The Mark E. Josephson Thirty-Third Annual State-of-the -Art Arrhythmia Symposium 2026

The Mark E. Josephson Thirty-Third Annual State-of-the -Art Arrhythmia Symposium 2026 is organized by Penn Medicine - Continuing Medical and Interprofessional Education and will be held on Sep 26, 2026 at Philadelphia Marriott Old City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.

Description:
Francis E. Marchlinski, MD, Course Director, invites you to the Thirty-Third Annual State-of-the-Art Arrhythmia Symposium. Using a combination of case presentations with audience participation, didactic presentations, and question and answer sessions, our goal is to educate the participants in state-of-the-art information on invasive and non-invasive electrophysiologic and electrocardiographic tools used in the current diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of cardiac rhythm disorders. The program is taught by members of the faculty and staff from the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Department of Electrophysiology, in addition to invited speakers from other institutions. This year we are featuring two keynote speakers for the Leonard N. Horowitz, MD Memorial Lecture and the Mark E. Josephson, MD Lecture given by leaders in cardiology, Pasquale Santangeli, MD, PhD, (Professor of Medicine, Associate Section Head and Director of the VT Program, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH) and David Callans, MD, (Professor of Medicine, Co-Director of Electrophysiology, Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA).

Objectives:
After completing this activity, participants should be able to:

• Describe the appropriate evaluation of patients with frequent PVCs and NSVT as well as indications for treatment including ablation and antiarrhythmic medications.
• Recognize ECG clues to detect patients at risk for serious arrhythmias and sudden death.
• Apply in practice the newest information regarding evaluation and treatment of atrial arrhythmias including screening for episodes and ablation indications, techniques, and endpoints.
• Describe the indications for “leadless” pacing and defibrillating devices and optimum implantation techniques.
• Review the indications, contraindications, and complications associated with left atrial (LA) appendage occlusion and closure.
• Discuss the methods, techniques, associated tools, and equipment including emerging technologies to perform to catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation and flutter.
• Recognize the use and value of new techniques and technologies employed for complex EP device and ablation cases.
• Apply into practice the ECG patterns/clinical characteristics, evaluation, and treatment of patients with genetically linked arrhythmia syndromes.
• Identify the importance of genetic testing and implications regarding results in the treatment of patients with arrhythmias.
• Review the role of AI in electrophysiology including role in ECG interpretation for VT/SCD risk, ambulatory monitoring, and pre-procedure imaging.
• Employ the latest advances in device therapy for the treatment of patients with heart failure including cardiac contractility modulation and conduction system pacing.
• Recognize the use and value of ambulatory monitoring for screening/treating arrhythmias and assessing clinical status.
• Define the importance of risk factor modification in the treatment of atrial fibrillation and how to achieve the goal including GLP1 agonists, effective treatment of high blood pressure and obstructive sleep apnea.
• Describe appropriate use of anticoagulation for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation including implications of recent trial data and potential new medications.
• Interpret how to choose the right patients, use appropriate access & closure techniques, as well as review the tools needed to facilitate same day discharge following ablation and other invasive EP procedures.