Course categories

Available courses

• Introduction to Thyroid Sonography Course online

  • Faculty: Salvatore LaRusso, M.Ed. RDMS, RT(R)
  • Faculty: Lori Green, BA, RT, RDMS, RDCS, RVT

  Target Audience:
  Sonographers, physicians, nurse practitioners, PA’s and other medical professionals involved with the evaluation of thyroid disease. Physicians may include (but are not limited to) endocrinologists, family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine and radiology.

  Course Objectives:
  Upon completion of this video activity, the viewer should be able to accomplish the following:
  

  1. Increase knowledge/competence to better perform and/or interpret thyroid ultrasound examinations.
  2. Identify the normal anatomy and common anatomical variants of the thyroid , parathyroid and surrounding neck structures.
  3. Recognize the sonographic characteristics of the normal thyroid gland and commonly seen pathology.
  4. State the function of the thyroid gland and list the laboratory values associated with normal and abnormal thyroid physiology.
  5. List the patient presentation and physical characteristics that are associated with abnormal thyroid disorders.
  6. Perform the steps of a routine thyroid ultrasound protocol.

  Topics:
  

  • Thyroid Anatomy
  • Physiology
  • Thyroid Imaging
  • Nodular Disease
  • Other Benign processes
  • Malignant processes
  • Diffuse Disease
  • Parathyroid

  Faculty & Disclosures:
  Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute, Inc. adheres to ACCME Essential Areas, Standards, and Policies regarding industry support of CME. Speakers will disclose any relevant commercial relationships prior to the start of the educational activity.

  Salvatore LaRusso, M.Ed. RDMS, RT(R)
  Senior Instructor, Radiology - Penn State College of Medicine
  Chief Sonographer - Penn State Hershey, Penn State Children’s Hospital Hershey, PA
  No relevant financial relationships exist.

  Disclosure of Individuals in Control of Content
  In addition to the faculty listed the following individuals are recognized by GUI as being in control of content of this program:

  James Mateer, MD, RDMS (Medical Director-planner)
  Medical Director, Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute
  No relevant financial relationships to disclose.

  Andreas Dewitz, MD, RDMS (Member of Advisory Board)
  Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine
  Vice Chair of Ultrasound Education, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA
  No relevant financial relationships to disclose.

  Lori Green, BA, RT, RDMS, RDCS, RVT (Program Director - planner & reviewer)
  President, Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute, Inc.
  No relevant financial relationships to disclose.

  Theresa Jorgensen, RDMS, RDCS, RVT (Program Manager - planner & reviewer)
  Program Manager, Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute, Inc.
  No relevant financial relationships to disclose.

  Diana Costello, RDMS (Clinical Coordinator - planner & reviewer)
  Clinical Coordinator, Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute, Inc.
  No relevant financial relationships to disclose.

  All presentations for this CME activity were reviewed and approved by members of the Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute staff to determine content validity and to ensure that no conflicts of interest exist prior to final material compilation.

  Accreditation:
  The Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

  Designation:
  The Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute designates this enduring material for a maximum of 2.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  Release Date: May 4, 2012
  Approved for credit through: May 4, 2015

  This product also meets CME/CEU requirements for ARDMS. Note: While offering the CME credit hours noted above, activities are not intended to provide extensive training or certification for exam performance or interpretation.

• Course Sample

  This is a sample course to demonstrate the types of content and activities you are likely to encounter in a program.

  

• How to use this site

  This unit will cover the basics in how to get started with the online classroom.
  Topics
  How to login and make changes to your profile
  Browsing and selecting courses
  Enrolling in courses
  Course activities explained
  

  

• Introduction to Emergency Ultrasound Course

  • Faculty: James Mateer, MD, RDMS, FACEP
  • Faculty: Charlotte Derr, MD, RDMS, FACEP
  • Faculty: Lori Green, BA, RT, RDMS, RDCS, RVT
  • Faculty: Lowell "Corky" Hecht BA, RT(N), RDMS, RDCS, RVT

  The Introduction to Emergency Medicine Ultrasound course is designed to correspond with the core applications outlined in the 2008 ACEP Emergency Ultrasound Guidelines. The course is designed in a modular format and includes OPTIONAL reading assignments, online video lectures, case presentations, and related online interactive activities. Enrollment is valid for 365 days, and begins the moment the user is enrolled.

