Two more imaging societies have decided to cancel in-person gatherings slated for this year and opt instead for virtual versions of their popular shows during the pandemic.
The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging is one of the latest to join this movement, announcing Thursday that its annual meeting in New Orleans is off. Instead, SNMMI plans to host a virtual gathering one month later than originally planned, taking place July 11-14.
“I want to thank you for your patience as we traversed uncharted territory during this pandemic,” SNMMI President Vasken Dilsizian, MD, said in a April 30 announcement. “The New Orleans mayor and the Louisiana governor have sent clear signals that they do not expect the city to be ready to host large conventions in the immediate future,” he added, noting that public officials are keeping the original conference site as a makeshift hospital for the foreseeable future.
In addition, the Radiology Business Management Association also announced Thursday that its SPARK conference slated for June in Florida will take place online Nov. 9 and 10.
“With the continued uncertainty of the COVID-19 crises and the understanding that your practice may be impacted with shrinking budgets, RBMA has made the decision to transform the previously scheduled in-person event to a virtual conference,” the association shared April 30.
The Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine also announced earlier this week that its annual meeting and 40th anniversary celebration in Austin, Texas, are no more. Instead, it’s also planning a virtual show in late June.
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.