MER Cardiology & Pulmonology for Primary Care 2026

Comprehensive Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Review for Primary Care Clinicians

The MER Cardiology & Pulmonology for Primary Care 2026 program provides a practical, evidence-based review of common cardiovascular and respiratory conditions encountered in primary care.

Organized by Medical Education Resources (MER), the original conference was held from July 17–19, 2026, at Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite in California.

The curriculum integrates contemporary cardiology and pulmonology with clinically relevant topics including coronary artery disease, ECG interpretation, acute chest pain, cardiovascular prevention, heart failure, hypertension, asthma, COPD, respiratory infections, pulmonary nodules, lung cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and associated cardiovascular complications.

Course Details

• Provider: Medical Education Resources (MER)
• Official Course: Cardiology & Pulmonology for Primary Care
• Year: 2026
• Original Conference Dates: July 17–19, 2026
• Original Venue: Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite
• Location: Yosemite, California, USA
• Original MER Listing: 12 Credit Hours
• Original ANCC Listing: 5.50 Pharmacotherapeutic Contact Hours
• Primary Areas: Cardiology, Pulmonology & Primary Care
• Format: Clinical Medical Education

Who Should Attend?

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

Best For

• Primary Care Physicians
• Internal Medicine Physicians
• Family Medicine Physicians
• Cardiologists
• Pulmonologists
• Endocrinologists
• Nurse Practitioners
• Physician Assistants
• Healthcare professionals managing cardiovascular and pulmonary disease

Cardiology

Suspected Coronary Artery Disease

Review a structured approach to the evaluation of patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD).

Topics include:

• Cardiovascular risk assessment
• Chest pain evaluation
• Clinical probability
• Appropriate diagnostic testing
• Test selection
• ECG
• Stress testing
• Cardiac imaging
• Referral considerations

The course emphasizes choosing the appropriate cardiovascular evaluation based on symptoms and individual patient risk.

ECG / EKG Interpretation

Review best practices for reading and interpreting electrocardiograms.

Topics include:

• Systematic ECG interpretation
• Heart rate
• Rhythm
• Cardiac axis
• Intervals
• Conduction abnormalities
• Ischemic changes
• Arrhythmias
• Common ECG patterns

This section helps clinicians strengthen practical ECG interpretation skills for everyday primary care.

Acute Chest Pain

Develop a practical approach to patients presenting with acute chest pain.

Topics include:

• Differential diagnosis
• Acute coronary syndrome
• Risk stratification
• Initial diagnostic testing
• ECG interpretation
• Biomarkers
• Drug therapy
• Identification of high-risk patients
• Appropriate referral and emergency management

Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

Review evidence-based strategies for preventing coronary artery disease.

Topics include:

• Lifestyle modification
• Exercise
• Nutrition
• Smoking cessation
• Lipid management
• Cholesterol guidelines
• Statin therapy
• Cardiovascular risk assessment
• Primary prevention

Heart Failure

Review contemporary treatment strategies for heart failure.

Topics include:

• Heart failure diagnosis
• HFrEF
• HFpEF
• Guideline-directed medical therapy
• Volume management
• Patient monitoring
• Cardiovascular risk reduction
• Multidisciplinary management

Hypertension

Review current concepts in the diagnosis and management of hypertension.

Topics include:

• Accurate blood pressure measurement
• Hypertension diagnosis
• Cardiovascular risk
• Lifestyle modification
• Treatment thresholds
• Blood pressure goals
• Pharmacologic therapy
• Combination treatment
• Resistant hypertension

Cardiovascular Disease & Type 2 Diabetes

Review cardiovascular complications associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Topics include:

• Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
• Heart failure
• Cardiovascular risk assessment
• Diabetic cardiovascular complications
• Risk-factor modification
• Contemporary pharmacologic strategies
• Cardiorenal risk reduction

Obesity & Cardiovascular Disease

Review the relationship between obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Topics include:

• Cardiovascular risk
• Hypertension
• Dyslipidemia
• Insulin resistance
• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart failure
• Lifestyle intervention
• Weight-management considerations

Pulmonology

Asthma

Review current approaches to the diagnosis and management of asthma.

Topics include:

• Clinical presentation
• Pulmonary function testing
• Asthma severity
• Asthma control
• Inhaled therapies
• Controller medications
• Acute exacerbations
• Patient education
• Monitoring

Respiratory Tract Infections

Develop treatment strategies based on current evidence for commonly encountered respiratory infections.

Topics include:

• Upper respiratory infections
• Bronchitis
• Pneumonia
• Appropriate antimicrobial use
• Supportive treatment
• Risk assessment
• Diagnostic testing
• Outpatient versus inpatient management

COPD

Review contemporary management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Topics include:

• COPD diagnosis
• Spirometry
• Disease severity
• Smoking cessation
• Bronchodilator therapy
• Inhaled medications
• Exacerbation prevention
• Pulmonary rehabilitation
• Vaccination
• Long-term management

Pulmonary Nodules

Review current strategies for evaluating patients with pulmonary nodules.

Topics include:

• Incidental pulmonary nodules
• Risk assessment
• Imaging characteristics
• Nodule size
• Surveillance
• Follow-up imaging
• Identification of high-risk lesions
• Referral considerations

Lung Cancer

Review current approaches to lung cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment planning.

Topics include:

• Lung cancer risk factors
• Screening eligibility
• Low-dose CT screening
• Pulmonary nodules
• Diagnostic evaluation
• Referral
• Treatment considerations
• Multidisciplinary care

Cardio-Pulmonary Overlap in Primary Care

Cardiovascular and pulmonary disorders frequently share similar symptoms.

