Cleveland Clinic, LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center to Host Cleveland Clinic’s 14th Annual Obesity Summit

CLEVELAND and BATON ROUGE, La. – Cleveland Clinic and LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center will host Cleveland Clinic’s 14th Annual Diabetes, Obesity, and Cardiovascular Disease Summit (DOCS) on Sept. 26 and 27 in Cleveland and Baton Rouge.

The summit – a continuing medical education event – attracts a diverse mix of healthcare practitioners, including physicians, nurses, therapists, scientists, and other professionals interested in discussing innovative solutions and new strategies for diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease management.

“Now in its 14th year, the summit has expanded its scope to focus on diabetes and cardiovascular disease, in addition to obesity treatment and research. Obesity is a complex disease that can trigger multiple comorbidities, including diabetes, heart disease, cholesterol, blood pressure, and sleep apnea,” said Bartolome Burguera, M.D., Ph.D., co-director of the summit and chairman of Cleveland Clinic’s Endocrinology & Metabolism Institute.

John Kirwan, Ph.D., executive director of Pennington Biomedical, said, “This is a great opportunity for doctors, surgeons, nurse practitioners, physicians assistants, research dietitians and everyone who cares for patients with obesity to learn about the new advances in obesity treatment and management.”

The summit brings together experts from Cleveland Clinic, renowned healthcare institutions, and one of the world’s top obesity research centers, Pennington Biomedical. Attendees will learn from scientists and medical professionals speaking in-person and via live broadcast in Baton Rouge and Cleveland.

“This summit provides an opportunity to hear from many of the world’s leading experts on bariatric surgery, medications and lifestyle approaches for weight loss and weight loss maintenance,” Kirwan said.

Last year, the summit drew more than 400 people from 23 states and 14 countries. Although physicians accounted for the largest segment of attendees, the summit drew nearly 100 nurses, as well as physician assistants, therapists and dozens of researchers.

Guest faculty for the summit include:

• Scott Kahan, M.D., Director, National Center for Weight and Wellness, Medical Director, Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health
• Caroline Apovian, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Boston School of Medicine, and Director, Nutrition and Weight Management Center, Boston Medical Center
• Randy J. Seeley, Ph.D., Henry King Ransom Endowed Professor of Surgery, School of Public Health, University of Michigan

Workshops and sessions at Cleveland Clinic include:

• Type 2 Diabetes Management Update: Prioritize Cardiovascular Risk Management: Kevin M. Pantalone, D.O., Director of Clinical Research, Department of Endocrinology at Cleveland Clinic
• Principles of Obesity Diagnosis and Management: Scott Butsch, M.D., Director of Obesity Medicine in the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at Cleveland Clinic
• Obesity and Heart Failure: No Longer A Paradox: Wilson Tang, M.D., Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Clinical Genomics

Workshops and sessions at Pennington Biomedical include:

• Patient Management Following Bariatric Surgery: Michael Cook, M.D., LSU Healthcare Network
• Obesity Management in Primary Care Settings, The PROPEL Trial: Peter Katzmarzyk, Ph.D., Associate Executive Director for Population and Public Health at Pennington Biomedical
• Obesity, Hypertension and Kidney Dysfunction: John Hall, Ph.D., Director, Mississippi Center for Obesity Research

For a full faculty list and the complete agenda or to register, go to http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/live/courses/obesity/.

Attendees may receive up to 13.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits and up to 13.5 American Board of International Medicine Maintenance and Certification Points. CME credits earned in the Obesity Summit will count toward the Group Two CME requirement to qualify for the ABOM certification. The activity has been reviewed and is acceptable for up to 12.75 Prescribed credits by the American Academy of Family Physicians. This activity has been approved for 13.5 CPEUs by The Commission on Dietetic Registration. Check online registration site for updates.