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Florida Digestive Diseases Update

Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center
Kissimmee, FL

December 4-6, 2026

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Overview

Orlando Health’s Digestive Health Institute is pleased to invite you to the Florida Digestive Diseases Update to be held Friday to Sunday, December 4 – 6, 2026 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, Kissimmee, Florida. This symposium will include clinically relevant information within an educational environment designed for optimal learning.

The increasing pace of inventions and innovations makes mastery of knowledge a challenge when it comes to digestive disorders. But that knowledge is essential for delivering state-of-the-art care.

Through a combination of instructional presentations and interactive case-based discussions, internationally recognized faculty will provide insight into six frequently encountered clinical areas:

  • Esophagus
  • Liver Diseases
  • Functional Bowel Disorders
  • Colon
  • Pancreatology
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Knowledge gained from attending will allow you to implement these changes and improve quality of care at your practice.

The symposium is designed for all Gastroenterologists, Colorectal Surgeons, General Surgeons, Primary Care Physicians, Hospitalists, Medical Residents, Gastroenterology Trainees, Internists, Physician Assistants, Advanced Nurse Practitioners and Nurses interested in the latest information on diagnostic and therapeutic options for patients with gastrointestinal disorders.

The symposium will commence on the afternoon of Friday December 4 with an exclusive half-day program designed for the purpose of meeting the educational needs of nurse practitioners and physician assistants involved in the care and management of patients with digestive diseases.

Advanced practice providers (APPs) are critically important members of the health care team in today’s environment and play a key role in the management of patients both in the inpatient and outpatient settings.

Therefore, we are excited to launch a half-day symposium for APPs that will cover commonly encountered clinical challenges and also include self-assessment programs. This program has been designed to provide a solid foundation and framework so that APPs can seamlessly transition to learn more about the latest updates that will be presented at the conference.

Accreditation / Continuing Medical Education / Maintenance Of Certificate

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Amedco LLC and Orlando Health.  Amedco LLC 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. Amedco Joint Accreditation #4008163.

Nurses

Amedco LLC designates this activity for a maximum of 12.5 ANCC contact hours.

Physicians

Amedco LLC designates this live activity for a maximum of 12.5 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) MOC Credit

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 12.5 Medical Knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

You must request your certificate within 45 days of the activity to meet the deadline for submission to PARS.

Credits are generally reported during the first week of each month for those who claimed during the month prior.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Attendees of this program who need additional reasonable accommodations or who have special needs (including dietary needs) should email Jason.Jose@OrlandoHealth.com no later than November 1, 2026.

Accreditation details, including CE, ReCME and/or MOC credits, are pending final approval and may be modified without notice.

Course Directors

Shyam Varadarajulu, MD

President
Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute
 

Robert Hawes, MD

Medical Director, Center for Advanced Endoscopy Research and Education
Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute

Orlando Health Faculty

Mitali Agarwal, MD

Attending Physician
Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute

Ji Young Bang, MD

Director of Clinical Research
Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute

Arvind Murali, MD

Medical Director of Hepatology
Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute

Udayakumar Navaneethan, MD

Director, Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute

Sunina Nathoo, MD

Attending Physician
Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute

Huy Tran, MD

Medical Director of Gastrointestinal Motility
Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute

C. Mel Wilcox, MD

Medical Director of Pancreatology
Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute

Michael Camilleri, MD
Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota

Marla Dubinsky, MD
Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology
Chief, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital
New York, New York

Robert Ganz, MD
MNGI Digestive Health
Abbott-Northwestern Hospital
Adjunct Professor of Medicine
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Vipul Jairath, MD
Professor of Medicine
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Western University
Research Chair, Depart of Medicine
Gastroenterologist, Specialist in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

David A. Johnson, MD
Professor of Medicine
Director, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Eastern Virginia School of Medicine
Norfolk, Virginia

Peter Kahrilas, MD
Gilbert H. Marquardt Professor Emeritus of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois

