The UPMC Department of Anesthesiology, in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh Center for Continuing Medical Education, held the second biennial Boot Camp for Basic TEE Boards and Focused Cardiac Ultrasound Workshop at the Herberman Conference Center at UPMC Shadyside on Saturday, June 9, 2018. Expert faculty from UPMC and throughout the nation presented lectures, conducted problem-based focused discussions, and hands on workshops.
The Course Directors were Kathirvel Subramaniam, MD, MPH, FASE and Michael L. Boisen, MD, both anesthesiologists from UPMC Presbyterian and UPMC Montefiore hospitals. The symposium featured a wide array of national speakers including Drs. Justin Tawil from Medical College of Wisconsin, Heather Hayanga from West Virginia University, Lorenzo De Marchi from MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Barbara Wilkey from University of Colorado, Someshwar Bandi from Allegheny General Hospital, and Mauricio Del Rio from Duke University. Various department members delivered lectures, moderated problem-based discussions, and participated in workshops. Department faculty Theresa Gelzinis, MD; Mahesh Sardesai MD, MBA; and Stephen McHugh, MD and cardiothoracic anesthesiology fellows David Maerz, MD and Timothy Rohman, MD participated in the event.
Sixty-seven medical specialists registered for the conference, including CRNPs, anesthesiologists, fellows, and residents from other departments, as well as faculty from Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Ohio, New York, DC, Missouri, Massachusetts, and the United Kingdom.
The response to this educational event was robust. Following the conference, attendees stated that they would incorporate new strategies with their care team, including utilization of a lung ultrasound machine after central line placement, incorporating basic TEE (transesophageal echocardiography) exams for liver transplants, and adding TTE (transthoracic echocardiography) and TEE didactics into their training programs’ curriculum. Attendees also stated that they are now more likely to use TTE in preoperative assessments and using TEE to evaluate hypotension, diagnose stenosis, and evaluate cases of hemodynamic instability.
The 2018 conference was a huge success. We look forward to the third biennial Boot Camp for Basic TEE Boards and Focused Cardiac Ultrasound Workshop to be held in 2020!