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G.P.N. - Transplantation in Patients with Adult Congenital Heart Disease - 2026
In-Person and Virtual attendance options available
FEES
IN-PERSON | FEE |
Physician (Private physician located inside the Greater Houston Area)* | $210 |
Physician (Private physician located inside the Greater Houston Area) (NO CME Option)** | Complimentary (Click here to register) |
Physician (Private physician located outside the Greater Houston Area) | Complimentary |
Physician (HM Physicians, including MPAQ and ACO PCPs) | Complimentary |
Allied Health Care Professionals (HM and external) | Complimentary |
Residents / Fellows / Students | Complimentary |
|
|
VIRTUAL | FEE |
Physician (Private physician located inside the Greater Houston Area)* | $210 |
Physician (Private physician located inside the Greater Houston Area) (NO CME Option)** | Complimentary (Click here to register) |
Physician (Private physician located outside the Greater Houston Area) | $50 |
Physician (HM Physicians, including MPAQ and ACO PCPs) | $50 |
Allied Health Care Professionals (HM and external) | $20 |
Residents / Fellows / Students | $20 |
* In compliance with HM’s policy on Physician Non-Monetary Compensation regarding “Stark Law,” private physicians who reside and/or practice medicine within the Greater Houston Area are required to pay the full Fair Market Value registration fee.
**Private physicians located within the Greater Houston Area may attend this activity in-person or virtually for no fee, but will not receive CME credit.
**Presenters, topics, program schedule, and credit is subject to change**
Target Audience
The George P. Noon Conference Series is designed for nephrologists, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, hepatologists, pulmonologists, pathologists, internists, oncologists, physicians treating patients with organ failure, nurses, family practitioners, social workers and allied health professionals with an interest in organ failure transplant management.
Learning Objectives
- Analyze the past, present and future of heart rejection
- Distinguish the difference of tailoring care or standardizing Immunosuppression protocols for better outcomes
- Explain the relevance and management of positive Cross-match
- Indicate when to test for Non-HLA antibodies and what to do about them
Course summary
- 6.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
Houston Methodist is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Houston Methodist designates this Live activity for a maximum of 6.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
- 6.00 Attendance
- 6.00 Nursing Contact Hours
Houston Methodist is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Houston Methodist will award up to 6.00 nursing professional development contact hours for this activity.
- 6.00 Transplant CoordinatorsThe American Board for Transplant Certification (ABTC) has assigned the following Continuing Education Points for Transplant Certification (CEPTCs) to the following Houston Methodist Transplant Center educational program: G.P.N. - Transplantation in Patients with Adult Congenital Heart Disease - 2026 | Thu, 09/03/2026 - 8:00am | 6.00 Category 1 CEPTCs
H O U S T O N M E T H O D I S T J . C . W A L T E R J R C O N F E R E N C E S E R I E S | ||
2026 GEORGE P. NOON CONFERENCE SERIES | ||
TIME | PRESENTATION | SPEAKER(S) |
7:30 AM | Breakfast | |
7:50 AM | Welcome & Opening Remarks | Valeria Duarte MD MPH |
8:00 AM | In Memoriam: Dr. George P. Noon | Guillermo Torre-Amione MD PhD FACC |
SECTION I: THE ACHD HEART FAILURE POPULATION, TRANSPLANT EVALUATION & RISK | ||
8:30 AM | Case 1: An ACHD patient slowly declining — when to refer for transplantation | Aamina Shakir, MD |
8:40 AM | The changing landscape of ACHD: the growing burden of advanced heart failure | Christopher Broda, MD |
9:00 AM | When to refer: too early, too late, and the window of opportunity — a guide for the ACHD cardiologist | Maan Jokhadar, MD |
9:20 AM | Case 2: Navigating ACHD complexities (anatomy, sensitization, redo sternotomies, collaterals) during transplant evaluation at an adult hospital | Jonathan Ginns, MD |
9:30 AM | Predicting risk prior to ACHD transplant: what makes a patient too high risk, and how do we anticipate the most frequent complications? | Jeannette Lin, MD |
9:50 AM | A different pipeline: rethinking the transplant evaluation workflow for the ACHD patient — a heart failure and transplant cardiologist perspective | Rayan Yousefzai, MD |
10:10 AM | Advanced imaging for ACHD transplant planning: echocardiography, cardiac MRI, and CT | Valeria Duarte, MD, MPH |
10:30 AM | Q&A and Discussion | |
10:45 AM | Break | |
SECTION II ADVANCED THERAPY OUTCOMES AND PROGRAM BUILDING IN ACHD | ||
11:00 AM | The road to optimizing outcomes in ACHD transplantation: lessons learned from the cardiologist's perspective | Maan Jokhadar, MD |
11:20 AM | The road to optimizing outcomes in ACHD transplantation: lessons learned from the surgeon's perspective | Ziv Beckerman, MD, MEBCTS, FEBCTS, FACS, FACC, FAHA |
