Dr. Michael Heffernan

Specialty:

Cardiology

About The Speaker

Dr. Michael Heffernan is a staff cardiologist at the Oakville Trafalgar Hospital. He obtained his honours bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Genetic Engineering from Mc Master University in 1987. He then successfully pursued a Ph.D. in the department of Medical Genetics at the University of Toronto. Dr. Heffernan completed Internal Medicine and Cardiology training at the University of Toronto. He is a Staff Cardiologist at the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital and is also the Director of the Oakville Hospital Heart Function Clinic and the Medical Director of Research at Halton Healthcare. In addition, Dr. Heffernan is a Director of Oakville Cardiologists, a partner of Oakville Cardiovascular Research LP, and is an Assistant Clinical Professor at McMaster University. Dr. Heffernan’s research activities have been widely published in academic and peer-reviewed journals including the New England Journal of Medicine.

Dr. Kevin Saunders

Specialty:

Family Practice

About The Speaker

Dr. Kevin Saunders is a family physician in Winnipeg. He completed his medical training at the University of Manitoba in 1985 and has practiced in Winnipeg since then. In addition to his family medicine practice, he is also the medical director of The Wellness Institute at Seven Oaks General Hospital and an attending physician at Middlechurch and River East Nursing Homes.

Dr Saunders has participated in extensive phase III clinical trial research with new pharmaceutical agents over the past thirty years. His special interest areas include diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and vascular diseases (both primary and secondary prevention). At the Wellness Institute he was involved in developing the cardiac rehab program and the diabetes education programs. Dr Saunders has a special interest in family physician CME and has been extensively involved in CME development and facilitation over many years. Dr Saunders is a past president of the medical staff at Seven Oaks General Hospital, a past chair of the Section of Family Practice of Doctors Manitoba, and a past president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba.

CME Topics

Cardiology and Family Medicine

Dr. Heffernan-

• Atrial Fibrillation: Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment
  • Determine optimal antithrombotic therapy in AF patients.
  • Understand the common co-morbidities that increase the risk for developing atrial fibrillation.
  • Apply different screening tools for excluding or diagnosing AF in the office setting
• Dyslipidemia: Traditional and Emerging Therapies
  • Recognize the importance of screening, treating and managing patients with dyslipidemia in primary care.
  • Determine which high risk patients may benefit from additional LDL-C lowering
  • Understand the advances made recently in the treatment of dyslipdemia
• Congestive Heart Failure: Entering A New Era of Therapy
  • Recognize that congestive heart failure is a significant burden of morbidity and mortality
  • Understand the pathophysiology that leads to the development of congestive heart failure
  • Be aware of the current and emerging therapies available for the treatment of congestive heart failure
• My Patient Just Had a Heart Attack: Secondary Prevention Post Myocardial Infarction
  • Understand the pathophysiology of acute coronary syndromes
  • Recognize the contemporary guideline-recommended therapies prescribed to patients following a myocardial infarction
• Reducing Vascular Risk: The Management of Patients with Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
  • Understand the need for comprehensive vascular risk control in patients with T2DM and documented CV disease
  • Be aware of the results of CV outcome trials and follow-up trials with SGLT2 inhibitors/glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs)
• Hypertension Management: A Review of the Current Guidelines
  • Identify appropriate blood pressure targets
  • Understand the approach to treatment and management of hypertension

Dr. Saunders-

• Nephrology: Are the kidneys our most vital organ?
  • Recognize current guideline recommendations for screening and diagnosis of CKD.
  • Discuss emergent treatment options for CKD in type 2 DM.
• Diabetes: So many new drugs and studies – How do I make sense of it all?
  • Realize the 2020 Diabetes Canada updated guidelines with an emphasis on the new recommendations.
  • Define an approach based on the guidelines to select the most appropriate agents for individually treating our diabetic patients.
• Diabetes: Injectable therapies – GLP1, GIP/GLP1, and insulin.
  • Realize the Diabetes Canada 2020 update with emphasis on injectable therapies.
  • Verify the rationale for utilizing these therapies in patients with diabetes.
  • Enhance comfort in starting injectable therapy in appropriate patients with diabetes.
• Diabetes: Continuous glucose monitoring – What’s all the hype?
  • Recall the 2021 Diabetes Canada guideline update re CGM.
  • Understand how the information provided by CGM can benefit some of our diabetic patients.
  • Learn when and how to use this new technology.
• Obesity: Pharmacotherapy – do any of these drugs actually work?
  • Recall the Obesity Canada 2020 guidelines.
  • Define an approach to integrate the guideline data into clinical practice.
• Vascular risk Reduction: Putting it all together for our patients.
  • Recognize lifestyle factors that affect vascular risk.
  • Develop risk reduction strategies for patients that include both lifestyle and pharmacologic approaches.