18th Annual North Carolina Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium

Date: Friday, October 30, 2026

Time: 8:30 a.m. - 3:40 p.m.

Location: Durham Convention Center, 301 W. Morgan Street, Durham, NC 27701 (map)

The course will be offered as a live, in-person event; there is not a virtual option. Attendees may choose to register for the enduring content, which will be available online after the conference for 2 years following the live event.

Joint Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented by the Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education & Professional Development for the advancement of patient care. In support of improving patient care, the Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education & Professional Development is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), to provide continuing education for the health care team.

Physician Credit: Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education and Professional Development designates this activity for a maximum of 5.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)^TM. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurse Credit: Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education and Professional Development designates this activity for up to 5.5 credit hours for nurses. Nurses should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in this activity.

Pharmacist Credit: Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education and Professional Development designates this activity for a maximum of 5.5 ACPE credit hours. Universal Activity Number: JA0000655-0000-26-211-L04-P

Allied Health: Duke Health Clinical Education and Professional Development is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET), and is authorized to issue IACET CEU, and authorized by IACET to offer 0.5 CEUs for this program.

Course Overview

The overall goal of the 18^th Annual North Carolina Research Triangle Pulmonary Vascular Symposium is to equip clinicians and allied health professionals with up‑to‑date, practical, and clinically actionable knowledge across the full spectrum of pulmonary vascular medicine. Through expert lectures, case‑based discussions, and interactive sessions, the symposium aims to enhance participants’ ability to diagnose, risk‑stratify, and manage patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, pulmonary embolism, and chronic thromboembolic disease; interpret emerging clinical trial data and evolving treatment algorithms; integrate new technologies such as implantable monitors, wearables, and AI; and recognize when specialized referral or advanced therapies are warranted. The event is designed to strengthen real‑world decision‑making and improve patient outcomes by providing a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and forward‑looking educational experience.

Agenda--link to ADA compliant web page

Agenda

Course Directors

H. James Ford, MD
Professor of Medicine
Director, Pulmonary Hypertension Program
Co-Medical Director, UNC Pulmonary Clinics
Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Terry Fortin, MD, MS
Associate Professor of Medicine
Co-Director, Duke Pulmonary Vascular Disease Center
Division of Cardiology
Duke University

Willard Applefeld, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Duke University

Geoffrey Barnes, MD, MSC
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
University of Michigan

Emory Buck, MD
Fellow
Duke University

Robert Frantz, MD
Professor of Medicine
Director, Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic
Mayo Clinic

Theodore Frank, MD
Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute-Heart Failure/Transplant/LVAD
Director, Pulmonary Hypertension Program
Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Wake Forest University School of Medicine

David Ishizawar, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Charles Kim, MD
Professor of Radiology
Chief, Vascular Interventional Radiology
Duke University

Barbara LeVarge, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Associate Director, Pulmonary Hypertension Program
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Daniel Loriaux, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Duke University

Veeranna Maddipati, MD
Associate Professor, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
ECU Health

W. Cameron McGuire, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Brandon Menachem, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Duke University

Jacob Pierce, MD
Cardiovascular Disease Fellow
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Sudarshan Rajagopal, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Co-Director, Duke Pulmonary Vascular Disease Center
Duke University

Abhijit Raval, MD
Chief of Internal Medicine
Director of Interventional Pulmonary and Pulmonary Vascular Disease
AnMed Health
Professor of Internal Medicine-Pulmonary
MUSC

Lisa Rose-Jones, MD
Cardiovascular Disease, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute

Joseph Rossi, MD, MSCI
Professor of Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Denise Sese, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
MUSC Health

Divya Verma, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Duke University

Target Audience

This program is designed to meet the continuing education (CE) needs of pulmonologists, cardiologists, nurses, pharmacists, and other allied healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of pulmonary vascular disease.

Learning Objectives

Describe the current classification, diagnostic evaluation, and treatment algorithms for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), including updates from recent guideline statements, clinical trials, and newly approved therapies.
Recognize areas of controversy and uncertainty in PAH management, including optimal sequencing and combination of therapies, integration of emerging treatments, and future directions in the therapeutic pipeline.
Identify the challenges associated with managing PAH patients who have significant comorbidities and understand approaches to balancing PAH-directed therapy with management of coexisting cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, and systemic diseases.
Describe the role of emerging technologies in pulmonary vascular disease, including implantable hemodynamic monitoring, actigraphy and wearable devices, artificial intelligence applications, and other digital health tools that may improve diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment.
Through case-based discussion, recognize complex and nuanced pulmonary hypertension presentations and develop practical approaches to diagnosis, risk assessment, treatment selection, and longitudinal management.
Understand the epidemiology, diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment of acute pulmonary embolism (PE), including evolving evidence regarding anticoagulation, catheter-based therapies, multidisciplinary pulmonary embolism response teams (PERT), and long-term follow-up.
Describe the pathophysiology, diagnosis, evaluation, and management of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), including referral pathways, pulmonary thromboendarterectomy, balloon pulmonary angioplasty, and medical treatment options.
Identify patients at risk for chronic thromboembolic disease and CTEPH following acute pulmonary embolism and apply evidence-based approaches to screening, diagnosis, and referral.
Recognize the importance of multidisciplinary care and referral to specialized pulmonary vascular centers for patients with complex pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary embolism, and chronic thromboembolic disease.

Registration Fees

Industry representatives: $400
Physicians: $225
Non-physicians (NPs, PAs, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, etc.): $75
Enduring credit: Complimentary, but registration is required.

Industry Exhibits at the Symposium

For more information on exhibiting at the symposium, please email Christy Darnell.

Accommodations and Room Rates

A block of hotel rooms has been reserved at the Durham Marriott City Center, 201 Foster Street, Durham, NC 27701 for 10/29/26. The hotel is connected to the Durham Convention Center. Rooms are $199.00 per night plus applicable taxes. The room block will be held until Friday, October 2, 2026, but may sell out prior to this date. To reserve your room at the conference rate, please call 866-792-9206 and identify yourself as part of the PH/PE Symposium Oct2026 group; to make an online reservation, click here.

Cancellation Policy

All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to Christy Darnell via email (christy.darnell@duke.edu). There will be no refunds if cancellations are made after October 1, 2026.

Claiming CE Credit after the Symposium

To complete all course requirements and claim continuing education credits, please do the following:

Sign in at the registration desk.
Receive email from Duke CME office with link to the course evaluation.
Complete the course evaluation.
Attest to your hours of completion.
Download your certificate.