2025 Stroke Transitions of Care and Post-stroke Care Conference
Transforming Systems of Care
Dates & Location: October 3-4, 2025, Houston, Texas
Conference Co-Chairs: M. Carter Denny, MD, MPH, and Digvijaya Navalkele, MD, MPH
Chair and Course Director: Anjail Sharrief, MD, MPH
Steering Committee: Hugo Aparicio, MD, MPH; Cherrise Boone; Nneka Ifejika, MD, MPH; Deborah Levine, MD, MPH; Mat Reeves, BVCs, PhD; Kim Vu, MSW, MBA
This transformative conference is designed to bring together leaders in stroke care and research, patients, caregivers, and community and industry stakeholders to establish best practices and define priorities for improving stroke transitions of care and post-stroke care. With a focus on advancing systems of care, the conference will serve as a platform for collaborative idea generation, knowledge-sharing, and community-building within both the scientific and clinical spheres. The goal is to drive meaningful change in how stroke survivors and their caregivers experience stroke care and recovery, addressing the diverse needs and challenges they face.
Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with experts from multiple disciplines, including vascular neurology, cardiology, rehabilitation medicine, nursing, pharmacy, social work, and more. Informative lectures will cover the current state, latest advances, and healthcare system needs for transitions of care and post-stroke care. Additionally, the conference will feature patient and caregiver-engaged think tank sessions, offering a unique opportunity for all stakeholders to collaborate and drive forward innovative strategies that enhance post-stroke care and outcomes. A special focus will also be placed on the perspectives and needs of early career clinicians and investigators, who will have the chance to present their research and ideas on Day 2 and receive valuable feedback from an expert panel. We are proud to offer travel grants for five early career investigators to attend and contribute to this important dialogue.
This event serves as a critical platform for those dedicated to improving stroke care systems and ensuring better outcomes for stroke survivors. By bringing together a wide range of voices and expertise, the conference will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of post-stroke care, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and innovation in creating lasting change.
Who should attend?
Our conference is designed for healthcare professionals, leaders from hospitals and other organizations dedicated to serving stroke survivors or focused on post-stroke care and stroke systems of care, as well as industry leaders from companies committed to optimizing risk factor control for secondary stroke prevention and stroke recovery. Stroke survivors and caregivers are also invited to attend and share their valuable perspectives.
We strongly encourage participation from early career clinicians and investigators and trainees from across disciplines, offering them a unique opportunity to submit their research and ideas for presentation.
| Time | Topic | Speaker | Speaker Specialty |
| Day 1- Friday, October 3 | |||
| 7:30-8:00 AM | Breakfast | ||
| 8:00-8:15 AM | Welcome and Opening Remarks (patient video) | M. Carter Denny, MD, MPH | Neurology |
| 8:15-8:35 AM | Systems of Care for Secondary Stroke Prevention and Recovery | Imama Naqvi, MD, MS | Neurology |
| 8:35-8:55 AM | Transitions of Care and Post Stroke Care in Safety Net Hospitals | Digvijaya Navalkele, MD, MPH | Neurology |
| 8:55-9:15 AM | Engaging Patients and Communities to Optimize Transitions of Care and Post Stroke Care | Pending Confirmation | Population Health |
| 9:15-9:35 AM | System-Level Approaches to Addressing Social Determinants of Health | Pending Confirmation | Population Health |
| 9:35-9:45 AM | Report to Breakout Sessions | ||
| 9:45-11:15 AM Concurrent sessions with patient/caregiver dyads assigned to each session | Morning Think Tank Sessions | ||
| Post-Stroke Care in the Safety Net Patient: Cherisse Boone | Shivika Chandra, MD Eseosa Ighodara, MD | Neurology Neurology | |
| Patient and Community Engagement | Gayenell Magwood, PhD Chigozirim Izeogu, MD, MPH | Nursing Neurology | |
| Addressing Health-related Social Needs from Hospital to Home | Rhonda Conyers, MSW Hope Galvan, PhD | Social Work Nursing | |
| 11:15-11:30 AM | Coffee Break | ||
| 11:30-12:20 PM | Morning Think Tank Sessions Report Out Moderator: Hugo Aparicio, MD, MPH | ||
| 12:20-1:00 PM | Networking Lunch(identify mentors) | ||
| 1:00-1:20 PM | Supporting the Sustainability of Stroke Prevention Programs | Cheryl Bushnell, MD | Neurology |
| 1:20-1:40 PM | Systems Approaches to Data Tracking for Secondary Prevention and Stroke Recovery | Hannah Gardener, PhD | Epidemiology |
| 1:40-2:00 PM | Policy and Advocacy for System-level Change | Jonathan Crowe, MD | Neurology |
| 2:00-2:20 PM | System-level Barriers to Stroke Rehabilitation | Nneka Ifejika, MD, MPH | Rehabilitation |
| 2:20- 2:30 PM | Report to Breakout Sessions | ||
| 2:30- 4:00 PM Concurrent sessions with patient/caregiver dyads assigned to each session | Afternoon Think Tank Sessions | ||
| Interdisciplinary Approaches to Post-Stroke Care | Deborah Levine, MD, MPH Ijeoma Ekeruo, MD | Internal Medicine Cardiology | |
| Data Collection for Secondary Prevention and Stroke Recovery | Mat Reeves, PhD Alexis Simpkins, MD | Epidemiology Neurology | |
| Access to Rehabilitation after Stroke | Jessica Hooke, MA, SLP Rachel Forman, MD | Rehabilitation Neurology | |
| 4:00- 4:15 PM | Break | ||
| 4:15- 5:00 PM | Afternoon Think Tank Sessions Report Out Moderator: Brenda Johnson, DNP | ||
| 5:00- 5:10 PM | Day 1 Wrap-up | Anjail Sharrief, MD, MPH | |
| Day 2- Saturday, October 4 | |||
| 7:30-8:00 AM | Breakfast | ||
| 8:00-8:05 AM | Welcome / Day 2 Overview | Digvijaya Navalkele, MD, MPH | Neurology |
| 8:05-8:30 AM | Bridging the Gap: Integrating Quality Improvement and Implementation Science for Lasting Change | Janet Bettger, PhD | Implementation Science |
| 8:30-8:55 AM | Best Practices for Qualitative Research | Carina Katigbak, PhD, RN, ANP-C | Nursing Research |
| 8:55-9:20 AM | Community-engaged Health Services Research | Amy Towfighi, MD | Public Health |
| 9:20-9:45 AM | Panel: Engaging Patients in Health Services Research: Moderators: Jennifer Beauchamp, PhD and Hugo Aparicio, MD, MPH Discussants: Katigbak, Bettger, Towfighi, TBD Patients/Caregiver (2) | ||
| 9:45-10:00 AM | Coffee Break | ||
| 10:00-10:25 AM | Addressing Life’s Essential Eight in Post-Stroke Care and Brain Health Mitch Elkind, MD, AHA Chief Clinical Science Officer Stephanie Mohl, Vice President, American Stroke Association | ||
| 10:25-11:55 AM | Trainee Rapid Fire Presentations – Abstract/ Project Ideas Moderators: Erica Jones and Mathew Reeves Discussants: Jose Miguel Yamal, PhD, Suja Rajan PhD | ||
| 11:55-12:15 PM | Funding Opportunities for Health Services Research | Pending Confirmation | |
| 12:15 -12:25 PM | Closing and Final remarks – Anjail Sharrief, MD, MPH | ||
CME/CNE/CEU Accreditation Statement
McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Credit Designation
McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston designates this live activity for a maximum of 10.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.