MER Primary Care Conferences Internal Medicine for Primary Care Cardio Gastro Geri Neuro Jul 23-26, 2026

The “Internal Medicine for Primary Care: Cardiology/Gastroenterology/Geriatrics/Neurology” conference is a continuing medical education event taking place from July 23 to July 26, 2026, at The Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this program, participants should be better able to:

List current treatment recommendations for the management of lower GI bleeding.

Discuss the guidelines for colonoscopic colorectal cancer screening and surveillance.

Recommend appropriate testing for the workup of celiac disease.

List current treatment recommendations for HBV and HCV.

Utilize history and physical examination to distinguish weakness from non-specific symptoms.

Discuss evidence-based management options for Alzheimer’s disease.

Describe the differential diagnosis and treatment options for migraine headaches.

Discuss the spectrum of sleep disorders and current management strategies.

Utilize a comprehensive geriatric assessment to identify potential issues in the elderly patient.

Review common lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) that may progress to urinary incontinence, and initiate treatment options.

Assess and manage gait disorders to prevent falls.

Discuss strategies for the management of difficult behaviors in patients with dementia without the use of psychotropic medications.

Implement lifestyle changes as well as lipid and cholesterol guidelines for the prevention of CAD.

Describe the work-up, risk assessment and test selection of patients with suspected CAD.

Implement treatment strategies reflective of recent guidelines and current evidence based medicine for heart failure.

Describe current diagnostic and treatment approaches to arrhythmias and atrial fibrilation.

Target Audience
This program is targeted to office-based primary care providers and other health professionals with updates in primary care medicine.
Best for Primary Care Physicians, Cardiologists, Gastroenterologists, Geriatricians, and Neurologists.
Topics
Thursday, July 23, 2026

Management of Lower GI Bleeding- From Occult to Massive (Gastroenterology): The correct use and interpretation of tests for occult blood in the stool will be discussed in relation to lower GI bleeding; focus on the utility of different diagnostic and management approached to the spectrum of patients presenting with hematochezia.

Colorectal Cancer Screening and Surveillance (Gastroenterology): Reviews the most recent recommendations for CRC screening in the general population at average risk for CRC.

Celiac Disease and Chronic Diarrhea (Gastroenterology): Millions of Americans are now on a gluten free diet. Only some of them actually have Celiac disease. We will review the workup of diarrhea and malabsorption with a focus on celiac disease; We will discuss how to diagnose celiac disease when a patient is already on a gluten free diet and an appropriate differential diagnosis.

Evaluating Weakness (Neurology): Using the history and physical examination to distinguish weakness from non-specific symptoms; characteristics of neurological diseases that produce weakness; presentations of representative diseases of the nervous system.

Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias (Neurology): Definition; statistics; neurological changes of normal aging; pathology; etiological theories; vascular dementias; investigations; social issues; symptomatic treatment; research therapies.

Friday, July 24, 2026

Headaches & Migraines (Neurology): Basic headache mechanisms; headache history: characteristics, precipitating factors, medical conditions; migraine: common tension, classic, treatment, complicated, cluster, sinus; trigeminal neuralgia; Giant Cell Arteritis; brain tumor; subarachnoid hemorrhage; emergency room treatment.

Sleep Disorders (Neurology): Epidemiology; assessing sleep patterns; causes and treatment of insomnia; causes, evaluation and treatment of sleep apnea; symptoms and treatment of narcolepsy.

Hepatitis B and C Management (Gastroenterology): HBV screening: whom to screen, whom to vaccinate; management of patients with decompensated hepatitis B related liver disease; treatment in special populations.

Approach to the Geriatric Patient (Geriatrics): The demographics of aging and the physiologic changes in the elderly patient; Medication use in the elderly including changes in age-related pharmacokinetics and pharmacodymamics and medication adherence; Review of risky medications often used in elderly patients.

Urological Disorders in the Older Adult (Geriatrics): Review of two very common conditions seen in the elderly population: benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and urinary incontinence; Pathogenesis, clinical symptoms, recommended evaluation and management options for BPH; Review of the anatomy and mechanism of normal urinary function, causes of incontinence, the evaluation and management.

Saturday, July 25, 2026

Geriatric Gait Disorders & Falls (Geriatrics): Diagnosing problems associated with gait abnormalities; considering causes and prevention of falls; exercise training, aerobics, balance training, resistance.

Managing Behavior Problems in Dementia Patients (Geriatrics): Review of common behavior disorders often seen in patients with dementia; Behavioral techniques which have shown to be effective in managing some of the behavior disorders in patients with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, focusing on the management of these patients without the use of psychotropic medications; Examples of behavior disturbances along with the behavior management technique which was effective in managing the patient with the behavior problem; Review of the potential adverse effects of the psychotropic medications usually used to manage behavior.

Primary Prevention of Cardiometabolic CVD (Cardiology): Definitions; AHA/ACC and other lipid guidelines updates; HDL Cholesterol: The good cholesterol?; Metabolic syndrome and/or obesity; Who needs treatment and how much; The role of lifestyle changes, exercise and cardiac rehabilitation; Drug therapy updates; Risk calculation; Role of pooled equations for risk estimates.

Work-up of Patients with Suspected CAD (Cardiology): Risk factor evaluation and risk assessment models; 2021 ACC/AHA Chest Pain Guidelines; Test selection including ECG, echo, nuclear and newer imaging modalities (including discussion of appropriate use criteria–AUC); The usefulness of CT scanning; The role of bio markers and EBCT; Suspected CAD in special populations (women, diabetics, the elderly).

Sunday, July 26, 2026

Heart Failure (Cardiology): Etiologies and stages of heart failure; ACC/AHA Heart Failure Guidelines; Heart failure with reduced EF (HFrEF) and heart failure with preserved EF (HFpEF); Determining patients for referral using biomarkers, eg NT Pro BNP; Treatment options: ACE inhibitors, ARBs, ARNI, beta blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, SGLT2i; The role of devices (ICD and/or CRT) in treatment and antiplatelet drugs; Issues related to the hospitalized patient with acute decompensated heart failure and readmissions.

Arrhythmias (Cardiology): Types and symptoms of arrhythmias; Approach to the patient: when to treat, when to refer, when to admit; Evaluation of the patient with palpitations; Atrial fibrilation: the use of anticoagulants indications, CVA risk scores, warfarin vs newer oral anticoagulants, controlling heart rate vs rhythm; Ventricular and other arrhythmias: when are they serious.