COVID-19 has claimed another in-person medical imaging conference, with the Association for Medical Imaging Management (AHRA) shelving its planned show in Savannah, Georgia, next month.
AHRA Climb was slated to run from Feb. 15-17 at the DeSoto Hotel in the city’s historic district. However, challenges presented by variants of the virus — including hospital staffing shortages, rising patient admissions, limited testing and uncertain travel scenarios — have forced the association’s hand.
Hosting an in-person event in the current climate “is not in the best interest” of the imaging community, AHRA said. But it hopes to announce revised plans soon.
“The decision to change Climb’s in-person format wasn't taken lightly, but we are committed to being responsive to the times, your needs, and above all, your health and well-being, and the same for your staff and patients,” CEO Daniel Kelsey, MBA, said in an announcement shared Jan. 18.
AHRA’s decision comes after multiple other imaging societies also canceled or delayed in-person conferences, citing the omicron variant. Those included the ACR-RBMA Practice Leaders Forum, the Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging’s Mid-Winter affair, and the European Society of Radiology’s annual meeting.
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.