  Topics:
  

  • Ultrasound Imaging Fundamentals
  • Trauma and Thoracic Ultrasound
  • Abdominal Ultrasound
  • Cardiac Ultrasound
  • Procedural-Guidance Ultrasound
  • Soft-Tissue/Musculoskeletal Applications
  • Ocular Ultrasound
  • Deep Vein thrombosis (DVT)
  • First Trimester Ultrasound

  
  Course Objectives
  At the completion of the program, the participant should be able to:
  

  1. Increase the participant’s knowledge to better perform and/or interpret Emergency Medicine Ultrasound examinations.
  2. Identify sonographic characteristics associated with gall bladder disease, pathology, renal disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm, trauma and fluid localization.
  3. Perform ultrasound evaluation of pneumothorax, ocular, soft-tissue, and musculoskeletal procedures in the emergency department.
  4. Demonstrate the use of ultrasound guidance for vascular access and other related procedures.
  5. Perform routine scan planes used in focused 2D cardiac ultrasound.
  6. Recognize normal cardiac structures and identify ultrasound findings associated with pericardial effusion, cardiogenic shock and other hypotensive conditions.
  7. Demonstrate a focused venous ultrasound examination and identify ultrasound characteristics associated with acute and chronic DVT.
  8. Increase competence to incorporate protocols, scan techniques, and interpretation criteria to improve diagnostic/treatment accuracy.

  Target Audience:
  

  Emergency, trauma, internal medicine and family practice physicians who will be involved with performing and interpreting ultrasound examinations.

  Faculty and Disclosures:
  James R. Mateer, MD, RDMS, FACEP
  Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine,
  Medical College of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  Emergency Medicine Staff Physician,
  Waukesha Memorial Hospital, Waukesha, Wisconsin
  No relevant financial relationships to disclose.
  
  Charlotte Derr, MD, RDMS, FACEP
  Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine & Director of Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Fellowship Program
  University of South Florida Medical School,Tampa, FL
  No relevant financial relationships to disclose
  
  Lori Green, BA, RT, RDMS, RDCS, RVT
  President and Program Director, Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute
  St. Pete Beach, FL
  No relevant financial relationships to disclose
  
  Corky Hecht, BA, RT, RDMS, RDCS, RVT
  St. Petersburg, FL
  No relevant financial relationships to disclose.
  
  Disclosure of Individuals in Control of Content
  

  In addition to the faculty listed the following individuals are recognized by GUI as being in control of content of this program:

  James Mateer, MD, RDMS (Medical Director-planner)
  Medical Director, Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute
  No relevant financial relationships to disclose.
  
  Andreas Dewitz, MD, RDMS (Member of Advisory Board)
  Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine
  Vice Chair of Ultrasound Education, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA
  No relevant financial relationships to disclose.
  
  Lori Green, BA, RT, RDMS, RDCS, RVT
  (Program Director/planner and reviewer)
  President, Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute, Inc.
  No relevant financial relationships to disclose.
  
  Corky Hecht, BA, RT, RDMS, RDCS, RVT
  (Program Manager/planner and reviewer)
  Program Manager, Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute, Inc.
  No relevant financial relationships to disclose.
  
  Theresa Jorgensen, RDMS, RDCS, RVT
  (Program Coordinator/planner and reviewer)
  Program Manager, Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute, Inc.
  No relevant financial relationships to disclose.
  
  CME Credit Statement
  Accreditation:
  Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
  
  Content validity:
  All presentations for this enduring material were reviewed and approved by members of the GUI staff to determine content validity and to ensure that no conflicts of interest exist prior to the activity commencement or material compilation.
  
  Designation:
  Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute designates this enduring material for a maximum of 17.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  
  Enduring material release date: April 6, 2011
  Enduring material termination date: April 6, 2014

  

• Vascular Ultrasound Case Studies

  Course Description:
  This activity is designed for the physician with a minimum of three months experience performing and/or interpreting non-invasive vascular ultrasound examinations. An overview of diagnostic criteria and how to structure a report for carotid, peripheral vascular, and miscellaneous other vascular applications is provided. Over 100 vascular ultrasound cases are reviewed in and “double-read” format. Discussion regarding the examinations results is provided after each case is presented and answers are recorded. A signed log of the examinations interpreted is provided at the conclusion of the activity.

  Key Topics
  

  • Overview of Carotid Stenosis Assessment
  • How to structure a report
  • Carotid Case Studies
  • Overview of Indirect Arterial Testing and Duplex/Color Flow Imaging diagnostic criteria
  • Peripheral Arterial Case examinations (indirect and duplex/color flow imaging)
  • Post-intervention cases studies
  • Overview of Venous duplex/color flow imaging diagnostic criteria
  • Venous Case studies
  • Miscellaneous case studies related to other vascular applications (renal artery, visceral etc.)