Patrick Kamath, MD
Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota

David Katzka, MD
Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina

Paul Kwo, MD
Professor of Medicine
Division of Hepatology
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Anne Marie Lennon, MD
Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Shajan Peter, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
University of Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama

Douglas K. Rex, MD
Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Indiana University School of Medicine
Indianapolis, Indiana

Aasma Shaukat, MD
Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota

Kirti Shetty, MD
Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
University of Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland

Shelby Sullivan, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Aurora, Colorado

Santhi Swaroop Vege, MD
Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota

Dhiraj Yadav, MD, MPH
Professor of Medicine
Vice Chair for Clinical Research
Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Agenda

Noon Registration
12:55 pm – 1:00 pm Introduction
1:00 pm – 1:25 pm Abdominal bloating: A case study approach Sunina Nathoo, MD
1:25 pm – 1:50 pm Management of anti-thrombotic and anti-obesity agents for patients undergoing GI endoscopy Shajan Peter, MD
1:50 pm – 2:15 pm Work-up of GI bleeding after a negative EGD and colonoscopy Shajan Peter, MD
2:15 pm – 2:40 pm IBD Update in 2026 Mitali Agarwal, MD
2:40 pm – 3:00 pm Break
3:00 pm – 3:25 pm Dysphagia in eosinophilic esophagitis: How to personalize treatment Sunina Nathoo, MD
3:25 pm – 3:50 pm When the liver tests remain elevated: When to monitor, when to act Arvind Murali, MD
3:50 pm – 4:15 pm Incidental finding of steatosis: When to observe, when to act Arvind Murali, MD
4:15 pm – 4:40 pm Acute pancreatitis: Work-up and initial management Ji Young Bang, MD, MPH
4:40 pm – 5:00 pm Discussion

Florida Digestive Diseases Update General Session

7:55 am – 8:00 am Introductions
Session I: Esophagus
8:00 – 8:15 am 20 years after RFA approved to treat Barretts. What have we learned and what questions remain? Robert Ganz, MD
8:15 am – 8:30 am Ikuo Hirano Lecture: Extra-esophageal GERD: What is new with the San Diego consensus? Peter Kahrilas, MD
8:30 am – 8:45 am Management of PPI-refractory GERD and next-gen acid suppression David Katzka, MD
8:45 am – 9:00 am Esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (EGJOO): When to observe, when to intervene and how to treat David Katzka, MD
9:00 am – 9:30 am Case presentation and discussion
9:30 am – 10:00 am Break
Session II: Liver
10:00 am – 10:15 am Acute alcoholic hepatitis: Updates in management and role of liver transplantation Paul Kwo, MD
10:15 am – 10:30 am MASLD: Preventing progression to cirrhosis: Current and future therapies Kirti Shetty, MD
10:30 am – 10:45 am Organ failure in cirrhosis: Definition and management in the critical care setting Patrick Kamath, MD
10:45 am – 11:00 am Hepatic hydrothorax, hepatopulmonary syndrome and portopulmonary hypertension – Diagnosis and management Paul Kwo, MD
11:00 am – 11:30 am Case presentations and discussion
11:30 am – 12:30 pm Lunch
Session III: Functional Bowel Disorders
12:30 pm – 12:45 pm Gastroparesis — Diagnosis and management Michael Camilleri, MD
12:45 pm – 1:00 pm Microplastics and GI disease — What is the latest evidence? David A. Johnson, MD
1:00 pm – 1:15 pm What tests should I perform in chronic, non-bloody diarrhea Michael Camilleri, MD
1:15 pm – 1:30 pm The small bowel: A key player in metabolic dysfunction and obesity Shelby Sullivan, MD
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm Case presentations and discussion
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm Break
Session IV: Colon
2:30 pm – 2:45 pm Implications of inadequate bowel preparation — What clinicians need to know Aasma Shaukat, MD
2:45 pm – 3:00 pm How far can cold resection be pushed in the colorectum and when is electrocautery necessary Doug K. Rex, MD
3:00 pm – 3:15 pm Bowel preparation — New recommendations for excellence and quality David A. Johnson, MD
3:15 pm – 3:30 pm How to manage large non-pedunculated colorectal polyps you intend to refer to an advanced endoscopist Doug K. Rex, MD
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm Case presentations and discussion
6:00 pm – 8:30 pm Reception and dinner for all attendees
Castillo de San Marcos Fort
Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center
7:55 am – 8:00 am Introductions
Session V: Pancreatology
8:00 am – 8:15 am Evaluation of patients with idiopathic pancreatitis — When to include molecular genetic studies Dhiraj Yadav, MD
8:15 am – 8:30 am Who should be screened? Identifying high-risk individuals for pancreatic cancer surveillance Anne Marie Lennon, MD
8:30 am – 8:45 am Management of chronic calcific pancreatitis Santhi Swaroop Vege, MD
8:45 am – 9:00 am Pancreatic cysts — What a general gastroenterologist should know Anne Marie Lennon, MD
9:00 am – 9:30 am Case presentations and discussion
9:30 am – 10:00 am Break
Session VI: Inflammatory Bowel Disease
10:00 am – 10:15 am Precision positioning of advanced therapies in IBD Vipul Jairath, MD
10:15 am – 10:30 am Dual-targeted therapy in refractory IBD: Hype or next frontier? Marla Dubinsky, MD
10:30 am – 10:45 am AI in IBD Vipul Jairath, MD
10:45 am – 11:00 am IBD in special populations: “Pregnancy, elderly and patients with malignancy” — Navigating therapeutic risk Marla Dubinsky, MD
11:00 am – 11:25 am Case presentations and discussion
11:30 am – 12:30 pm Lunch

