Cardiology Update at Puerto Vallarta: A Focus on Prevention

January 18-23, 2026
In-Person | Marriott Casamagna, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Currently accepting registrations!
Credit Types: AMA PRA Category 1™ (25.0), ANCC (25.0), Price: $785-$985 | Register by 12.21.25 to save $100

Program

SUNDAY, JANUARY 18, 2026
4:00 p.m.
Precourse Registration
CONTEMPORARY MANAGEMENT OF OBESITY FOR CVD REDUCTION
Moderator: Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, MD
4:55 p.m.
Obesity as a Root Cause Risk Factor
Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, MD
4:30 p.m.
Welcoming Remarks
4:40 p.m.
Newer Insights in the Understanding of Obesity
Andres Acosta, MD, PhD
4:55 p.m.
Obesity as a Root Cause Risk Factor
Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, MD
5:10 p.m.
Obesity Treatment to Reduce CVD Risk
Kyla Lara-Breitinger, MD
5:40 p.m.
Establishing a Cardiometabolic Clinic: The Mayo Experience
Nadia Elfessi, PA-C, Kyla Lara-Breitinger, MD
5:55 p.m.
Case-Presentations
Andres Acosta, MD, PhD, Maria Collazo-Clavell, MD, Nadia Elfessi, PA-C, Kyla Lara-Breitinger, MD
6:15 p.m.
Panel Discussion
6:30 p.m.
Adjourn
MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2026
7:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast - Visit Exhibits (Vallarta Ballroom Foyer)
7:20 a.m.
Welcome & Course Objectives
Moderator: Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, MD
CVD RISK ASSESSMENT
Moderator: Thomas Allison, PhD
7:30 a.m.
Identifying the Patient At Risk: Beyond Risk Prediction Formulas
Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, MD
7:50 a.m.
CT-Based CV Risk Assessment: CAC, Plaque Analysis, Fat Inflammation and Beyond
Thomas Gerber, MD, PhD
8:10 a.m.
Beyond Standard CVD Risk Factors: What to Look for in Women vs Men
Thais Coutinho, MD
8:30 a.m.
Nutritional Assessment and Counseling in Our Busy Cardiology Practice
Kyla Lara-Breitinger, MD
8:50 a.m.
Active Pause with a Teaching Point
8:55 a.m.
Panel Discussion
9:10 a.m.
Refreshment Break & Visit Exhibits
CASE-BASED MANAGEMENT OF CORE CORONARY RISK FACTORS
Moderator: Sara Severson, APRN, CNP, DNP
9:30 a.m.
Evidence-Based Lipid Management in Primary and Secondary Prevention
Regis Fernandes, MD
9:50 a.m.
Contemporary Treatment of Hypertension
Thomas Gerber, MD, PhD
10:10 a.m.
Management of Diabetes to Reduce CVD Risk
Maria Collazo-Clavell, MD
10:30 a.m.
Smoking Cessation
Alicia Mickow, APRN, CNP, MSN
10:50 a.m.
Panel Discussion
11:05 a.m.
Active Pause with a Teaching Point
COMPREHENSIVE CVD RISK MANAGEMENT: BEYOND THE BASICS
Moderator: Rekha Mankad, MD
11:10 a.m.
Stress Management for CVD Risk Reduction
Roberto Benzo, MD
11:30 a.m.
Lipid Cases
Regis Fernandes, MD, Alicia Mickow, APRN, CNP, MSN
11:50 a.m.
Addressing the Forgotten Risk Factors: Sleep, Social Isolation, Pollution and Beyond
Regis Fernandes, MD
12:10 p.m.
Panel Discussion
12:30 p.m.
Adjourn
6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Welcome Reception (Patio) Attendees, guests, and faculty invited
7:30 p.m.
Salsa 101 and Dancing on the Patio
TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2026
6:30 a.m.
Mindful Yoga and Meditation at the Las Casitas Garden with Dr. Benzo
7:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast - Visit Exhibits
SPORTS AND EXERCISE CARDIOLOGY
Moderator: Thomas Allison, PhD
7:30 a.m.
Team Sports, Games, Racquet Sports, Social Dancing: Can We Get Fit/Stay Fit and Have Fun Doing It?
Kathryn Larson, MD
7:50 a.m.
