MER Primary Care Conferences Infectious Diseases for Primary Care Oct 16-18, 2026

Conference Information

• Conference Title: Infectious Diseases for Primary Care
• Organizer: Medical Education Resources (MER) – A Non-Profit Organization
• Dates: October 16–18, 2026
• Location: Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa, Napa, California, USA
• Specialties: Infectious Diseases, Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Primary Care, and Emergency Medicine
• Target Audience: Primary Care Physicians, Internists, Family Physicians, Infectious Disease Specialists, and Emergency Medicine Physicians

Conference Overview

The MER Primary Care Conferences Infectious Diseases for Primary Care October 16–18, 2026 is a comprehensive medical education conference designed to enhance clinical knowledge and evidence-based management of infectious diseases commonly encountered in primary care, outpatient clinics, and hospital settings.

Organized by Medical Education Resources (MER), a non-profit organization, this educational program takes place at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa in Napa, California. The conference focuses on practical approaches to diagnosing, treating, and preventing infectious conditions across diverse patient populations.

The curriculum covers a broad spectrum of infectious diseases, including respiratory tract infections, urinary and genitourinary infections, skin and soft tissue infections, osteomyelitis, joint infections, gastrointestinal infections, and central nervous system (CNS) infections.

Additional emphasis is placed on immunization recommendations, emerging infectious diseases, healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial stewardship, and the evaluation of infections in immunocompromised patients.

The program also explores the assessment of febrile patients with potentially life-threatening infections, recognition of infectious disease risk factors, appropriate diagnostic testing, and evidence-based antimicrobial treatment strategies.

Through clinically focused educational objectives, MER Infectious Diseases for Primary Care 2026 provides physicians with practical knowledge to strengthen diagnostic reasoning, improve infection prevention, and support effective patient-centered clinical care.

Key Topics Covered

1. Osteomyelitis and Joint Infections

Review the risk factors, clinical features, and diagnostic indicators associated with osteomyelitis and infectious joint conditions, emphasizing appropriate clinical evaluation and recognition.

2. Immunizations and Infection Prevention

Explore patient-specific immunization recommendations based on age, medical conditions, exposure history, and individual risk factors to support effective preventive healthcare.

3. Fever and Potentially Life-Threatening Infections

Examine clinical approaches to evaluating febrile patients, recognizing serious infectious presentations, and determining appropriate management in outpatient and hospital-associated settings.

4. Genitourinary Infections

Review diagnostic considerations and evidence-based management strategies for common genitourinary infections encountered in primary care practice.

5. Emerging Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses

Discuss emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, including the resurgence of vaccine-preventable illnesses, zoonotic infections, and diseases associated with animal exposures.

6. Gastrointestinal Infections and Diarrheal Illness

Explore approaches to assessing the severity of diarrhea, identifying clinically significant gastrointestinal infections, and determining when treatment or further evaluation is indicated.

7. Respiratory Tract Infections

Review common pathogens responsible for respiratory tract infections and their relevance to clinical assessment, differential diagnosis, and treatment decisions.

8. Healthcare-Associated Infections

Identify patients at increased risk for healthcare-associated infections and review important considerations related to infection recognition and prevention.

9. Skin and Soft Tissue Infections (SSTIs)

Examine the epidemiology and microbiology of common skin and soft tissue infections, including relevant clinical and diagnostic considerations.

10. Central Nervous System (CNS) Infections

Review the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment principles of common CNS infectious disease syndromes encountered in medical practice.

11. Antimicrobial Stewardship

Explore the goals of antimicrobial stewardship programs, including appropriate antimicrobial selection, responsible prescribing, and strategies to optimize infectious disease treatment.

