Innovative Updates for Managing Challenging Pediatric Diseases and Conditions: Dinner Symposium with the Experts

Pediatric primary care providers are often the first clinicians to evaluate children with symptoms, examination findings, or test results that could represent cardiovascular disease. Their responsibility is not to reproduce the specialized practice of pediatric cardiology or cardiac surgery, but to recognize when a presentation is outside the expected range of benign childhood illness, perform an appropriate initial evaluation, interpret available information in context, determine the urgency of referral or escalation, communicate effectively with families, and remain engaged in longitudinal care.

This focused symposium will elucidate advances in care and clinical strategies for pediatric primary care clinicians to recognize, evaluate, and coordinate management for challenging cardiovascular conditions.

Topics include pediatric ECG interpretation and risk stratification, recognition and management of myocarditis, fetal echocardiography and multidisciplinary perinatal care, and emerging surgical/interventional approaches to pediatric cardiac valvar disease. Through expert presentations, clinical cases, diagnostic examples, and interactive discussion, participants will learn how to recognize red flags, determine referral urgency, understand evolving treatment options, and communicate effectively with families and specialists.


Target Audience
This activity is designed for primary health care providers involved in the diagnosis, evaluation, management, and treatment of patients with pediatric disorders; this includes, but is not limited to, pediatricians, family practice physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, residents and fellows.

Activity Director
Benjamin J. Lentzner, MD
Professor of Pediatrics
Interim Medical Director of Pediatric Cardiology
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Bristol Meyers Squibb Children’s Hospital
Director, Pediatric Cardiology Elective
Director of Education, Division of Pediatric Cardiology
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
New Brunswick, NJ

1. Identify pediatric ECG findings that represent cardiovascular red flags and differentiate findings warranting routine, expedited, or urgent pediatric cardiology referral.
2. Apply an evidence-based approach to evaluating a child with symptoms or findings concerning for myocarditis, including recognition of features requiring urgent escalation.
3. Describe appropriate follow-up and activity/return-to-sports considerations after pediatric myocarditis based on current evidence and specialist guidance.
4. Recognize clinical and prenatal factors that warrant fetal echocardiography.
5. Describe the role of multidisciplinary counseling and perinatal planning after abnormal fetal cardiac findings.
6. Describe contemporary surgical and interventional approaches to pediatric cardiac valvar disease and identify clinical circumstances warranting specialist evaluation.
7. Integrate current evidence, guidelines, and emerging research into primary-care decision-making for pediatric cardiovascular presentations.
8. Use patient- and family-centered communication and interprofessional collaboration when coordinating pediatric cardiovascular evaluation, referral, treatment, and follow-up.

Registration Fees

Healthcare Professional:   $25

Resident/Fellow/Healthcare Student (with letter)*:   Complimentary

*Registration must be accompanied by program director’s letter confirming resident/fellow/student status. Please upload your letter when registering or email to [email protected].

Registrants may be asked to furnish documentation confirming their employment status in order to be eligible for a reduced rate. If it is determined that a registrant does not meet the eligibility criteria, the registrant will be required to pay the necessary tuition fee.

The non-refundable registration fee includes dinner, continuing education credits and course material. Registration will be accepted through our secure online website through November 16, 2026.

Pre-registration is recommended. On-site registration will be accommodated on a space available basis.

Registration will not be confirmed until payment is received.  If payment is not received in time for the activity, Rutgers reserves the right to cancel the registration.

Once registered, you will receive an email confirmation.  As the activity date approaches, you will receive additional information to assist you with your plans to participate in this activity.

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physicians: Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences designates this live activity for a maximum of 2.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurses: This activity is awarded 2.25 ANCC contact hours. Nurses should only claim those contact hours actually spent participating in the activity.

Physician Associates: NCCPA accepts certificates of participation for educational activities approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by ACCME.

American Board of Pediatrics’ MOC Points
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn up to 2.25 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABP MOC credit

Method of Participation
In order to meet the learning objectives and receive continuing education credit, participants are expected to check in at the registration desk, attend the program and complete an online evaluation at the conclusion of activity. A CE certificate will be emailed to participants upon completion of the online evaluation.

Course Material
In an effort to provide the most complete materials to attendees and conserve resources, PDF versions of the lecture slides will be made available online to registered attendees. Additional information will be provided in future confirmation communication.

For any other questions, concerns, or if you require special arrangements to attend this activity, please contact Rutgers Center for Continuing and Outreach Education by email at [email protected].

Rutgers reserves the right to modify program content, faculty and program activities. It also reserves the right to cancel the activity if necessary. If the activity is cancelled, liability is limited to the registration fee.

Location/Parking
Rutgers Club
85 Avenue E, 2nd Floor
Piscataway, NJ 08854

Parking
Complimentary parking is available at The Rutgers Club. For directions, please click here.

Guest Faculty

Andrew B. Goldstone, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center; Director, Section of Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiac Surgery, Division of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Vascular Surgery, NewYork Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York, Columbia University Irving Medical Center/Weill-Cornell Medical Center

RWJBarnabas Health Faculty

Shubhika Srivastava, MD

Professor of Pediatrics and Obstetrics, Associate Director of Clinical Research Center-Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; System Director of Pediatric Cardiology, RWJBarnabas Health; Chief of Pediatric Cardiology, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center

Rutgers Health Faculty

 Lauren S. Crafts, MD

 Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Tamar Siskind, MD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

The relevant financial relationships of all individuals who affect the content of continuing education activities and any discussion of off-label/investigational uses will be disclosed to the audience at the time of the activity.

Wednesday, November 18, 2026

Exhibit Opportunity Available

Download the Exhibitor Invitation

Download the Exhibitor Registration

Download the Exhibitor Agreement

This activity is provided by
Rutgers Health
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Department of Pediatrics

in collaboration with
RWJBarnabas Health
Children's Health Network