Playing Sports With a Defibrillator – What Are the Issues?
Guru Kowlgi, MBBS
8:10 a.m.
Distinguishing the Athletic Heart from Pathologic Findings in Echocardiography
Kathryn Larson, MD
8:30 a.m.
Chronotropic Incompetence in Athletes – Definition, Traditional, and Emerging Therapies.
Guru Kowlgi, MBBS
8:50 a.m.
Active Pause with a Teaching Point
8:55 a.m.
Sports Cardiology Case Presentations – Focus on the Aging Athlete
Thomas Allison, PhD, Nadia Elfessi, PA-C
9:15 a.m.
Panel Discussion
9:30 a.m.
Refreshment Break & Visit Exhibits
9:45 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
More on Sports Cardiology (Mexico-Cozumel)
Thomas Allison, PhD, Guru Kowlgi, MBBS
Building Highly Functional Multidisciplinary Teams in Cardiology (Salon los Cabos)
Jane Linderbaum, APRN, CNP, Sara Severson, APRN, CNP, DNP
Increasing Quality of Care in Cardiac Rehab (Main Ballroom)
Amanda Bonikowske, PhD, Carmen Terzic, MD, PhD
HEART RHYTHM TOPICS
Moderator: Thomas Allison, PhD
10:30 a.m.
Distinguishing Benign Versus Life-Threatening Syncope
Michael Ackerman, MD, PhD
10:50 a.m.
Exercise Testing for Arrhythmias. Indications and Case Examples
Thomas Allison, PhD
11:10 a.m.
Active Pause with a Teaching Point
11:15 a.m.
Never Miss a Long QT Ever Again!
Michael Ackerman, MD, PhD
11:35 a.m.
PVCs Are Very Common When to Worry? How to Evaluate?
Guru Kowlgi, MBBS
11:55 a.m.
Panel Discussion
12:15 p.m.
Adjourn
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Annual Volleyball Tournament – Lopez vs Allison Teams (Left side of the property beach front) This event is open to all Interested Attendees, Faculty, and Exhibitors.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2026
6:30 a.m.
Mindful Yoga and Meditation at the Las Casitas Garden with Dr. Benzo
7:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast - Visit Exhibits
7:00 a.m.
Special Breakfast Discussions – High Top Discussion (Vallarta Ballroom Foyer)
More on Establishing A Cardiometabolic Clinic
Nadia Elfessi, PA-C
APPs Involvement at ACC/AHA
Jane Linderbaum, APRN, CNP
Strength Training
Amanda Bonikowske, PhD
SPECIAL TOPICS IN PREVENTION
Moderator: Sara Severson, APRN, CNP, DNP
7:30 a.m.
Preventing Cardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality in Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy
Steve Ommen, MD
7:50 a.m.
Can We Prevent Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction?
Janell Grazzini Frantz, APRN, MSN, CNP
8:10 a.m.
Preventing Cardiovascular Events in Aortic Stenosis
Rekha Mankad, MD
8:30 a.m.
Active Pause with a Teaching Point
8:35 a.m.
Atrial Fibrillation: Can We Prevent It and If Not, What’s Our Best Way to Prevent CV Events
Guru Kowlgi, MBBS
8:55 a.m.
Sleep and Cardiovascular Risk: Practical Recommendations in Preventing CVD
Anna Svatikova, MD, PhD
9:15 a.m.
Panel Discussion
9:55 a.m.
Refreshment Break & Visit Exhibits
10:10 a.m. - 11:10 a.m.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
More on Sports Cardiology (Salon los Cabos)
Thomas Allison, PhD, Guru Kowlgi, MBBS
Building Highly Functional Multidisciplinary Teams in Cardiology (Main Ballroom)
Jane Linderbaum, APRN, CNP, Sara Severson, APRN, CNP, DNP
Increasing Quality of Care in Cardiac Rehab (Mexico-Cozumel)
Amanda Bonikowske, PhD, Carmen Terzic, MD, PhD
SPECIAL TOPICS IN PREVENTION
Moderator: Sara Severson, APRN, CNP, DNP
11:10 a.m.
CVD Risk Reduction in Diverse Populations
Demilade Adedinsewo, MD
11:30 a.m.
Active Pause with a Teaching Point
11:35 a.m.
Preventing Aortic Dissection and Rupture
