The American College of Radiology will host next year's annual meeting entirely online, the organization announced on Wednesday.
ACR’s Council Steering Committee said member safety took priority when making the decision. Additionally, the hotel that normally holds the event has not yet informed the ACR about its plans to reopen, nor its ability to host a socially distant meeting.
The 2021 virtual meeting will take place on May 15-19.
“The ACR Council Steering Committee made this difficult decision in consideration of the safety of all ACR members and their families, as well as ACR staff,” Richard Duszak Jr., MD, council speaker, said in a statement. “We also know that many of our attendees are under travel restrictions and unable to attend an in-person meeting. This virtual meeting format will therefore enable more members to engage in these important governance and knowledge-sharing activities.”
In similar news, the European Society of Cardiology on Wednesday announced its 2021 annual congress will also be held virtually.
Back in March, the ACR decided to run its 2020 meeting entirely online, given the uncertainties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic at the time. A number of groups made similar moves, including RSNA, the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), among others.
ACR anticipates opening registration for its 2021 meeting early next year.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.