12. Infections in Immunocompromised Patients

Examine evaluation strategies for infectious conditions in immunocompromised hosts, with attention to patient-specific risk factors and diagnostic considerations.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this program, participants should be better able to:

1. Recognize risk factors, diagnostic indicators and clinical features for osteomyelitis and joint infections.
2. Recommend appropriate immunizations based on patient specific risk factors.
3. Discuss the approach to a febrile patients with potentially life-threatening diseases in both hospital and clinic-associated settings.
4. Diagnose and manage genitourinary infections.
5. Discuss emerging infectious diseases including resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases, zoonoses, and diseases related to animal exposures.
6. Evaluate the severity of diarrhea and evaluate the need for treatment.
7. List common causative pathogens for various respiratory tract infections.
8. Identify patients at risk for healthcare-associated infections.
9. Review epidemiology and microbiology of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI).
10. Describe the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of common CNS infectious disease syndromes.
11. List goals of an antimicrobial stewardship program and strategies for antimicrobial treatment.
12. Describe evaluation strategies for infections in immunocompromised hosts.

Target Audience

This program is targeted to office-based primary care providers and other healthcare professionals seeking practical updates in infectious diseases and primary care medicine.

Recommended for:

• Primary Care Physicians
• Internists
• Family Physicians
• Infectious Disease Specialists
• Emergency Medicine Physicians
• Orthopedic Specialists
• Gastroenterologists
• Pulmonologists
• Urologists
• Dermatologists
• Neurologists
• Endocrinologists
• Obstetricians and Gynecologists (OB-GYNs)

Educational Benefits

• Strengthen diagnostic assessment of common and serious infectious diseases.
• Improve recognition of osteomyelitis, joint infections, and CNS infections.
• Review evidence-based approaches to respiratory, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary infections.
• Enhance understanding of emerging infections, zoonoses, and vaccine-preventable diseases.
• Apply patient-specific immunization recommendations.
• Identify risk factors for healthcare-associated infections.
• Improve clinical assessment of skin and soft tissue infections.
• Review principles of antimicrobial stewardship and appropriate antimicrobial treatment.
• Strengthen evaluation strategies for infections in immunocompromised patients.
• Support informed clinical decisions in primary care, emergency, and hospital settings.

Product Description

The MER Infectious Diseases for Primary Care October 16–18, 2026 conference provides a comprehensive educational review of infectious disease diagnosis, prevention, and evidence-based treatment for primary care and hospital-based healthcare professionals.

Organized by Medical Education Resources (MER), the program covers osteomyelitis, joint infections, respiratory and genitourinary infections, diarrheal illnesses, skin and soft tissue infections, CNS infections, and potentially life-threatening febrile conditions.

Additional educational topics include immunization strategies, emerging infectious diseases, zoonotic infections, healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial stewardship, and infection assessment in immunocompromised patients.

Designed for primary care physicians, internists, family physicians, infectious disease specialists, and emergency medicine clinicians, this conference emphasizes practical diagnostic approaches, responsible antimicrobial use, and effective infection prevention.

Product Summary

• Conference: Infectious Diseases for Primary Care
• Organizer: Medical Education Resources (MER)
• Dates: October 16–18, 2026
• Location: Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa, Napa, California, USA
• Clinical Focus: Infectious Diseases, Internal Medicine, and Primary Care
• Infection Topics: Osteomyelitis, Joint Infections, Respiratory Infections, Genitourinary Infections, Gastrointestinal Infections, SSTIs, and CNS Infections
• Prevention Topics: Immunizations, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Zoonoses, and Healthcare-Associated Infections
• Treatment Topics: Antimicrobial Stewardship and Evidence-Based Antimicrobial Management
• Special Populations: Immunocompromised Patients and Patients with Potentially Life-Threatening Infections
• Ideal For: Primary Care Physicians, Internists, Family Physicians, Infectious Disease Specialists, and Emergency Medicine Physicians

Short Description

MER Primary Care Conferences Infectious Diseases for Primary Care 2026 is a comprehensive medical education conference organized by Medical Education Resources (MER), held October 16–18, 2026, at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa in Napa, California.

The program covers osteomyelitis, joint infections, respiratory and genitourinary infections, gastrointestinal infections, skin and soft tissue infections, and CNS infectious diseases, along with immunization strategies, emerging infections, zoonoses, and antimicrobial stewardship.

