Maximizing your time by including sunrise seminars, meet the professors, workshops, and more in your ATS 2014 itinerary.

Planning your ATS 2014 itinerary in advance is essential to maximizing your time while navigating the conference. As you determine which tracks fit your needs and which poster presentations and symposia hold the keys to your research or clinical questions, be sure to round out your schedule with more learning opportunities that are available before and between morning and afternoon sessions.

Sunrise Seminars
Take part in sunrise seminars, where intimate, small settings allow for both well-established and up-and-coming researchers to get to know each other more personally. From 7 to 8 a.m. May 19-21, attendees can choose from between 17 and 19 presentations, depending on the day. Seating is limited, and pre-registration is required.

Among the wide-ranging topics are an “Update on Eosinophilic Lung Diseases” and a discussion on “Improving Communication with Families in the ICU.” The latter will be given by Erin Kross, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Harborview Medical Center, Seattle. Dr. Kross focuses her research on outcomes for families and patients after critical illness, specifically psychological outcomes such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

“I am interested in the shared experience of critical illness for patients and families, as well as outcomes for family members of those who die in the intensive care unit,” says Dr. Kross, who currently is supported by a K23 career development award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, through which she is studying psychological and quality of life outcomes for patients who survive acute lung injury and their family members.

Meet the Professor Seminars
The expert speakers at the meet the professor seminars from noon to 1 p.m. May 18-20 will provide current and historical perspectives on 37 subjects, including “Common Clinical Dilemmas in Connective Tissue Disease Associated ILD” and “Drug Induced Lung Disease Emergencies And Urgencies.” These informal, one-hour lunch sessions require pre-registration, and seating is limited.

Thematic Seminar Series
The thematic seminar series takes a cue from the sunrise seminar and meet the professor seminar formats, giving participants an informal setting with which to meet top-notch speakers. Topics include “Emerging Issues in Infectious Complications after Lung Transplantation,” “Pro-Con Debates in the Diagnosis and Management of Sarcoidosis,” and “Respiratory Care of Patients with Chronic Neuromuscular Disease.” Each thematic seminar series has three parts presented over May 18-21, and registrants must participate in all three parts. Seating is limited and pre-registration is required.

Workshops
Each day, two lunchtime programs will be offered from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., for a total of eight workshops. They will kick off May 18 with “Clinical Impact of Point of Care Ultrasonography in Critically Ill Patients,” with Kenneth Lyn-Kew, MD, workshop chair and assistant professor of medicine at National Jewish Health, Denver. This workshop will provide an overview of the major applications of general critical care ultrasonography. Specific ultrasound exams used along with their impact will be illustrated through the presentation of patient cases in which the clinical outcome was entirely dependent on information obtained by a clinician who performed ultrasound assessment.

Another workshop, “Practical Considerations in Conducting and Managing Clinical Trials” on May 20 will provide an overview of the main topics related to managing clinical trials, including study recruitment, pre-screening call tracking operations, contract implications, and managing HIPAA compliant databases. Practical examples of efficient approaches to these topics will be provided by the speakers and a panel of experienced clinical research coordinators.

Seating is limited and pre-registration is required.

Exhibit Hall Unopposed Time
While ATS 2014 allows plenty of time to visit the exhibit hall, three of the 14.5 Exhibit Hall hours are unopposed. No sessions or events conflict with your time on the floor from 1 to 2 p.m. each day. During this time, freely explore the exhibit hall without any scheduling conflicts, and expand your educational experience. Learn about the latest therapies, medical devices, publications, and research services. Meet with experts, participate in live demonstrations, and compare products and services. Complimentary beverages and dessert will also be served during this hour, and complimentary coffee will be served each morning when the hall opens. Read more about visiting the Exhibit Hall.