Sponsorship
This conference is co-sponsored by:

and Imedex^®

Continuing Education

Physicians
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 12.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Clinical Laboratory Specialists

Imedex, LLC has applied for approval as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences through the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® program. This is an advanced level instructional program. This activity is expected to award a maximum of 12 contact hours of advanced continuing education in the clinical laboratory sciences.

Pharmacy
Imedex, LLC is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

This course (Universal Activity Number 0408-0000-09-003-L01-P) has been approved for a maximum of 12.25 contact hours (1.225 CEUs). No partial credit will be awarded. Participants must complete an activity evaluation form and credit request form at the conclusion of the activity. Statements of credit will be issued via email or USPS within eight weeks of the conclusion of the activity. There is a fee to participate in this activity.

Who Should Attend
This educational activity is specifically designed for infectious disease specialists, microbiologists, epidemiologists, laboratory technologists, and other healthcare professionals with special education and training in microbiology, mycology, or infectious diseases who are interested in identifying, diagnosing, and managing invasive fungal infections.

Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Restate current trends in the epidemiology of invasive fungal infections, based on recent surveillance reports
• Discuss recent technological advances in the detection and diagnosis of invasive fungal infections
• Review key considerations in managing pediatric fungal infections
• Describe optimal antifungal therapy for hematogenous candidiasis, in accordance with the 2009 IDSA clinical practice guidelines
• Compare and contrast conventional and novel treatments for invasive aspergillosis, in accordance with the 2009 IDSA clinical practice guidelines
• Summarize the latest diagnostic and treatment techniques for managing zygomycoses
• Integrate conventional and emerging antifungal treatment options into clinical practice, delivering a higher level of patient care

Learning Objectives for Pharmacists
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Restate current trends in the epidemiology of invasive fungal infections, based on recent surveillance reports
• Discuss recent technological advances in the detection and diagnosis of invasive fungal infections
• Review key considerations in managing pediatric fungal infections
• Describe optimal antifungal therapy for hematogenous candidiasis, in accordance with the 2009 IDSA clinical practice guidelines
• Compare and contrast conventional and novel treatments for invasive aspergillosis, in accordance with the 2009 IDSA clinical practice guidelines
• Summarize the latest diagnostic and treatment techniques for managing zygomycoses
• Understand and discuss the benefits and limitations of conventional and emerging antifungal treatment options

Disclosure Statement
It is the policy of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all sponsored or jointly sponsored educational activities. All individuals who are in a position to control the content of the educational activity (course/activity directors, planning committee members, staff, teachers, or authors of CME) must disclose all relevant financial relationships they have with any commercial interest(s) as well as the nature of the relationship. Financial relationships of the individual’s spouse or partner must also be disclosed, if the nature of the relationship could influence the objectivity of the individual in a position to control the content of the CME. The ACCME describes relevant financial relationships as those in any amount occurring within the past 12 months that create a conflict of interest. Individuals who refuse to disclose will be disqualified from participation in the development, management, presentation, or evaluation of the CME activity.

Call for Abstracts

Participants interested in presenting data should should first register or log in, then submit abstracts online by Tuesday, January 19, 2010. Abstracts are subject to acceptance by the Scientific Committee.

Acceptance notifications and guidelines for poster presentation will be sent on Tuesday, February 9, 2010. Authors of accepted abstracts who have not registered will have until February 17, 2010 to do so at the rate of $299.00. After this date, abstracts without registered presenters will be disregarded.

Abstract Guidelines

• Follow the online instructions
• Abstracts must be written in English
• Accepted format: Word document format, 9 point Arial font, 500 word count limit
• Use a concise title
• List affiliations of author(s) as briefly as possible, with city, state, and country
• Place an asterisk (*) before the name of the presenting author
• Use standard and well-accepted abbreviations
• When using references, use standard and well-accepted formats
• Abstract content should be single-spaced, typed in lower case and contain:
  –Purpose of the study
  –Summarized description of the project
  –Results and conclusions

Abstract Awards

The Thomas J. Walsh Mycology Award
The Thomas J. Walsh Mycology Award was established to encourage and recognize scientific research excellence. The award will be presented to the best overall abstract presented at Focus on Fungal Infections 20. The recipient will be awarded a research grant of $5,000 for utilization in their professional work. The first author must meet the following requirements:

