Effective Coping and Communication Skills (ECCS) 2026

This program helps physicians recognize and address factors that contribute to clinician distress, disruptive behaviors, and communication challenges. Participants will explore how professional training, stress, personal experiences, and workplace dynamics influence behavior and interactions with patients, colleagues, staff, and administrators. Through evidence-based strategies and practical exercises, learners will develop skills in self-awareness, emotional regulation, healthy boundary setting, and effective communication. The activity also addresses prevention, intervention, and relapse prevention approaches to support professional well-being, strengthen workplace relationships, and foster a respectful, collaborative healthcare environment that promotes high-quality patient care.

Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 8:00 AM - Friday, November 20, 2026, 5:00 PM ET, UVA Health Charlottesville, VA, , VA

1. Identify issues around clinician disruptive or distressed behaviors
2. Identify the risk factors and development patterns of distressed clinicians
3. Describe the socialization of clinicians training that contribute to maladaptive behavior patterns
4. Identify family of origin issues that may contribute to maladaptive behavior or ineffective communication problems
5. Describe healthy boundaries and appropriate expressions of emotions
6. Discuss disruptive behavior from the viewpoint of staff, patients, colleagues and administrators
7. Describe and demonstrate exercises that promote self-awareness, increase the relaxation response, and increase communication effectiveness
8. Describe prevention treatments
9. Identify relapse prevention strategies

AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (30.00 hours), Hours of Participation (30.00 hours)

BEFORE you register, please confirm your eligibility of enrollment with the course directors.

Please email: 
Dr. Penberthy: [email protected] 
or 
Dr. Plews-Ogan: [email protected] 

Registration Fee: $6,000  *Registration open thru 11/8/26* 

UVA Health CE Cancellation Policy: Cancellation requests received in writing no less than 30 days before the course will be refunded, less a 20% administrative fee. No refunds will be provided for cancellation requests received within 30 days or for registration fees of less than $50.  Please send cancellation requests [email protected]. UVA Health Continuing Education reserves the right to cancel CE activities if necessary.  In this case, the entire registration fee will be refunded.  All other expenses incurred in conjunction with this CE activity are the sole responsibility of the participant.

In support of improving patient care, UVA Health Continuing Education 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.

Physicians
UVA Health Continuing Education designates this live activity for a maximum of  30 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits.^TM Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Hours of Participation
UVA Health Continuing Education awards 30 hours of participation (consistent with the designated number of AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)^TM  or ANCC contact hours) to a participant who successfully completes this educational activity. UVA Health Continuing Education maintains a record of participation for six (6) years.

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Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

UVA Health Continuing Education adheres to the Joint Accreditation Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. All 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 relevant conflicts of interest will be mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.

To view financial disclosures, select the faculty name below.