Registration Information

Target Audience:  Gastroenterologists, Colorectal Surgeons, General Surgeons, Primary Care Physicians, Hospitalists, Medical Residents, Gastroenterology Trainees, Internists, Physician Assistants, Advanced Nurse Practitioners and Nurses

Fees

Physicians………$200

Others (Fellows-in-Training, Residents, Allied Health, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses and Industry Professionals)....................................$125

Includes access to all sessions, breakfasts, lunches, refreshment breaks, and Saturday evening reception.

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Accommodations

Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center
6000 W. Osceola Pkwy. | Kissimmee, FL 34746

Located in beautiful Central Florida, Gaylord Palms Resort welcomes guests to an upscale, one-of-a-kind experience in a premier location. From Cypress Springs Water Park to an exciting lineup of family-friendly activities and entertainment, there’s something for the entire family to enjoy. Guests can explore the four-and-a-half acres of airy indoor garden atriums showcasing Florida’s history and diverse landscapes, the cobblestone streets of St. Augustine and the picturesque and vibrant colors of Key West. The resort is also home to nine award-winning restaurants, bars, the world-class Relâche Spa and a state-of-the-art fitness center.

Attendees will receive a special room rate of $324 + tax, per night for a single/double occupancy room.

A daily resort fee of $45, plus tax, is not included in the special meeting room rate and provides the following guest amenities:

  • 24-hour access to Relâche Spa Fitness Center
  • Bonvoy Elite Amenity: Daily Pass to Relâche Spa
  • Scheduled shuttle services to Walt Disney World® theme parks and Disney Springs®
  • $10 credit toward dry cleaning services

Additional Benefits

A limited number of rooms are available at this rate and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations must be made by November 18, 2026 in order to receive the special meeting rate. Once Orlando Health’s room block is sold out, the hotel may charge a higher rate for any additional rooms made available.
Check-in is 4:00 pm | Checkout is 11:00 am

Parking is available at a daily rate of $40 (valet) and $38 (self) with in/out privileges for overnight guests.
Parking fees do not include tax. Prices are subject to change.

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