MER Primary Care Conferences Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine for Primary Care ID Neuro Rheum May 29-31, 2026

1. Overview
This is a primary care medical conference organized by Medical Education Resources (MER), a non-profit organization. The conference is titled “Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine for Primary Care: Infectious Diseases/Neurology/Rheumatology”. It will take place from May 29-31, 2026, at the Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock in Sedona, AZ.
2. Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this program, participants should be better able to:

Evaluate and treat common disorders in children related to weakness and movement.

List diagnostic tools for pediatric epilepsy and how to differentiate non-epileptic events.

Compare the benefits and side effect profiles of pharmacologic treatment options for pediatric epilepsy.

Differentially diagnose the cause of headaches in children and adolescents.

Recognize signs and symptoms of Kawasaki disease.

Discuss the impact of multidrug resistant pathogens in pediatric respiratory tract infections.

Review bite-related infections and syndromes.

Diagnose and manage important infectious disease syndromes in a range of organ-based systems.

Describe diagnostic principles and treatment options of juvenile arthritic.

Describe diagnostic principles and treatment options of connective tissue disorders.

Compare the benefits and side effect profiles of pharmacologic treatment options for pediatric chronic pain syndromes.

Recognize cutaneous signs of rheumatic diseases.

3. Target Audience

This program is targeted to office-based primary care providers and other health professionals with updates in primary care medicine.
Best for internists, primary care physicians, pediatricians, infectious disease specialists, neurologists, and rheumatologists.

4. Topics
Friday, May 29, 2026

Neurology – Movement Disorders and Weakness in Children: Cerebral palsy (CP); Tics, tremors, chorea/ballismus, dystonia; Sydenham chorea.

Neurology – Diagnosis of Pediatric Seizures vs Non-Epileptic Events: Identification and recognition of common seizure types; Differentiation between seizures and pseudoseizures; Diagnostic approaches to seizures and epilepsy.

Neurology – Primary Care Approach to Treatment of Pediatric Epilepsy: First line seizure medications; The role of diet; Surgical alternatives; Medical marijuana in the pediatric patient.

Infectious Diseases – Avoiding Diagnostic Pitfalls in Pediatrics: Relevant and clinically practical approaches to diagnosing the pediatric patient; discussion will focus on Kawasaki disease, neonatal HSV, complications of sinusitis/otitis and other diagnoses that should not be missed.

Infectious Diseases – Respiratory Tract Infections in Children: A case-based interactive discussion highlighting critical points regarding the diagnosis and management of pneumonia, bronchitis, otitis media, and pharyngitis – with a focus on the impact of multidrug resistant pathogens.

Saturday, May 30, 2026

Infectious Diseases – Animal Bites & Related Syndromes: Presentation on the common and uncommon syndromes related to animal bites, their clinical presentations, diagnostic and therapeutic management strategies and important clinical pearls related to these potentially life-threatening conditions.

Infectious Diseases – Genitourinary Diseases in Children: A discussion of genitourinary diseases commonly seen in pediatric patients, with emphasis on evaluation and management strategies.

Neurology – Headaches in Children and Adolescents: Diagnosis of migraines; Tumors; Treatment of increased intracranial pressure.

Rheumatology – Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA): Risk factors for developing JIA; Diagnostic principles, Clinical presentation and diagnosis including inflammatory markers, liver function tests, ANA testing; Radiographic changes and other imaging modalities; Treatment approaches based on severity of the disease.

Rheumatology – Juvenile Lupus and Other Connective Tissue Diseases: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment as well as principles of self-care; Pediatric mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) as a separate autoimmune disorder.

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Rheumatology – Chronic Pain Syndromes in Children and Adolescents: Diagnosing and understanding the experience of pain in children and adolescents; Recognizing non-physiologic pain and who is at risk; Diagnosis clues needed for an accurate diagnosis and effective communication to patients; Treatment strategies for complex regional pain syndromes (CRPS).

Rheumatology – Juvenile Rheumatic Diseases that Manifest in the Skin: Early recognition of cutaneous signs of rheumatic disease; Differential features of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis; Cutaneous complications of rheumatic diseases and treatments.