysis for hypoattenuation
1830-1915 Dinner
1915-2115 Avoiding Photons, Perfusion Scanning Configurations for simultaneous anatomy and ischemia
   
TUESDAY - Live acquisitions throughout the day
0700-0710 Quick Review of 4D software and vessel walking principles
0710-1010 Case Unknowns I
1010-1015 Quick Stretch Break
1015-1215 Case Unknowns II
1215-1245 Lunch
1245-1545 Anatomic and VRT Pitfalls and Artifacts Acute Aortic Syndromes and planning transcatheter AVR
1545-1600 Coffee Break
1600-1830 Coronary Anomalies and Case Unknowns III
1830-1915 Dinner
1915-2115 Case Unknowns IV
   
WEDNESDAY - Live acquisitions throughout the day
0700-0710 Quick review of Pitfalls and Acute Aortic Syndrome principles
0710-1010 Iatrogenic Imperfecta I: Aorto-Coronary and Valvular Trauma
1010-1015 Quick Stretch Break
1015-1215 Iatrogenica Imperfecta II: TEVAR, TAVR, and Systemic and Pulmonary Veins
1215-1245 Lunch
1245-1545 Refining the basics: Qualitative and Quantitation assessment of stenosis severity, total occlusions, bypass grafts, stents
Non-coronary cardiac findings
Extra-cardiac structures
1545-1600 Coffee Break
1600-1830 Case Unknowns V
1830-1915 Dinner
1915-2115 Case Unknowns VI
   
THURSDAY - Live acquisitions throughout the day
0700-0710 Quick review Iatrogenica Imperfecta principles
0710-1010 Adult and Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease I: Segmental Sequential algorithm with echo correlation and application to common lesions: Sinus Venosus repaired and unrepaired, secundum ASDs, and The Pancreas of the Chest
1010-1015 Quick Stretch Break
1015-1215 Adult and Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease II: Segmental Sequential algorithm and application to cases with a twist: D-TGA, cc-TGA, Situs Inversus Totalis, and Heterotaxy Syndromes
1215-1245 Lunch
1245-1545 Adult and Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease III: Single Ventricle Imaging Ridiculously Rare Cases
1545-1600 Coffee Break
1600-1830 Liability, Board Minutiae LVADs, Artificial Heart, EP imaging, Masses, Pulmonary Emboli
1830-1915 Dinner
1915-2115 Stress Perfusion CT I: Correlation with stress perfusion MRI
   
FRIDAY - Live acquisitions throughout the day
0700-0710 Quick review Adult Congenital principles
0710-1010 Stress Perfusion CT II: Caveats of Interpretation and software
1010-1015 Quick Stretch Break
1015-1215 Cardiac MRI pathologic and technical correlation
1215-1245 Lunch
1245-1545 Case Unknowns VII
1545-1600 Participant and Course Director Interview, evalutions and feedback

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Typical & REFERRAL CASES

  • Acute Aortic Syndromes: Ascending and Descending aortic dissection, intramural hematoma, penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer
  • Pulmonary Embolism
  • Coarctation of the aorta: repaired & unrepaired
  • Patent Ductus Arteriosus
  • Pre-surgical evaluation: pre-minimally invasive valve surgery, pre Tetralogy of Fallot pulmonic valve replacement
  • Post-surgical evaluations: Anastomic pseudoaneurym post dissection repair
  • Left ventricular assist device: Heart Mate II
  • Transposition of the great arteries (D-TGA), s/p Mustard; Congenitally Corrected TGA
  • Pre-atrial fibrillation left atrium and pulmonary vein angiography
  • Post atrial fibrillation pulmonary vein stenosis
  • Subaortic membrane
  • Prosthetic valve
  • LA myxoma
  • RA pseudotumor
  • Left atrial appendage thrombus
  • Sinus venosus ASD with PAPVR
  • Ductus diverticulum
  • Diverticulum of Kommerel
  • Cardiac Sarcoidosis
  • Takyasu’s Aortitis

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Accommodations

Hotel Accommodations

Hotel accommodations are available in downtown Norfolk where one can enjoy a broad spectrum of shopping and nightlife activities or on the Virginia Beach oceanfront, which is a short drive from Sentara Heart Hospital. Early reservations are encouraged. Information on hotel accommodations in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area, that are available at discounted rates, is available by contacting the Course Coordinators at (757) 383-0868 or (757) 819-1400, or at Email: cvalcourse@cval.org

Special Accommodations

The Americans with Special Disabilities Act of 1990 requires that all individuals regardless of disability have equal access. If special arrangements are required to attend this course due to a disability, contact a Course Coordinator.