Designed for primary care physicians, internists, family physicians, infectious disease specialists, and emergency medicine physicians, this educational conference emphasizes evidence-based diagnosis, infection prevention, responsible antimicrobial use, and effective management of infections in immunocompromised patients.

Topics

Friday, October 16, 2026

• 7:00 am: Check-In and Breakfast

• 7:30 am – 8:30 am | Infectious Diseases – 1: Bone and Joint Infections

  • Presentation on the most important syndromes and pathogens involved in bone and joint infections – e.g., osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, bursitis, prosthetic joint infections and others – including related diagnostic, therapeutic and prevention pearls.

• 8:30 am – 9:30 am | Infectious Diseases – 1: Immunizations

  • Presentation on key vaccine preventable diseases and their presentations with an emphasis on the latest recommendations including newest schedules, safety and efficacy information

• 9:30 am – 9:40 am: Coffee Break

• 9:40 am – 10:40 am | Infectious Diseases – 1: Ambulatory Care Infectious Disease Emergencies

  • Case-based interactive discussion around exemplary cases that addresses key diagnostic and management strategies for potentially emergent outpatient infectious disease challenges

• 10:40 am – 11:40 am | Infectious Diseases – 2: Emerging Infectious Diseases

  • Novel influenza viruses, resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases, zoonoses and disease related to animal exposures (including vectors such as mosquitoes that bear west Nile virus and dengue), bioterrorism and food/waterborne illness

• 11:40 am – 12:40 pm | Infectious Diseases – 2: Gastrointestinal Infections & Clostridiodes Difficile

  • Presentation on important enteric pathogens and their recognition, diagnosis and management; special emphasis on clostridiodes difficile colitis and related updates from the ID and infection control literature

• 12:40 pm: Session Adjourns

Saturday, October 17, 2026

• 7:00 am: Arrival and Breakfast

• 7:30 am – 8:30 am | Infectious Diseases – 2: Respiratory Tract Infections

  • Discussion highlighting critical points regarding the diagnosis and management of pneumonia and bronchitis – with a focus on the impact of multidrug resistant pathogens

• 8:30 am – 9:30 am | Infectious Diseases – 2: Healthcare-Associated Infections

  • Presentation on important pathogens in the healthcare setting and related clinical, epidemiologic and infection control information (please note that the discussion on blood-borne pathogens will NOT suffice for standard hospital CME requirements for BBP training)

• 9:30 am – 9:40 am: Coffee Break

• 9:40 am – 10:40 am | Infectious Diseases – 1: Genitourinary Infections

  • Presentation on a relevant and clinically practical approach to the patient with genitourinary complaints focusing on the latest guidelines for the range of urinary tract infections and highlights of selected and important sexually-transmitted disease syndromes.

• 10:40 am – 11:40 am | Infectious Diseases – 3: Skin & Soft Tissue Infections

  • Presentation on important skin and soft-tissue infections and their prompt recognition, emphasizing evaluation and management strategies

• 11:40 am – 12:40 pm | Infectious Diseases – 3: Central Nervous System Infections

  • Presentation on common CNS infectious disease presentation and syndromes including basic epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment strategies

• 12:40 pm: Session Adjourns

Sunday, October 18, 2026

• 7:00 am: Arrival and Breakfast

• 7:30 am – 8:30 am | Infectious Diseases – 3: Antimicrobial Stewardship and Multidrug Resistance

  • Definition of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP); Concepts of the antimicrobial stewardship program; Four goals of antimicrobial stewardship; Most recent additions to the antimicrobial armamentarium

• 8:30 am – 9:30 am | Infectious Diseases – 3: Infectious Diseases in the Special Host

  • Case-based interactive discussion involving important infectious disease syndromes in three special hosts: the diabetic patient, the HIV/AIDS patient and the pregnant woman

• 9:30 am: Conference Adjourns