ACC House Call: The Decision to Go Virtual

The decision to convert the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 2020 Scientific Sessions from in-person to completely virtual wasn’t a simple one.

For the sake of public health during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) spread, yes, it may have been an easy call. But with consideration to the extent of work and compliance needed to pull it off in time for the meeting’s start date on March 28, it was an unprecedented task.

In a special edition House Call interview with HCPLive®, B. Hadley Wilson, MD, Executive Vice Chair of Atrium Health Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute, and ACC Board of Trustees member and Chair of the Membership Committee, explained what went behind the college’s decision, how they plan to gauge the virtual meeting’s successes, and what these circumstance could mean for future virtual offerings.

“As with challenges, there are potential opportunities,” Wilson said. “And we looked at this as, ‘Let not just cancel the meeting entirely. Let’s look at ways to get this extremely important cardiovascular information out there.’”