11:40 AM | The role of the ACHD interventionalist in transplant planning, pre-transplant mechanical circulatory support, bleeding risk optimization, and short-term postoperative management | Weiyi Tan, MD |
12:00 PM | DCD in ACHD transplantation: expanding the donor pool and early outcomes | Ziv Beckerman, MD, MEBCTS, FEBCTS, FACS, FACC, FAHA |
12:20 PM | Durable mechanical circulatory support in ACHD: which patients truly benefit? | Osami Honjo, MD |
12:40 PM | Q&A and Discussion | |
12:50 PM | Lunch | |
SECTION III CHALLENGING DECISIONS IN ACHD ADVANCED THERAPIES | ||
2:00 PM | Case 3: A patient with Eisenmenger syndrome: when does the risk-benefit calculation shift? | Brenda Merkelz, RN, BSN, CCTC |
2:10 PM | Eisenmenger syndrome: missing the window, jumping the gun, or seizing the moment — timing transplantation right | Weiyi Tan, MD |
2:25 PM | An ACHD transplant surgeon's journey: anatomical complexity, reoperative challenges, and the unexpected | Andrea Quarti, MD, PhD |
2:40 PM | Case 4: A young adult with Fontan failure and liver cirrhosis — heart alone or combined transplant? | Venkatachalam Mulukutla, MD |
2:50 PM | The Fontan Failure Dilemma: Heart Alone or Heart-Liver — What Clinical Criteria Guide the Decision? | Jeannette Lin, MD |
3:15 PM | Precision in the Details: Challenges and Pearls for Success — Preoperative, Surgical, and Postoperative Care in Heart Transplantation for Fontan Patients | Osami Honjo, MD |
3:40 PM | Q&A and Discussion | |
3:55 PM | Adjourn | |
LIVE (in-person attendance) will be held in the Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6670 Bertner Avenue, Houston, Texas 77030).
LIVESTREAM information will be provided to registered learners.
Course Director
R. Mark Ghobrial, MD, PhD
J.C. Walter Jr. Presidential Distinguished Chair
Director, J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center
Professor of Surgery, Academic Institute
Member, Research Institute, Academic Institute
Department of Surgery
Sherrie and Alan Conover Center for Liver Disease & Transplantation
Immunobiology & Transplant Science Center
Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center
Underwood Center for Digestive Health
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College
Planning Committee
Ashrith Guha, MD, MPH, FACC
Blake and Roswell F. Vaughan III Centennial Chair, DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center
Associate Professor of Cardiology, Academic Institute
Department of Cardiology
J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College
Valeria Duarte, MD, MPH, FAHA
Medical Director, Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program
Director, ACHD Transplantation, ACHD Imaging, CardioObstetrics
Assistant Professor of Cardiology, Weill Cornell Medical College
Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center
Houston, TX
Andrea Giulio Quarti, MD, PhD
Surgical Director, Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program
Assistant Professor of Clinical Cardiovascular Surgery, Academic Institute
Weill Cornell Medical College
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery
Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center
Houston, TX
Rayan Yousefzai, MD, FACC
Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiologist
Director, Heart Failure Inpatient Unit
Co-Director, ACHD Transplantation Program
Assistant Professor of Cardiology, Weill Cornell Medical College
Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center
J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center
Houston, TX
Cindy M. Martin, MD
Lois E. and Carl A. Davis Chair in Heart Failure, DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center
Professor of Cardiology, Academic Institute
Member, Research Institute, Academic Institute
Department of Cardiology
DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College
Dhaval Parekh, MD
Director, ACHD and CTEPH Interventions
Adult Congenital Heart Disease, Cardiology, Interventional Cardiology and Structural Heart Disease Cardiologist
Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center
Houston, TX
Guest Faculty
Ziv Beckerman, MD, MEBCTS, FEBCTS, FACS, FACC, FAHA
Associate Chief
Associate Professor, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
Director, Adult Congenital Heart Surgery
Surgical Director, Pediatric Heart Transplantation
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, TN
Christopher Broda, MD
Adult Congenital Cardiologist
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX
Jonathan Ginns, MD
Adult Congenital Cardiologist
Interventional Cardiologist
Heart Hospital of Austin
Austin, TX
Osami Honjo, MD
Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery
CIT Group Chair in Congenital Heart Surgery
Surgical Director, Toronto ACHD Program
Senior Associate Scientist
Professor of Surgery, University of Toronto
Division of Cardiovascular Surgery
The Hospital for Sick Children
Research Institute
University of Toronto
Toronto, Canada
Gregory Johnson, MD
Medical Director, Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program of Central Texas
Dell Medical School
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX
