‘We are moving forward with plans to reconnect’
The Academy’s 2022 Annual Meeting WILL be an in-person meeting in Atlanta this November… unless new issues arise, such as a new COVID-19 variant worse than Omicron, that could impact the health and safety of members.
The ACLP Board took the decision at its mid-January session following an inspection of the meeting hotel, the Hilton Atlanta, by program chair Sandy Rackley, MD, FACLP; ACLP president Philip Bialer, MD, FACLP; and executive director James Vrac, CAE, with deputy executive director Shannon Sperati, CAE.
But in addition, the Board has decided to livestream some of the meeting presentations for members preferring not to travel this year, and other pre-recorded sessions will be available online during and after the meeting for all registrants.
The Board is expecting fewer in-person attendees than at previous in-person annual meetings, but together with those delegates attending online it is expected that the overall total may break records.
“After two years of meeting virtually due to the havoc wreaked by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are moving forward with plans to reconnect!” says Dr. Bialer.
His theme for the Annual Meeting, and the theme for his presidential year, is: Making Connections: Inspiring Transformation Through Education.
In a message to members in ACLP News, Dr. Bialer hopes that the Academy can enhance and expand its educational efforts in the coming year. “Our main focus has always been on the Annual Meeting,” he says. “We have a good framework for this and Sandy and the Annual Meeting Committee are now exploring ways to make the educational experience more innovative, interactive, and experiential. We will be inviting renowned experts and innovators in education, medical and otherwise, as keynote speakers. We look to spark in our members new ways to think about our roles as educators and the methods and tools we use.”
Registrants for last year’s digital annual meeting will, as promised, receive a grant of $100 towards attendance at this year’s in-person meeting.
The outline program schedule for the 2022 meeting is:
Preconference day, Wednesday, November 9—a full day of learning opportunities. In the morning a half-day Essentials of C-L Psychiatry course will be on offer—free to ACLP members registered for the full conference. In the afternoon, there will be a variety of half-day Skills courses.
The annual meeting itself begins on Thursday, November 10, and continues through a farewell lunch on Saturday, November 12.
The call for abstracts is set to open in the first week of February with an April 3 closing date. Registration will open in July.
See: Hidden Gems—Miss at Your Own Risk! this issue.