Collishaw, Karen J.

Downey, Gregory P.

Petrache, Irina

Rivera, M. Patricia

Roman, Jesse

Schnapp, Lynn M.

Jefferson Digital Commons

Thomas Jefferson University Jefferson Digital Commons Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine 6-1-2023 Considerations in Selecting Venues for the American Thoracic Society International Conference: Balancing Competing Priorities of the Society's Diverse Membership Gregory P. Downey M. Patricia Rivera Lynn M. Schnapp Irina Petrache Jesse Roman See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://jdc.jefferson.edu/pulmcritcarefp  Part of the Health Law and Policy Commons, Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons, and the Medicine and Health Sciences Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits you This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Jefferson Digital Commons. The Jefferson Digital Commons is a service of Thomas Jefferson University's Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). The Commons is a showcase for Jefferson books and journals, peer-reviewed scholarly publications, unique historical collections from the University archives, and teaching tools. The Jefferson Digital Commons allows researchers and interested readers anywhere in the world to learn about and keep up to date with Jefferson scholarship. This article has been accepted for inclusion in Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers by an authorized administrator of the Jefferson Digital Commons. For more information, please contact: JeffersonDigitalCommons@jefferson.edu. Authors Gregory P. Downey, M. Patricia Rivera, Lynn M. Schnapp, Irina Petrache, Jesse Roman, and Karen J. Collishaw References1 Xu J, Murphy SL, Kockanek KD, Arias E. Mortality in the United States,2018. NCHS Data Brief 2020;355:1–8.2 Kim YW, Lee C-H, Hwang H-G, Kim YI, Kim DK, Oh YM, et al. Restinghyperinflation and emphysema on the clinical course of COPD. SciRep 2019;9:3764.3 Criner GJ, Sue R, Wright S, Dransfield M, Rivas-Perez H, Wiese T, et al.;LIBERATE Study Group. A multicenter randomized controlled trial ofzephyr endobronchial valve treatment in heterogeneous emphysema(LIBERATE). Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2018;198:1151–1164.4 Hartman JE, Welling JBA, Klooster K, Carpaij OA, Augustijn SWS,Slebos D-J. Survival in COPD patients treated with bronchoscopic lungvolume reduction. Respir Med 2022;196:106825.5 van Dijk M, Sue R, Criner GJ, Gompelmann D, Herth FJF, Hogarth DK,et al. Expert statement: pneumothorax associated with one-way valvetherapy for emphysema: 2020 update. Respiration 2021;100:969–978.6 Davey C, Zoumot Z, Jordan S, McNulty WH, Carr DH, Hind MD, et al.Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction with endobronchial valves forpatients with heterogeneous emphysema and intact interlobar fissures(the BeLieVeR-HIFi study): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2015;386:1066–1073.7 Kemp SV, Slebos D-J, Kirk A, Kornaszewska M, Carron K, Ek L, et al.;TRANSFORM Study Team. A multicenter randomized controlled trial ofzephyr endobronchial valve treatment in heterogeneous emphysema(TRANSFORM). Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2017;196:1535–1543.8 Valipour A, Slebos D-J, Herth F, Darwiche K, Wagner M, Ficker JH, et al.;IMPACT Study Team. Endobronchial valve therapy in patients withhomogeneous emphysema: results from the IMPACT study. Am JRespir Crit Care Med 2016;194:1073–1082.9 Klooster K, ten Hacken NHT, Hartman JE, Kerstjens HAM, van RikxoortEM, Slebos D-J. Endobronchial valves for emphysema withoutinterlobar collateral ventilation. N Engl J Med 2015;373:2325–2335.10 Li S, Wang G, Wang C, Gao X, Jin F, Yang H, et al. The REACH trial:a randomized controlled trial assessing the safety and effectiveness ofthe SpirationVR valve system in the treatment of severe emphysema.Respiration 2019;97:416–427.Copyright © 2023 by the American Thoracic SocietyConsiderations in Selecting Venues for the AmericanThoracic Society International Conference:Balancing Competing Priorities of the Society’sDiverse MembershipTo the Editor:The annual American Thoracic Society (ATS) InternationalConference has been at the heart of our Society for more than100 years. It is a critical meeting allowing a diverse internationalgroup of basic scientists, clinicians, educators, related healthcareprofessionals, and patient advocacy groups to come together tolearn, network, and, most importantly, advance respiratory health.Historically, the selection of a venue for the conference has prioritizedlogistics that included keeping the same timing of the meeting inMay, hotel and convention center capacity, national and internationalaccessibility, and cost. This is a complex undertaking, given thenumber of prerequisites that must be met