2026 Practical Solutions to Challenges in Internal Medicine

Practical Solutions to Challenges in Internal Medicine 2026 is program where experts at VCU discuss innovative new approaches to evaluating common health conditions, and how best to work with subspecialists to improve the care of patients. Medicine is moving fast, and this conference will help keep pace with new advances in diabetes, dermatology, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, headaches, perimenopause, and other health conditions.

1. Describe at least three recent advances in medical practice and articulate how these advances can be applied to improve patient care in the primary care setting
2. Differentiate between conditions appropriate for primary care management and those that warrant referral to subspecialty or tertiary level care
3. Outline and apply effective strategies for coordinating care with subspecialists to improve continuity, communication, and patient outcomes

Click the register tab above to complete your registration online.

Registration Fee:

General Registration - $249.00

Online Registration Deadline: August 28, 2026. On-site registrations will incur an additional $50 processing fee.

Cancellation Policy

Registration fee, less a 15% non-refundable administrative fee, will be refunded only if written notice of cancellation is received via email to [email protected] on or before August 21, 2026. There will be no refunds after this date.

In support of improving patient care, VCU Health Continuing Education is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

VCU Health Continuing Education designates this live activity for a maximum of 6.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

 VCU Health Continuing Education designates this activity for a maximum of 6.25 ANCC contact hours. Nurses should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 

Accommodation
All participants have the right to participate in this continuing education activity without discrimination due to age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex (sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and pregnancy), protected veteran status, marital status, genetic information, or any other protected characteristics under applicable federal, state, or local law. If you need accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact us at [email protected] for more information. Requests for accommodations must be received 21 days prior to activity start date.

Complaint Policy and Resolution Process
All complaints must be made in writing to [email protected].

All complaints will be logged into the complaint log. The Director, Continuing Education will attempt to resolve the complaint within the first contact, when possible, and will respond to the client and customer's concerns within 5 business days of the initial complaint. At the time of the first contact, Director, Continuing Education will inform the complainant if more time will be needed to research the complaint.

If the complaint is still unresolved after communication with the Director, Continuing Education, or if the initial complaint is not addressed in a timely manner, the complainant may contact the President & CEO, UHS-PEP. The President & CEO will then contact the complainant and endeavor to resolve the complaint within 10 business days after being contacted.

The complaint log will be regularly reviewed to identify areas of operations and service that may require improvement. The Director, Continuing Education will research reoccurring complaint matters and recommend process and procedure changes, when appropriate. These changes will be noted on the Complaint Resolution Log, and any necessary policy and/or procedure updates will be made within 15 business days thereafter.

Disclaimers
Minimum and maximum numbers for attendance at this event have been established, and we reserve the right to substitute speakers/topics, adjust credit hours, or cancel if necessary.

By attending this event you grant VCU Health Continuing Education the right at the event to record, film, photograph, or capture your likeness in any media and to distribute, broadcast, use, or otherwise disseminate, in perpetuity, such media without any further approval from or any payment to you. 

Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications and/or dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

VCU Health Continuing Education adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a continuing education activity, including faculty, planners, reviewers or others are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.

All VCU and VCU Health reviewers have nothing to disclose.

Member Information

Role in activity

Nature of Relationship(s) / Name of Ineligible Company(s)

Alan W. Dow, MD
Assistant Vice President of Health Sciences for VCU Interprofessional Education & Collaborative Care
Seymour and Ruth Perlin Professor of Medicine and Health Administration
VCU Health

Activity Director, Faculty

Grant or research support-Dompe Pharmaceuticals (Relationship has ended)

Bharadhwaj Kolipakkam, MBBS
Assistant Professor
Division of Hematology, Oncology & Palliative Care
VCU Massey Cancer Center
VCU Health

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Jane Limmer, MD
Interim Medical Director of Women's Health Outpatient Clinics
Assistant Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Academic Specialist Division
VCU School of Medicine

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Ajay Pillai, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Cardiac Electrophysiology
VCU Health Pauley Heart Center

Faculty

Sangeeta Sastry, MD, FIDSA
Associate Professor of Medicine
Associate Chair for Clinical Practice Management
Division of Infectious Diseases
VCU Health

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Sriram Sriperumbuduri, MBBS
Assistant Clinical Professor
Division of Nephrology
VCU Health

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Lauren D Strauss, DO, FAHS
Associate Professor
Division Chief, Headache/Gen Neuro
Vice Chair, Clinical Operations for CHoR
Associate CMO, Ambulatory Care Services
Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics
VCU Health Children's Hospital of Richmond

Faculty

Scott M Strayer, MD, MPH
Harris-Mayo Chair and Professor
Department of Family Medicine & Population Health
VCU School of Medicine
VCU Health

Faculty

Jiade Yu, MD
Chair, Department of Dermatology
VCU School of Medicine

Faculty

Advisor-Arcutis (Relationship has ended)|Advisor-Astria (Relationship has ended)|Advisor-Dermavant (Relationship has ended)|Advisor-iRhythm (Relationship has ended)|Advisor-Johnson and Johnson (Relationship has ended)|Advisor-Kiehl's|Speakers Bureau-Regerenon Pharmaceuticals (Relationship has ended)|Speakers Bureau-National Eczema Association|Honoraria-UpToDate|Advisor-O'Glacee (Relationship has ended)|Advisor-Hypothesis

Gonzalo Bearman, MD
Richard P. Wenzel Professor of Medicine Chair, Division of Infectious Diseases
Hospital Epidemiologist
Virginia Commonwealth University

Faculty, Planning Committee

Nothing to disclose

Leah Blatzer, NP
Nurse Practitioner
Department of Internal Medicine
VCU Health

Faculty, Planning Committee

Nothing to disclose

Corey Byers Standlick, MS
Director of Communications
Department of Internal Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University

Faculty, Planning Committee

Nothing to disclose

Johanna Christensen, FNP
Family Nurse Practitioner
Department of Surgery
VCU Health

Faculty, Planning Committee

Grant or research support-National Kidney Foundation

Ruchi Desai, MD
Assistant Professor of Hematology/Oncology
Department of Internal Medicine
VCU Health

Faculty, Planning Committee

Nothing to disclose

James F Donecker, MD
Family Physician
Department of Family Medicine & Population Health
VCU Health

Faculty, Planning Committee

Nothing to disclose

Neha Gupta, MD
Assistant Professor of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology
Department of Internal Medicine
VCU Health

Faculty, Planning Committee

Nothing to disclose

Priyanka Majety, MD
Assistant Professor of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Department of Internal Medicine
VCU Health

Faculty, Planning Committee

Nothing to disclose

Jessica Tsukanov, DO
Associate Clinical Professor
Department of Family Medicine & Population Health
VCU Health

Faculty, Planning Committee

Nothing to disclose

Patrick Turner, MD
Family Physician
Department of Family Medicine & Population Health
VCU Health

Faculty, Planning Committee

Nothing to disclose

Toribiong Uchel, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Associate Program Director of Interventional Pulmonology Fellowship VCU
Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care
Department of Internal Medicine
VCU Health

Faculty, Planning Committee

Paid consultant-Intuitive

Mackenzie Martin, MT
Continuing Education Specialist
VCU Health Continuing Education

VCU Health Continuing Education Staff

Nothing to disclose

Saturday, September 12, 2026