The American College of Radiology announced Wednesday morning that it’s canceling the organization’s in-person annual meeting and opting, instead, for a virtual gathering in May.
ACR 2020 was set to run from May 16-20 in Washington, D.C., and include a Capitol Hill Day and gala for the college foundation’s political action committee, RADPAC. However, those two events have been scrapped, though ACR governance events will continue as planned over the web, concluding May 19.
“The health and safety of ACR members and the patients they serve, as well as that of ACR employees and local hospitality staff, are the primary reason for this transition,” Geraldine McGinty, MD, chair of ACR’s Board of Chancellors, said in a statement. “We support and participate in ongoing national efforts to reduce coronavirus (COVID-19) risk. As such, the ACR will empower ACR 2020 participants to take part online.”
ACR joins a long list of societies that have already canceled in-person gatherings during the growing pandemic. Those include HIMSS, the Society of Interventional Radiology, and the Association for Medical Imaging Management, among many others.
College officials said the online gathering will include numerous elements of the in-person meeting, such as ACR’s caucus meetings, elections, considerations of policy resolutions, and a livestream of the presidential address. Those with questions can consult the college’s FAQ.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.