Presented by: Janet S. Wright, MD, MACC
Disclosures: None

1.0 CEUs: AACVPR, AMA, CDR, ANCC, AARC, ACSM

Description: Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation professionals change lives every day, often quietly, always profoundly. This send off session, recorded at the 2026 Annual Meeting, celebrates that impact while challenging attendees to think bigger about what comes next. Blending recognition with purpose, this keynote reframes cardiopulmonary rehab as a force of nature in public health. Attendees will leave energized by their contributions, aligned around a shared professional identity, and motivated to take their next high impact steps within and beyond the walls of their own programs.

Learning Objectives:
1. Recognize and honor CPR professionals service
2. Establish and support their roles--current and future--in improving the nation's health
3. Challenge and facilitate their next high impact actions

Presented by: Danielle Hernandez, RDN
Disclosures: None

1.0 CEUs: AACVPR, AMA, CDR, ANCC, AARC, ACSM

Description: This session, recorded at the 2026 Annual Meeting, will review the newest dietary guidelines and evaluate their relevance for patients participating in cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation programs. Recommendations will be examined through a cardiopulmonary lens, highlighting supporting evidence, areas of alignment, and potential limitations. Attendees will gain practical strategies and evidence-based nutrition recommendations tailored to the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation patient population, including approaches to support sustainable nutrition changes for individuals with heart and lung disease.

Learning Objectives:
1. Summarize the key updates and components within the new dietary guidelines
2. Evaluate the potential benefits and limitations of the guidelines for cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation populations
3. Apply evidence-based, cardiopulmonary-focused nutrition recommendations to patient education and rehabilitation programming

Presented by: Julie Dunagan, MBA, MS, CCRP, CEP, FAACVPR; Kara Sweere, RN, MS, RCEP, CCRP, FAACVPR
Disclosures: None

1.0 CEUs: AACVPR, AMA, CDR, ANCC, AARC, ACSM

Description: AACVPR Program Certification is the only peer-review accreditation process designed to review cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation programs for adherence to standards and guidelines developed and published by AACVPR and other professional societies. AACVPR-certified programs are recognized as leaders in their field because they offer the most advanced, evidence-based practices and care. This session, recorded at the 2026 Annual Meeting, will provide an overview of each page of the 2026 certification application and insight on how to successfully complete the certification process. We will discuss how to avoid common mistakes as well as provide an in-depth review of ITP requirements, common errors and pitfalls, and finding ways to improve your program's ITPs. Programs seeking AACVPR Certification for the first time, and those renewing their certification are encouraged to attend.

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify requirements for each page of the AACVPR CR & PR Program Certification Applications
2. Identify materials needed to successfully submit documents and the resources available to help programs prepare for certification
3. Review of both approved submissions and submissions with opportunities for improvement.

Presented by: Brian Carlin, MD, MAACVPR, FAARC
Disclosures: None

1.0 CEUs: AACVPR, AMA, CDR, ANCC, AARC, ACSM

Description: This session, recorded at the 2026 Annual Meeting, will focus on those publications over the last year that have impacted on the practice of pulmonary rehabilitation. A case-based approach will be used with emphasis on the implementation of those recent research findings into your clinical practice of pulmonary rehabilitation.

Learning Objectives:
1. List two new research findings in the field of pulmonary rehabilitation.
2. Note the most important research finding during the last year in the field.
3. Develop a program to implement one of the last year's research findings into their practice.

Presented by: Steven J. Keteyian, PhD
Disclosures: Consultant

1.0 CEUs: AACVPR, AMA, CDR, ANCC, AARC, ACSM

Description: This session, recorded at the 2026 Annual Meeting, will provide a review of the key/impactful cardiac rehabilitation-related articles published in the literature between October 2025 and September 2026. The articles reviewed will represent scientific and programmatic original investigations and scientific statements from professional organizations that have had (or are likely to have) a meaningful impact on the delivery of cardiac rehabilitation. The first 40 min of the session will be devoted to up to 7-8 manuscripts being reviewed in-depth over 4-5 min each, including a summary slide for each article that identifies 2-3 practical take-home messages for the practicing clinician. The session will then review up to 7 more manuscripts all presented using the 2-slide, 2-minute lightning-round format, again focusing on a key practical take-away message for the practicing clinician. The session will conclude with a brief, one slide each review of currently on-going or proposed research trials that are likely to impact the conduct of cardiac rehabilitation in the future (e.g., PACESETTER, RECOVER-Energize, AF-ACTION, and MCNAIR; 3 AHA scientific statements that are all addressing cardiac rehabilitation)

Learning Objectives:
1. List/recall several key published research papers that have impacted the practice of cardiac rehabilitation over the past year
2. Identify and explain several recent programmatic- or science-related findings that can help advance the practice of cardiac rehabilitation
3. Formulate, adapt and be able to apply one to three of the findings reviewed during the session to the conduct of cardiac rehabilitation at their facility

Presented by: Mark Rudich, MS, RDN
Disclosures: None

1.0 CEUs: AACVPR, AMA, CDR, ANCC, AARC, ACSM

Description: Nutrition plays a critical role in supporting recovery, symptom management, and overall health outcomes in both cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. This presentation, recorded at the 2026 Annual Meeting, will explore how a plant-forward eating pattern can serve as a practical, evidence-based strategy to improve rehabilitation success. We will review the research linking plant-forward nutrition to better patient outcomes, discuss key nutrition considerations specific to pulmonary disease, examine common barriers to dietary change, and highlight realistic counseling techniques and goal-setting strategies that can help patients build sustainable, long-term habits.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the role of plant-forward nutrition in supporting cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.
2. Review the evidence linking plant-forward eating patterns to improved patient outcomes.
3. Identify pulmonary-specific nutrition considerations that may impact rehabilitation and quality of life.
4. Recognize common barriers to adopting a plant-forward eating pattern and apply practical counseling and goal-setting strategies to support sustainable behavior change.

