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Claiming Credit

Visit the evaluation and credit site by April 30, 2025, to claim credit for in-person activities. Credits earned and logged on the meeting site will not be transferred to the STS Learning Center, however, they will be sent to ABTS within 30 days.

Accreditation and Credit Designation Statements

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

STS 2025 Annual Meeting
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons designates this live activity for a maximum of 16.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

STS 2025 Pre-Conference: APP Redesigning the Future Together
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons designates this live activity for a maximum of 4.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

STS 2025 Pre-Conference: Lung Cancer: Clinical Trials Meet Clinical Practice
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons designates this live activity for a maximum of 4.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

STS 2025 Pre-Conference: Aortic Universe: From Birth to Adulthood
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons designates this live activity for a maximum of 3.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Physician Assistants (PAs) may claim AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for completing any of these activities. NCCPA accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by ACCME or a recognized state medical society.

Intended Audience

The intended audience consists of cardiothoracic surgeons, general surgeons, anesthesiologists, oncologists, cardiologists, pulmonologists, radiologists, APPs, 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.

Instructional Objectives

The instruction (learning experience) in this activity will:

• Provide for a review of 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
• Instruct attendees on the importance of patient safety issues and how current strategies can be introduced into one’s practice or institution
• Inform, enable, and update on surgical techniques in order to improve the standard of care within the specialty
• Allow for an examination of how public policy can impact the treatment of one’s patients
• Create a forum for sharing of information through small group discussions facilitated by leaders in cardiothoracic surgery
• Inform on non-technical skills, practice-related information, and other tools that can enhance the health and well-being of cardiothoracic surgeons
• Provide insight to best-practice approaches for surgical and medical care of lung transplant patients, from assessment as candidates though post-surgical care as recipients.

Annual Meeting Learner Objectives

As a result of participating in the Annual Meeting, learners will be able to:

• Practice evidence-based, informed cardiothoracic surgery.
• Apply current techniques and procedures.
• Advocate effectively for issues related to the specialty.
• Demonstrate improvement in competence, performance or patient outcomes.
• Apply strategies to maintain wellness and prevent burnout

APP Pre-Conference Learner Objectives

As a result of participating in the STS APP Pre-Conference, learners will be able to:

• Develop a deeper understanding of the essential role of APPs in the continuum of care for patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery.
• Identify and apply strategies to strengthen clinical management in cardiothoracic surgery, improving patient outcomes.
• Explore leadership development strategies tailored for APPs, enabling them to emerge as influential leaders in the cardiothoracic surgery specialty

Lung Cancer Pre-Conference Learner Objectives

As a result of participating in the Lung Cancer Pre-Conference, learners will be able to:

• Analyze and summarize recent diagnostic advances and clinical trial findings relevant to early-stage and locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
• Evaluate current treatment paradigms and best practices for integrating new technologies and therapeutic options into the clinical management of patients with lung cancer.
• Apply knowledge gained from interactive sessions to real-world scenarios, enhancing their ability to make informed decisions in busy cardiothoracic surgical practices

Aortic Universe Pre-Conference Learner Objectives

As a result of participating in the Aortic Pre-Conference, learners will be able to:

• Describe the various congenital and acquired aortic diseases, including their pathophysiology and clinical presentation, across all age groups from birth to adulthood.
• Apply evidence-based management strategies to develop individualized treatment plans for patients with aortic conditions, utilizing insights gained from case-based presentations and detailed surgical videos.
• Implement skills to effectively collaborate with a multidisciplinary aortic team, enhancing their ability to coordinate comprehensive care plans for patients with aortic diseases throughout their lifespan.

Disclosures & Faculty

DISCLOSURE OF FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS AND MITIGATION OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST FOR STS CME ACTIVITIES

The STS recognizes that there are a variety of financial relationships between individuals and ineligible companies that require review to identify possible conflicts of interest in a CME activity. The STS Education Disclosure Policy is designed to ensure quality, objective, balanced, and scientifically rigorous STS CME activities by identifying and resolving all potential conflicts of interest prior to the confirmation of service of those in a position to influence and/or control CME content. The STS has taken steps to mitigate any potential conflicts of interest. The purpose of this policy is to ensure all potential conflicts of interest are identified and mechanisms to mitigate them prior to the CME activity are implemented in ways that are consistent with the public good. The STS is committed to providing learners with commercially unbiased CME activities.

All STS CME activities will strictly adhere to the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. In accordance with these Standards, the following decisions will be made free of the control of an ineligible company: identification of CME needs, determination of educational objectives, selection and presentation of content, selection of all persons and organizations that will be in a position to control the content, selection of educational methods, and evaluation of the CME activity.

All STS 2025 Annual Meeting conflict of interest disclosures can be found in the list of faculty for each session. Please note, there may be discrepancies in the provided list of disclosures compared to faculty/participant verbal disclosures in the session due to changes or relevance. All of the relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated.

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. Review the complete STS Education Disclosure Policy.