Acknowledgement

This activity is provided by Talem Health and RME Collaborative.

This online program is recorded content from the live session at Rural Health Clinical Congress Spring 2026 and is co-supported by independent medical education grants from Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in partnership with AbbVie, Inc.; Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; and Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. This activity is supported by independent educational grants from Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.

Credit Available

• Physicians — maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
• Nurses — 1.0 Contact Hour (0.5 contact hour of pharmacotherapy credit)
• Pharmacists — 1.0 Contact Hour (0.1 CEU)

All other healthcare professionals completing this course will be issued a statement of participation.

Target Audience

This activity is designed specifically for primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and pharmacists who care for patients from rural and underserved communities.  

Program Overview

Dyslipidemia, particularly elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), is the primary contributor to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), which is the leading cause of mortality in the United States. Rural and underserved populations continue to experience disproportionately poor cardiovascular outcomes due to disparities in access to care and the use of evidence-based lipid-lowering therapies. As therapeutic options expand and clinical guidelines evolve, it is increasingly important for primary care clinicians to individualize lipid-lowering treatment based on patient-specific factors to improve primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events. This on-demand CME/CE activity will review current evidence on ASCVD risk assessment, including the role of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], recommended LDL-C targets, and emerging non-statin lipid-lowering therapies. Experts will also discuss practical strategies for overcoming barriers to care and optimizing cardiovascular outcomes in rural and underserved communities through a multidisciplinary, patient-centered approach. 

This enduring activity is a recorded session from Rural Health Clinical Congress Spring that took place on May 9, 2026. 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:  

• Implement current guideline recommendations and best practices for LDL-C and Lp(a) screening in routine care to effectively identify individuals at high risk for ASCVD 
• Differentiate emerging non-statin lipid-lowering therapies for reducing LDL-C by mechanism of action, clinical efficacy, and safety  
• Incorporate non-statin lipid lowering therapies into personalized patient treatment plans based on current guidelines and evidence-based practices  
• Evaluate strategies for employing a multidisciplinary, patient-centered approach to improve access to hyperlipidemia care and treatment for patients in rural and underserved communities  

Faculty

Peter P. Toth, MD, PhD 
Professor of Clinical Family and Community Medicine 
University of Illinois College of Medicine   
Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology 
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 
Director of Preventive Cardiology 
CGH Medical Center 
Baltimore, MD

Cody A. Chastain, MD, MEHP
Associate Professor of Medicine    
Vanderbilt Health
Nashville, TN 

Joint Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, Talem Health 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.


 

Credit Designation Statement

Physician Continuing Medical Education
Talem Health designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Continuing Nursing Education
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 1.0 contact hour. Designated for 0.5 contact hour of pharmacotherapy credit for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses.

Continuing Pharmacy Education
Talem Health designates this continuing education activity for 1.0 contact hour (0.1 CEU) of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.
(Universal Activity Number – JA4008332-0000-26-038-H01-P)
Type of Activity: Knowledge

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Talem Health adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity, including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others, are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All identified conflicts of interest are thoroughly vetted and mitigated according to Talem Health policy. Talem Health is committed to providing its learners with high quality accredited continuing education activities and related materials that promote improvements or quality in healthcare and not a specific proprietary business interest of an ineligible company. 

Faculty

Peter P. Toth, MD, PhD, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships: consultant/advisory board member for Merck & Co., Inc.; speakers’ bureau member for Amgen, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, and Novo Nordisk A/S.
 
Cody A. Chastain, MD, MEHP, has no relevant financial relationships to disclose. 

Planners, Managers, and Reviewer 
None of the Talem Health staff (planners, managers, or reviewer) for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies.

Instructions for Participation and Credit

This activity is offered at no cost to participants. To receive CME credit, participants must: 

1. Read the CME/CE information, including learning objectives and disclosure statements. 
2. Complete the pre-test. 
3. View the online activity. 
4. Complete the post-test and evaluation form. 

A post-test score of 75% is required to obtain credit. Your certificate will be made available for immediate download. 

Course Viewing Requirements 

Supported Browsers: 
Desktop/laptop: Newest and last prior version of Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge  
Mobile devices: Newest and last prior version of Safari and Google Chrome  

Supported Phones & Tablets:  
All devices

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use 

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. The planners of this activity do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of the planners. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.  

Disclaimer

Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications and/or dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.  

©RME Collaborative, a division of Talem Health, LLC. All Rights Reserved. These materials may be used for personal use only. Any rebroadcast, distribution, or reuse of this presentation or any part of it in any form for other than personal use without the express written permission of Talem Health, LLC is prohibited. 

Media 

Internet activity 

Fee Information 

There is no fee for this educational activity. 

Contact Information 

For questions about this activity, please contact RME Collaborative (a division of Talem Health) at 800-913-9370 or cme@cmeruralhealth.com.