and the limited numberof cities that satisfy our needs.Over the past several years, there has been increasing interestamong the membership in the venue selection process. This wasespecially evident after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v JacksonWomen’s Health Organization decision that overturned Roe v Wadeand the subsequent legislative actions by many states to significantlylimit access to reproductive health services. In addition to ourpublic opposition to such legislation, many ATS members wouldlike to see the Society boycott future conferences in states thatadopt similar restrictive policies. In this issue of AnnalsATS(pp. 781–784), Lee and colleagues argue that medical societiesshould reconsider holding conferences in locations that limit accessto reproductive health care (1).The Society has reviewed its selection criteria, taking intoconsideration members’ opinions and needs within the frameworkof the ATS mission. The Executive Committee solicited andreceived significant input on this issue from others in ATSleadership, including the Board of Directors as well as the Ethicsand Conflict of Interest Committee. The Ethics and Conflict ofInterest Committee prepared an Ethical Framework for StrategicPositioning of Conferences, which was discussed during last fall’sLeadership Summit and December Board of Directors meeting.The ATS leadership agreed that the Ethical Framework forStrategic Positioning of Conferences will be used in the siteselection process.As reiterated in the Ethical Framework for Strategic Positioningof Conferences, our number one priority in selection of a venue is thesafety and well-being of our attendees. When our conference is instates that have adopted restrictive reproductive health laws, ATS willwork closely with the local medical community and public officials toensure that all attendees have immediate access to the care they need.We have already engaged in such conversations with officials in NewOrleans and Orlando and will put in place protocols and proceduresthat will help ensure that access remains unfettered. By holding ourConference in a variety of venues, we have an opportunity toinfluence the public debate on controversial public health issues bybeing part of the community, not turning our backs on those whoshare our values and live and work in these communities. We plan toorganize meaningful advocacy activities leading up to and on-sitewhen visiting those states with restrictive laws in place. This helpsgive a voice to our members in those states as well as others who mayfeel uncomfortable expressing their concerns locally whileconsidering financial factors and adhering to best business practicesin the meetings industry.The ATS leadership and staff involved in planning theInternational Conference are committed to listening to our members’concerns and taking all steps necessary to safeguard everyone’s healthThis article is open access and distributed under the terms of theCreative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License4.0. For commercial usage and reprints, please e-mail Diane Gern.Supported by NIH grants R01HL157424 and UH3TR002445 (G.P.D.).Letters 929LETTERS and safety at the International Conference, such that we can continueto provide the most anticipated, exciting, and impactful annualmeeting for all individuals in attendance.Author disclosures are available with the text of this letter atwww.atsjournals.org.Gregory P. Downey, M.D., F.R.C.P.C.*National Jewish HealthDenver, ColoradoM. Patricia Rivera, M.D.University of Rochester Medical CenterRochester, New YorkLynn M. Schnapp, M.D.University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public HealthMadison, WisconsinIrina Petrache, M.D.National Jewish HealthDenver, ColoradoJesse Roman, M.D.Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaKaren J. Collishaw, M.P.P.American Thoracic SocietyNew York, New YorkORCID IDs: 0000-0003-3253-5862 (G.P.D.); 0000-0003-1094-2600 (I.P.).*Corresponding author (e-mail: downeyg@njhealth.org).Reference1 Lee AG, Maley J, Hibbert K, Akg€un KM, Hauschildt KE, Law A, et al.Medical societies must choose professional meeting locationsresponsibly in a post-Roe world. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2023;20:781–784.Copyright © 2023 by the American Thoracic Society930 AnnalsATS Volume 20 Number 6 | June 2023LETTERS 

Considerations in Selecting Venues for the American Thoracic Society International Conference: Balancing Competing Priorities of the Society\u27s Diverse Membership

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Considerations in Selecting Venues for the American Thoracic Society International Conference: Balancing Competing Priorities of the Society\u27s Diverse Membership

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