Patients may present with:

• Dyspnea
• Chest discomfort
• Exercise intolerance
• Fatigue
• Cough
• Hypoxemia
• Edema

These symptoms can arise from:

• Heart failure
• Coronary artery disease
• Asthma
• COPD
• Pulmonary infection
• Pulmonary vascular disease
• Metabolic disease
• Obesity

The course helps clinicians approach these presentations using integrated cardiovascular and respiratory assessment.

Learning Objectives

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

• Describe the work-up, risk assessment, and test selection for patients with suspected coronary artery disease.
• Apply best practices for reading and interpreting ECGs.
• Describe current diagnostic approaches and pharmacologic treatment of patients presenting with acute chest pain.
• Implement lifestyle changes and lipid and cholesterol recommendations for prevention of coronary artery disease.
• Diagnose and manage patients with asthma.
• Develop evidence-based treatment strategies for common respiratory infections.
• Describe current therapeutic approaches to COPD.
• Discuss diagnostic and screening strategies for pulmonary nodules and lung cancer.
• Implement contemporary evidence-based treatment strategies for heart failure.
• Explain current concepts in the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension.
• Identify and manage cardiovascular complications associated with type 2 diabetes.
• Discuss cardiovascular complications associated with obesity.
• Integrate cardiovascular and pulmonary assessment into primary care decision-making.

Major Clinical Topics

Cardiology

• Coronary Artery Disease
• Chest Pain
• ECG Interpretation
• Cardiovascular Prevention
• Dyslipidemia
• Heart Failure
• Hypertension
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Obesity
• Cardiovascular Risk

Pulmonology

• Asthma
• COPD
• Respiratory Infections
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary Nodules
• Lung Cancer
• Lung Cancer Screening
• Pulmonary Function Testing

Primary Care

• Risk Assessment
• Diagnostic Testing
• Evidence-Based Treatment
• Prevention
• Chronic Disease Management
• Clinical Decision-Making

Why This Course Is Valuable

The MER Cardiology & Pulmonology for Primary Care 2026 program combines two clinical areas that frequently overlap in outpatient medicine.

Primary care clinicians commonly evaluate patients presenting with:

Chest Pain → Dyspnea → Cardiovascular Risk → Asthma/COPD → Heart Failure → Metabolic Disease

The program provides a practical framework for differentiating cardiovascular and pulmonary causes of symptoms while applying contemporary evidence-based treatment strategies.

It is particularly useful for clinicians seeking an integrated review of CAD, ECG interpretation, chest pain, heart failure, hypertension, asthma, COPD, respiratory infections, pulmonary nodules, lung cancer, diabetes, and obesity.

4. Short Description

The MER Cardiology & Pulmonology for Primary Care 2026 program provides practical updates on CAD, ECG interpretation, acute chest pain, heart failure, hypertension, cardiovascular prevention, asthma, COPD, respiratory infections, pulmonary nodules, lung cancer, diabetes, and obesity.

Topics

Cardiology

• Work-up of Patients with Suspected CAD: 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).

• EKG and Clinical Correlation for Primary Care: A case-based refresher including challenging EKG readings.

• Acute Coronary Syndromes: The Patient with Acute Chest Pain: Diagnosis and initial evaluation in the primary care setting, urgent care clinic and emergency department; Initial workup, treatment, and follow-up; Diagnosing and treating ST segment elevation and non-ST segment elevation MIs; The role of drug therapy–primary vs adjunctive to PCI; Follow up after acute coronary syndromome.

• Primary Prevention of Cardiometabolic CVD: 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.

• Heart Failure: 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.

• Hypertension: The 2025 AHA/ACC Hypertension Guidelines; The 2024 ESC Guidelines for hypertension; Approaches to treatment thresholds and goals; Choices for initial and combination therapy; Resistant hypertension; Treating special populations: diabetics, the elderly, patients with renal failure; Risk factors by new pooled equations.

• Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease: Epidemiology of risk for cardiovascular complications associated with type 2 diabetes; Review of the accumulated data with regard to the cardiovascular safety and efficacy of newer antihyperglycemic medications; Overview of most recent endocrinology and cardiology society recommendations and guidelines for their use.

• Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease: Epidemiology of risk for cardiovascular complications associated with being overweight and obesity; Review the accumulated data with regard to the cardiovascular safety; Efficacy of medications approved or in development for the treatment of obesity.

Pulmonology

• Asthma: The medical impact of asthma; fundamental role of inflammation, with possible scarring and irreversible loss of lung function; practical points of diagnosis; goal setting management based on levels of severity; risk factors for mortality and treatment in the acute setting; management options for the difficult to control asthmatic patient.

• Controversies in the Treatment of Common Respiratory Infections: Acute and chronic bronchitis; pneumonia (community versus hospital-acquired); role of the Pneumonia Severity Index score in determining indication for hospitalization; cost- effective use of antibiotics; clinical significance of drug resistance; guidelines for management.

• COPD: Definition; pathophysiology; early detection and intervention; risk reduction; management update including new modalities (including lung volume reduction surgery) and the role of inhaled corticosteroids and domiciliary oxygen.

• Lung Cancer Screening & Pulmonary Nodules: Appropriate use of the new lung cancer screening recommendations; Fleischner Society guidelines and American College of Chest Physician Lung Cancer guidelines; approach to definitive evaluation and management strategies.