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 Fall 2025 and is co-supported by independent medical education grants from GSK and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Sanofi. This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Sanofi.

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

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) places a disproportionate burden on rural and underserved communities, where prevalence, morbidity, and mortality remain higher than in urban areas. The condition is often underrecognized, misdiagnosed, and undertreated, adding to its high burden. Primary care clinicians may also face challenges distinguishing COPD from asthma, applying the latest evidence to practice, and managing patients in resource-limited settings. In this on-demand CME/CE activity, expert faculty will review best practices for assessing, identifying, and monitoring symptoms and future risk of exacerbations in individuals with uncontrolled COPD. The program also highlights guideline-based selection of novel treatment options and strategies to improve care in rural and underserved populations, including patient self-management, telehealth, and referral to pulmonary rehabilitation.

This enduring activity is a recorded session from Rural Health Clinical Congress Fall 2025 that took place on November 15, 2025.

Learning Objectives

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

• Apply evidence-based diagnostic strategies, including standardized assessment tools, to accurately identify patients with COPD and assess their risk for exacerbations 
• Evaluate the safety, efficacy, and appropriate use of new and emerging therapies for patients with uncontrolled COPD 
• Develop personalized COPD treatment plans based on current evidence and guideline recommendations to optimize lung function and reduce risk of exacerbations 
• Incorporate strategies to overcome barriers to care in rural and underserved communities, including patient education on smoking cessation, use of self-management tools, referral to pulmonary rehabilitation, and leveraging telehealth and community-based resources 

Faculty

Nicola A. Hanania, MD, MS
Professor of Medicine - Pulmonary
Director, Airways Clinical Research Center​  
Baylor College of Medicine​  
Chief of Pulmonary/Critical Care/Sleep Medicine​  
Ben Taub Hospital
Houston, TX



Cody A. Chastain, MD, MEHP
Associate Professor of Medicine
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
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 – JA4008332-0000-26-010-H01-P) 
Type of Activity: Application

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.

All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated. 

The faculty reported the following relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities related to the educational content of this CE activity:

Faculty

Nicola A. Hanania, MD, MS, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships: consultant/advisory board member for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Chiesi USA, Inc., Genentech, Inc., GSK, Sanofi, and Verona Pharma; speakers’ bureau member for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Sanofi; grant/research support from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Chiesi USA, Inc., Genentech, Inc., GSK, and Sanofi. 

Cody A. Chastain, MD, MEHP, has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Planners, Managers, and Reviewer 

The Talem Health planners, managers, and reviewer have nothing to disclose.

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% or higher 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.