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Faculty

Mohit BhasinMohit Bhasin, MD
Mohit Bhasin, MD attended medical school at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta as a Robert Woodruff Scholar in Medicine. He then completed Internal Medicine Residency and Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship and served as Chief Cardiovascular Fellow while pursuing two years of specialized training in the field of Cardiovascular MRI and CT imaging. A former George Starbuck Fellow at Boston University in Creative Writing and winner of the William Carlos Williams Prize from the Center for Human Values in Medicine, he has become a recognized leader in heart photography. Dr. Bhasin directs a level III one year apprenticeship for cardiologists in cardiovascular MRI and CT, teaches a monthly course on 3D imaging to visiting cardiologists and radiologists, and serves as the Medical Director of Cardiovascular CT and MRI Imaging at Sentara Heart Hospital and as co-director of Pediatric Cardiovascular MRI imaging at Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters. He directs the CVAL Clinic for the Aorta as part of his clinical cardiovascular practice, and specializes as well in adult congenital heart disease, multimodality tertiary referral cases such as cardiac masses, as well as general cardiology problems. He is Board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Diseases, Nuclear Cardiology, and Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. He was voted one of the Top Cardiologists in Hampton Roads by his peers.

Sarah JoynerSarah E. Joyner, MD
Sarah Joyner, MD, MPH is Assistant Professor of Clinical Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Diseases at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Dr. Joyner has extensive training and expertise in advanced cardiac imaging with Cardiovascular Computed Tomography and Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging. She has presented research at national scientific meetings and published in peer-reviewed medical journals. Dr. Joyner was distinguished as a Jefferson Scholar at The University of Virginia, awarded through the American Heart Association an outstanding Women in Cardiology Trainee Award for Excellence, and recipient of the Young Investigator Award through the Virginia Commonwealth University Institute for Women’s Health National Center of Excellence. She has Level III verification through the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography for Cardiac CT and serves as Assistant Course Director

Richard ThomasRobert D. McCray, MD
Robert D. McCray, MD earned his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of South Alabama and his medical degree from Meharry Medical College. He completed an Internal Medicine Residency and a Research Fellowship in Clinical Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University, then completed Fellowship inCardiovascular Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic followed by Level III Cardiovascular CT and MRI training at Sentara Heart Hospital and Children's Hospital of theKing's Daughter's.

Tracy Adams, BS, RT (R)(CT) and Barbara Braddy, RN will assist in teaching patient preparation and acquisition. 

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Cardiovascular Associates

Cardiovascular Associates, Ltd. (CVAL) is a 20 physician consultant cardiology practice providing comprehensive consultative, diagnostic and therapeutic services to patients of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Chesapeake, Virginia. As one of the largest cardiology groups in the Mid-Atlantic region, CVAL offer a full spectrum of cardiology services and expertise in all specialties of cardiac care and are major participants in many national research studies.

 SENTARA HEART HOSPITAL

Heart and Heart Surgery services at Sentara Heart Hospital rank among the top 50 cardiac programs in the nation in the 2007 America’s Best Hospitals Edition of “U.S. News & World Report” magazine. The cardiac program at Sentara Heart Hospital ranks 33rd out of the top 50 hospitals listed. Additionally, Sentara Heart Hospital boasts a Mortality Ratio that is superior to eight of the top ten programs in the nation.

Sentara Heart Hospital opened in 2006 as the region’s only dedicated heart hospital, is unlike any facility within hundreds of miles. It unites a long-standing team of cardiac subspecialists within an advanced setting built from the ground up for superior cardiac care. Patients receive comprehensive cardiac services — from diagnostics to open heart surgery and transplants — at one location.

Located on the Campus of Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Sentara Heart Hospital features 112 private inpatient rooms and 45 pre/post-op procedure rooms for patients undergoing interventional cardiac procedures. Sentara Heart Hospital has five dedicated cardiac operating rooms, six cardiac catheterization labs, and the region’s first dedicated Cardiovascular CT and MRI.

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Accreditation Statement

Sentara Healthcare is accredited by the Medical Society of Virginia to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Sentara Healthcare designates this educational activity for a maximum of 41.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Educational Grants

St. Jude Medical has generously supported this course with an educational grant. Requests for support have been made in accordance with ACCME Standards. A complete list of commercial supporters is available and acknowledgement is given to all supporters at the time of the educational activity and on the course website.

Contact Information

Course Coordinators
(757) 383-0868 or (757) 819-1400
Email: cvalcourse@cval.org

Disclosures

Faculty and staff who are in a position to control the content of this activity are required to disclose all real or apparent conflicts of interest. Faculty and staff disclosures can be reviewed by contacting the Course Coordinator.

Acknowledgements

Major program support is provided by the following companies:

  • Terarecon
  • St. Judes Medical

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