Thais Coutinho, MD
11:55 a.m.
Updates in Cardio-Rheumatology
Rekha Mankad, MD
12:15 p.m.
Panel Discussion
12:30 p.m.
Adjourn
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2026
7:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast - Visit Exhibits
7:00 a.m.
Special Breakfast Discussions – High Top Discussion (Vallarta Ballroom Foyer)
Faculty Development for APPs
Sara Severson, APRN, CNP, DNP
Running A Women’s Health Clinic
Rekha Mankad, MD
I Want to Learn AI: Where Do I Start?
Guru Kowlgi, MBBS
DIAGNOSING CORONARY DISEASE
Moderator: Rekha Mankad, MD
8:10 a.m.
Forget the Stress, Do a CT Angiogram
Malcolm Bell, MD
7:30 a.m.
ECG-Based Stress Test: Extremely Useful or Obsolete Technology
Thomas Allison, PhD
7:45 a.m.
Incorporating Imaging to Stress Test to Optimize Diagnostic Performance
J. Wells Askew, III, MD
8:30 a.m.
Case Discussions
Thomas Allison, PhD, J. Wells Askew, III, MD, Malcolm Bell, MD
8:50 a.m.
Active Pause with a Teaching Point
8:55 a.m.
Panel Discussion
9:10 a.m.
Refreshment Break & Visit Exhibits
MANAGING CORONARY ARTERY DIESEASE
Moderator: Thomas Allison, PhD
9:30 a.m.
Unstable Angina/Non-ST Elevation of Myocardial Infarction
J. Wells Askew, III, MD
9:45 a.m.
Management of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, What Is New?
Guy Reeder, MD
10:10 a.m.
Management of Stable Ischemia
J. Wells Askew, III, MD
10:30 a.m.
Interesting Cardiovascular Surgical Cases From Mayo Clinic
Malcolm Bell, MD, Guy Reeder, MD
10:50 a.m.
Active Pause with a Teaching Point
10:55 a.m.
Untangling the Convoluted Recommendations for Antiplatelet and Anticoagulation Therapy in CAD Patients
Malcolm Bell, MD
11:10 a.m.
Contemporary Delivery of Cardiac Rehabilitation for Secondary Prevention
Amanda Bonikowske, PhD
11:30 a.m.
Preventing Stokes With Cardiac Devices
Guy Reeder, MD
11:50 a.m.
Panel Discussion
12:10 p.m.
Adjourn
FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2026
7:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast - Visit Exhibits
MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS BEYOND PREVENTION
Moderator: Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, MD
7:30 a.m.
State-of-the-Art Lecture AI in Cardiology
Zachi Attia, PhD
7:50 a.m.
Reducing CVD Risk, One Tweet at the Time: The Role of Social Media to Scale Preventive Cardiology
Martha Gulati, MD
8:10 a.m.
Get With the Guidelines: Treatment of Heart Failure With Reduced (and Mildly Reduced) Ejection Fraction
Robert Frantz, MD
8:30 a.m.
Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction
Demilade Adedinsewo, MD
9:05 a.m.
Panel Discussion
9:30 a.m.
Refreshment Break & Visit Exhibits
9:45 a.m.
The Care of the Heart Failure Patient Beyond the Diagnosis
Sara Severson, APRN, CNP, DNP
WRAPPING UP THE PROGRAM
Moderator: Thomas Allison, PhD
9:50 a.m.
Special Lecture: Digital Health in Cardiology 2026
Steve Ommen, MD
10:10 a.m.
Echocardiography Numbers for the Non-Echocardiographer
Rekha Mankad, MD
10:30 a.m.
State of the Art Treatment for Pulmonary Hypertension
Robert Frantz, MD
10:50 a.m.
Approaches to Mitral Regurgitation: From Follow-up to Treatment
Jane Linderbaum, APRN, CNP
11:00 a.m.
The Future of Cardiology Is Prevention
Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, MD
11:20 a.m.
Panel Discussion
11:45 a.m.
Closing Remarks and Adjournment
Credit Types Offered
  • AMA PRA Category 1
    25.0
  • ANCC
    25.0

Price: $785-$985 | Register by 12.21.25 to save $100

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