• Candidate must show original research of major importance in the field of medical/clinical mycology conducted by themselves and co-investigators (if any)
• The selected abstract should not have been presented previous to Focus on Fungal Infections 20
• Candidate must show relevance of the work to a current problem in patients involving fungal infections (in the broadest sense) in contemporary medicine
• Candidate must submit a well-written, concise, and accurate abstract
• Candidate must be registered for the meeting and agree to be present during the scheduled presentation times

Submission Deadline:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Registration Fees

Discounted (Payment received by January 28, 2010)
Physician - $299
*Pharmacist - $175

Regular (Payment received by February 24, 2010)
Physician - $399
*Pharmacist - $225

Full/Onsite (Payment received after February 24, 2010)
Physician - $499
*Pharmacist - $250

Group discount (Physicians only (cannot be combined with any other discounts)*
-$50

Nurses/Residents/Students*
$99

* Proof of eligibility must accompany registration

To Register: You may register online by February 24, 2010, or by calling Imedex at +1 (678) 242 0906. Registration confirmations will be issued before the meeting.

To qualify for special registration fees, registration and full payment must be received by Imedex by the dates specified.

The on-site Registration and Information Desk will be staffed:
March 3, 2010, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
March 4, 2010, 7:00 am – 4:00 pm
March 5, 2010, 7:00 am – 3:00 pm

Group Discounts: Each one of multiple registrants from the same institute or practice will receive a $50 discount off the published registration fees, provided all registration forms and payments are received together. Only one discount will apply per physician. Discounts are not available for pharmacist rate.

Payment: To pre-register, registration and payment must be received no later than February 24, 2010. Please register onsite after this date. Contact Imedex at +1 (678) 242 0906 to ensure the course is being held as scheduled and to confirm that the meeting is not full. Registration fees must be remitted by credit card or check. Checks should be payable to Imedex. Attendee is not registered until full payment is received.

Registration Fee Inclusions: Registration fees include admittance to all scientific sessions, conference materials, processing of certificates of attendance or continuing medical education, and all event functions as specified in the agenda.

Cancellation: For registration fees to be refunded, written notice of cancellation must be received at meetings@imedex.com no later than February 24, 2010. The amount of registration fees remitted, minus a $75 administrative charge, will be refunded after the conference. Substitutions are accepted with written notification. No refunds will be made if notice is received after February 24, 2010.

Imedex does not accept responsibility for covering travel, accommodation or any other costs incurred by registrants in the rare event that this program should be canceled for any reason. Every effort will be made to give reasonable notice in the event of cancellation. The event agenda is subject to change without notice.

Hotel Accommodations

Hilton New Orleans Riverside
2 Poydras Street
New Orleans, Louisiana, 70140, USA
Tel.: +1 504 561 0500
Fax: +1 504 568 1721  
www1.hilton.com

Visiting the Hilton New Orleans Riverside will not only bring back fond memories, but can open up new areas to explore in New Orleans, Louisiana.  The Hilton New Orleans Riverside, a full service luxury complex, is actually a "city within itself" with a redesigned front desk and guest service area to increase efficiency and enhance service; featuring “BoardEZ” computers to print boarding passes which are adjacent to our full service business center. 

In the ''center of it all.'' The Hilton New Orleans Riverside, where distance is measured in feet, not cab fare, is in a prime downtown location on the banks of the Mississippi. The Riverwalk is at the hotel's doorstep.

For the convenience of attendees, a limited number of rooms have been reserved until February 9, 2010 at a discounted rate of $159.00 single/double occupancy, plus tax, currently at 13% and a $3.00 occupancy tax per room per night. This rate is not guaranteed outside the conference dates or after February 9, 2010.

To reserve your room please contact the Hilton New Orleans Riverside reservations department at +1 504 561 0500 or by clicking here. To receive the group rate, callers must identify themselves as being with the Focus on Fungal Infections 20 group. Reservation requests received after February 9, 2010 may not be guaranteed the group rate.

The following company has provided an educational grant in support of this conference:

Several options are available to companies interested in supporting this conference. For more information, please contact Imedex at +1(770) 751 7332, or by email at cme@imedex.com.

Information coming soon.

The following companies will be exhibiting at this conference:

Opportunities are available to companies interested in exhibiting at this conference. For more information, please contact Cori Gunter at +1(678) 242 0712, or by email at c.gunter@imedex.com.