Two major healthcare associations on Friday canceled their upcoming conferences slated for later in March due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The American College of Healthcare Executives canceled the 2020 Congress on Healthcare Leadership, which was scheduled to take place March 23-26 in Chicago.
"After much discussion and consideration, the ACHE Board of Governors and leadership team have decided to cancel the 2020 Congress on Healthcare Leadership as healthcare organizations are actively managing the response to coronavirus (COVID-19) in their communities," ACHE said in a press statement. "We understand and support our members and other leaders—and the need to respond effectively to patient and community concerns."
America's Health Insurance Plans also canceled two conferences, the National Health Policy Conference and National Conference on the Individual and Small Group Market, which would have been held March 18-20 in Washington.
"The health and safety of our conference speakers, attendees, and staff come first," said Matt Eyles, president and CEO of AHIP. "That's why we are taking this proactive, preventative action."
The moves come on the heels of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society calling off its large conference and exhibition slated for next week in Orlando, Fla.
ACHE said that registrants will receive a full refund of their registration fees.
"We have no immediate plans to cancel future national education events but will continue to monitor the situation closely," the statement said.
Unsure if a conference is still scheduled? Check out Modern Healthcare's coronavirus event tracker. We'll keep you up to date on the latest cancellations.
