Dear Scoliosis Research Society Community,
Due to the global spread of COVID-19, the SRS Leadership have decided to replace the in-person 55th SRS Annual Meeting in Phoenix, AZ, USA with a virtual meeting this September. We believe that this is the best decision to not only protect the health and safety of our members and attendees, but also to allow the most inclusive gathering of our community possible.
SRS leadership and professional staff have been communicating regularly as we continuously assess the situation as new developments occur. As we continued to review the health and safety recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state of Arizona, and meeting venue; discussed emergency protocols and contingency plans; and tracked the travel policies and restrictions at both the government level and at individual institutions, it became clear that cancelling the in-person Annual Meeting is the best course of action to respect the health, safety, and individual restrictions of our participants.
We also acknowledge that while this meeting is one of the highlights of the year, it would not be the same without the ability to interact with our friends and colleagues from around the world, as we have done for 54 years.
We want to thank the Annual Meeting Program Committee, Education Committee, faculty, paper presenters, corporate supporters, and staff who have put in tremendous effort and time to plan exceptional educational content for this meeting. Although we will not be meeting in-person, the Annual Meeting will be held as a full virtual event in order to bring all attendees the excellent education that was planned. We will disseminate the same clinical science and showcase the creativity of our Society.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we, a global society, continue to navigate these unprecedented times. I have no doubt that SRS will rise to the unique challenges this year has brought.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the SRS office at [email protected]. Additional updates and announcements regarding the 55th Annual Meeting, including registration and programming information, will be posted to www.srs.org/am20.
Warm regards,
Paul D. Sponseller, MD, MBA
SRS President