The Santa Barbara County Health Department along with The Chesley Initiative, CenCal Health, the James S. Bower Foundation, and Cottage Health presents the California Clinical Implementation Forum on Long COVID & Infection-Associated Chronic Conditions and Illnesses (IACCI), 1:30-5:30 p.m. March 21 at the Mar Monte Hotel in Santa Barbara.

The event gathers healthcare leaders, clinicians, researchers, and community members to help better diagnose and treat Long COVID and IACCI.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 7% of U.S. adults have experienced Long COVID. The economic impact of Long COVID in the United States may reach $2.6 trillion, driven by disability, lost income, and medical costs.

The multi-system presentation and symptom variability of Long COVID and other IACCIs frequently result in prolonged diagnostic delays, fragmented care, and repeated referrals across specialties.

The program will feature panelists from UCLA Health Long COVID Program; Keck USC COVID Recovery Clinic; Ventura Family Medicine Residency; and Stanford Long COVID Collaborative.

Discussion will focus on emerging diagnostic frameworks, interdisciplinary treatment models, and implementation considerations for health systems.

Keynote speaker, Dr. David Putrino, PhD, will present emerging research and evidence-based clinical best practices for Long COVID and related IACCIs. Dr. Putrino is a Professor of Rehabilitation and Human Performance at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director of Rehabilitation Innovation for the Mount Sinai Health System, and Nash Family Director of the Cohen Center for Recovery from Complex Chronic Illness (CoRE).

“Four hundred million people around the world have experienced Long COVID, not to mention the millions living with ME/CFS, chronic tick-borne illnesses, and other infection-associated chronic conditions and illnesses,” he said. “We need to start thinking about Long COVID in the same way that cancer researchers have been thinking about cancer for the past several decades.”

With both in-person and virtual attendance options available, the event is free with advance registration required. Register at https://www.chesleyinitiative.org/

Physicians, clinical leaders, healthcare administrators, patients, and caregivers are encouraged to attend and share the opportunity with colleagues. The complementary program is accredited as Continuing Medical Education (CME) by the California Medical Association.