Maan Jokhadar, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Medical Director, Cardiac ICU
Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Advanced Heart Failure and Transplantation
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN
Jeannette Lin, MD, FACC
Clinical Professor of Medicine
Ahmanson/UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center
Director, Adult Congenital Heart Disease Fellowship Program
Co-Director, UCLA CardioObstetrics Program
Los Angeles, CA
Venkatachalam Mulukutla, MD
Adult & Pediatric Interventional Cardiology and Cardiovascular Diseases
El Paso, TX
Aamina Shakir, MD
Adult Congenital Cardiologist
University of Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, OK
Weiyi Tan, MD, MPH
Adult Congenital Cardiologist
Interventional Cardiologist
Director, Adult Congenital Heart Disease Fellowship Program
Assistant Professor of Medicine
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, TX
Thomas W. Young, MD
Pediatric Cardiology
Ochsner Children's Health Center
New Orleans, LA
Houston Methodist Faculty
A. Osama Gaber, MD, FACS, FAST
John F., Jr. and Carolyn Bookout Presidential Distinguished Chair in Surgery
Chair, Department of Surgery
Professor of Surgery, Academic Institute
Member, Research Institute, Academic Institute
Program Director, Transplant Surgery Fellowship
Sherrie and Alan Conover Center for Liver Disease & Transplantation
Immunobiology & Transplant Science Center
J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center
Co-director, Underwood Center for Digestive Health
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College
Guillermo Torre-Amione, MD, PhD
Professor of Cardiology, Academic Institute
Member, Research Institute, Academic Institute
Department of Cardiology
DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center
J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College
Brenda Merkelz, RN, BSN, CCTC
Sr. Heart Transplant Coordinator
ACHD Transplant Coordinator
J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center
Houston Methodist
Available Credit
- 6.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
Houston Methodist is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Houston Methodist designates this Live activity for a maximum of 6.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
- 6.00 Attendance
- 6.00 Nursing Contact Hours
Houston Methodist is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Houston Methodist will award up to 6.00 nursing professional development contact hours for this activity.
- 6.00 Transplant CoordinatorsThe American Board for Transplant Certification (ABTC) has assigned the following Continuing Education Points for Transplant Certification (CEPTCs) to the following Houston Methodist Transplant Center educational program: G.P.N. - Transplantation in Patients with Adult Congenital Heart Disease - 2026 | Thu, 09/03/2026 - 8:00am | 6.00 Category 1 CEPTCs
Interested in exhibiting? Contact us for more information.
Exhibitors
We gratefully acknowledge the following companies for participating as exhibitors for this activity:
Abbott
CareDx
Natera
Pfizer
Takeda
Price
By registering for this activity you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions.
REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS
- STEP 1 - Choose the activity format you would like to attend (LIVE or LIVESTREAM) by selecting the checkbox next to the activity and clicking the "Enroll" button.
- STEP 2 - Once enrolled, click the link of the activity format for which you enrolled (the Status should say "In progress") and then click the "Take Course" button to begin the activity.
FEES
IN-PERSON | FEE |
Physician (Private physician located inside the Greater Houston Area)* | $210 |
Physician (Private physician located inside the Greater Houston Area) (NO CME Option)** | Complimentary (Click here to register) |
Physician (Private physician located outside the Greater Houston Area) | Complimentary |
Physician (HM Physicians, including MPAQ and ACO PCPs) | Complimentary |
Allied Health Care Professionals (HM and external) | Complimentary |
Residents / Fellows / Students | Complimentary |
|
|
VIRTUAL | FEE |
Physician (Private physician located inside the Greater Houston Area)* | $210 |
Physician (Private physician located inside the Greater Houston Area) (NO CME Option)** | Complimentary (Click here to register) |
Physician (Private physician located outside the Greater Houston Area) | $50 |
Physician (HM Physicians, including MPAQ and ACO PCPs) | $50 |
Allied Health Care Professionals (HM and external) | $20 |
Residents / Fellows / Students | $20 |
* In compliance with HM’s policy on Physician Non-Monetary Compensation regarding “Stark Law,” private physicians who reside and/or practice medicine within the Greater Houston Area are required to pay the full Fair Market Value registration fee.
**Private physicians located within the Greater Houston Area may attend this activity in-person or virtually for no fee, but will not receive CME credit.
**Presenters, topics, program schedule, and credit is subject to change**