Continuing Education Credits
STS is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons designates this other activity (blended live and enduring material) for a maximum of 42.40 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosure Information
As a sponsor of continuing medical education accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), The Society of Thoracic Surgeons requires that any individual who is in a position to control the content of an educational activity must disclose all financial relationships with any ineligible companies. This is to ensure that that all decisions related to the planning, faculty selection, delivery, and evaluation of accredited education are made without any influence or involvement from the owners and employees of an ineligible company. The ACCME defines ineligible companies as those whose “primary business is producing, marketing, selling, reselling, or distributing health care products used by or on patients.” The question of whether a disclosed conflict situation could represent undue influence on the educational activity by an ineligible company or whether the disclosed information is sufficient to consider an abstract, presentation, or other educational enduring material to represent potentially biased information must be mitigated prior to an individual’s involvement in STS educational programming.

Disclosure information is provided for each presenter at the beginning of the session and/or presentation.  If applicable, the absence of relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies will also be disclosed to learners. To review the complete STS Education Disclosure Policy, go to sts.org/about-sts/policies/education-disclosure-policy.

Intended Audience
The intended audience consists of cardiothoracic surgeons, general surgeons, anesthesiologists, oncologists, cardiologists, pulmonologists, radiologists, and allied health care providers working with cardiothoracic surgeons. MDs and DOs may claim CME credit; non-MDs/DOs are awarded a certificate of participation. Physicians Assistants (PAs) may claim AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for participating in this activity.

Learning Objectives 

  • Review the results of clinical and laboratory investigations designed to reveal new knowledge of cardiothoracic diseases or develop new technology applicable to the management of cardiothoracic diseases  
  • Evaluate the impact of new knowledge and the application of new technology on the treatment of cardiothoracic diseases 
  • Discuss the importance of patient safety issues and how current strategies can be introduced into one’s practice or institution  
  • Discuss surgical techniques in order to improve the standard of care within the specialty  
  • Examine how public policy can impact the treatment of one’s patients  
  • Share and summarize information provided through small group discussions facilitated by leaders in cardiothoracic surgery 

 
Commercial Relationships of Program Planning Members
The Society would like to thank the following program planners for their work on the educational content of STS 2022.

Unless otherwise noted, these program planners and staff have no financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. All relevant commercial relationships have been mitigated.

Board of Directors
Sean C. Grondin
John H. Calhoon
Thomas E. MacGillivray
Joseph F. Sabik, III
Joseph A. Dearani
Kimberly A. Holst
J. Rafael Sábada
Alan D. Sihoe – Medela: Consultant; Medtronic, Consultant
Marc Ruel – CryoLife: Consultant; Edwards Lifesciences: Speaker, Proctor; Medtronic: Research Support, Proctor
Debra A. DaRosa
Kevin D. Accola - Edwards Lifesciences: Consultant, Speaker, Research Grant; Abbott: Research Grant
Leah M. Backhus – Johnson & Johnson: Speaker
Joseph C. Cleveland, Jr. - Abbott: Consultant/Advisory Board
Gregory P. Fontana – Abbott: PI, Consultant/Advisory Board; Medtronic: Consultant, Speaker
Thomas G. Gleason – Abbott: Consultant/Advisory Board
Jennifer C. Romano
James S. Tweddell
Ara A. Vaporciyan
Joanna Chikwe
Douglas J. Mathisen
Wilson Y. Szeto – Edwards: Investigator, Speaker, Advisory Board; Microinterventional Devices: Consultant; Medtronic: Investigator, Advisory Board; W.L. Gore & Assoc: Investigator, Speaker; Terumo Aortic: Investigator, Speaker, Advisory Board; CryoLife: Investigator, Advisory Board
Vinod H. Thourani – CryoLife: Advisor; Edwards Lifesciences: Consultant; Gore Vascular: Advisor; ShockWave: Consultant; Jenavalve: Advisor; Abbott: Consultant; Boston Scientific: Advisor

Workforce on Annual Meeting
John D. Mitchell - Intuitive Surgical: Consultant
Usman Ahmad
T. Sloane Guy – Edwards Lifesciences: Consultant/Advisory Board; Intuitive Surgical: Proctor and Trainer; Medtronic: Consultant; Johnson & Johnson: Consultant
HelenMari L. Merritt-Genore - AtriCure: Proctor
Rishindra M. Reddy - Intuitive Surgical: Proctor; Auris Robotics: Consultant; Medtronic: Advisory Board

Workforce on Annual Meeting (Program Task Force)
John D. Mitchell, Chair - Intuitive Surgical: Consultant
S. Adil Husain, Vice Chair
Yasir Abu-Omar
Errol L. Bush
Edward P. Chen 
Jonathan M. Chen - W.L. Gore & Assoc: Advisory Board
Elizabeth A. David - AstraZeneca: Advisory Board; Medtronic; Advisory Board
Jessica Donington - BMS – Speaker, Consultant; AstraZeneca: Speaker, Consultant; Genentech: Speaker, Consultant
Melanie A. Edwards
J. W. Awori Hayanga
Cynthia S. Herrington
Ahmet Kilic
Karen M. Kim
Michael Lanuti
Jennifer S. Lawton
S. Jill Ley – Clearflow: Honoraria
Jennifer S. Nelson
Tom C. Nguyen – Edwards Lifesciences: Proctor; 
Stefano Schena
Elizabeth H. Stephens
Wilson Y. Szeto - Edwards: Investigator, Speaker, Advisory Board; Microinterventional Devices: Consultant; Medtronic: Investigator, Advisory Board; W.L. Gore & Assoc: Investigator, Speaker; Terumo Aortic: Investigator, Speaker, Advisory Board; CryoLife: Investigator, Advisory Board
James S. Tweddell

Commercial Relationships of STS Staff
Scott Bradbury, Vice President of Education
Meredith Herzog, Associate Director of Education
Karen Kostrinsky, Senior Manager, E-Learning
Wesley K. Peart, Education Manager
Melisa Puthenmadom, E-Learning Coordinator
Michele Rush, Senior Manager for Education
William F. Seward, Associate Executive Director
Amanda Wright, E-Learning Manager
Isabel Dunn, Education Coordinator