Presented by: Matthew Thomas, MS, MBA, RCEP, FAACVPR; Kate Traynor, RN, MS, MAACVPR; Pamela Green, BSN, RN; Kayla Mahoney, MS, CCRP, CSCS; Tawnya Zeidler, MS, CEP
Disclosures: Consultant (Traynor)

1.0 CEUs: AACVPR, AMA, CDR, ANCC, ACSM

Description: This session, recorded at the 2026 Annual Meeting, will feature selected participants from the inaugural AACVPR Leadership Development (LEAD) Academy presenting their capstone projects that showcase innovative solutions in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation. Over the past seven months, these emerging leaders have developed essential skills in areas such as financial management, quality improvement, and human resource leadership. Attendees will have a unique opportunity to discern practical applications and solutions implemented within the Leadership Development Academy graduates capstone projects.

Learning Objectives:
1. Recognize application of innovative solutions in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program management.
2. Discuss strategies to enhance patient engagement and program improvement for informed decision-making
3. Describe real-world implementation of LEAD Academy concepts through a capstone project.

Presented by: Katherine Menson, DO; Diann Gaalema, PhD; Gabriela L Melo Ghisi, BSc PT, MSc, PhD, CRFC, FAACVPR
Disclosures: None

1.0 CEUs: AACVPR, AMA, CDR, ANCC, AARC, ACSM

Description: Attendance at pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation is known to differ by sex with females being less likely to attend. Outcomes are also discordant, as female sex is associated with higher depression scores, lower fitness, and fewer sessions attended in both PR and CR. In CR, female sex is also associated with less improvement in 6MWD, METs, and depression scores. This session, recorded at the 2026 Annual Meeting, will end with practical applications programs can apply for female-specific approaches to program management.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe female-related differences in attendance and outcomes in pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation, including disparities in depression, fitness, and session completion.
2. Interpret how female sex is associated with differential clinical outcomes in PR and CR (e.g., 6MWD, METs, depression scores) and discuss potential contributing factors.
3. Apply evidence-informed, female-specific strategies to pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation program design and management to improve attendance, engagement, and outcomes.

Presented by: Tara Lagu, MD, MPH; Betsy Hart, MS, ACSM-CEP, CCRP, CDCES, FAACVPR; Caitlin Coppenrath, MS, ACSM-CEP, CCRP
Disclosures: Employee (Lagu) - Alliant Insurance Services

1.0 CEUs: AACVPR, AMA, CDR, ANCC, AARC, ACSM

Description: In recent years, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have introduced a series of new value-based care models explicitly focused on reducing hospitalizations among patients with cardiovascular disease and specifically heart failure (HF). In the recording from the 2026 Annual Meeting, Dr. Lagu, an expert in both cardiac rehabilitation and population health, will introduce these models and the ways that their movement into mainstream health system workflows are an opportunity to increase CR uptake. First, Dr. Lagu will describe value-based care generally, introduce the ACO program, and then will focus on the Ambulatory Specialty Model and ACCESS Model. ASM is a mandatory model that, starting in 2027, will enroll cardiologists across the US and will put them at risk for payment losses if HF hospitalization rates are high. This represents a unique opportunity to engage cardiologists about the need for targeted use of cardiac rehabilitation to reduce hospitalizations. Another program, the ACCESS Model, might pose an opportunity increase use of remote cardiac rehab, and this will be described as well. Then, two experts in engagement of both cardiology practices and C-suite representatives to increase CR uptake, Betsy Hart and Caitlin Coppenrath, will share their lessons learned about real-world strategies to engage cardiology practices and health care executives around increasing CR use. They will propose ways that they have used payment innovations to address pervasive barriers to CR for patients with HF and cancer and will focus on reflections about how this work might drive local and national CR practice improvement, increase enrollment numbers for patients with HF and other chronic and acute conditions, and inspire future directions for other opportunities (such as Pulmonary Rehabilitation for COPD and cardio-oncologic rehabilitation). 

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe value-based care programs that are likely to affect CR professionals in the coming years and to suggest how these models represent opportunities to increase CR use across cardiac and noncardiac diagnoses.
2. Discuss how leading CR programs have engaged cardiology, other subspecialty practices, and C-suite representatives to increase CR referral, enrollment, and retention of patients as they work to improve their value-based care performance by reducing hospitalizations and expenditures for this population.
3. Discuss the methods for leveraging value-based care programs to consider how unique approaches to implementation and payment for CR (including remote CR, hybrid CR, and practice improvement innovations) could increase uptake of CR.

Presented by: Todd M. Brown, MD, MSPH, FACC, FAHA, MAACVPR
Disclosures: None

1.0 CEUs: AACVPR, AMA, CDR, ANCC, AARC, ACSM

Description: This session, recorded at the 2026 Annual Meeting, will highlight selected studies that have appeared in JCRP during the past year. The presenter(s) will briefly review the rationale (i.e., importance and relevance of the study), key findings, and the potential impact on cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programming. The goal of the session is to highlight the most impactful and clinically relevant research that was published in JCRP. Also, the session will "translate" the research results so that the rehabilitative professionals can integrate the findings into their clinical practice to meaningfully affect patient health outcomes.

Learning Objectives:
1. Explain the clinical significance of selected research studies that appeared in JCRP.
2. Summarize the content and the conclusions of the selected studies.
3. Describe ways to apply the information conveyed in the session to their current practice.