STS 2022 Preview — Amidst rising COVID cases and the Society’s decision to convert STS 2022 to an all-virtual program, one aspect remains paramount—delivering the finest, most relevant, and most current science to the cardiothoracic surgical community.
“Although it is disappointing for all that we could not meet in person in Miami, I am appreciative of the outpouring of support we have received in favor of this very difficult decision,” said STS President Sean C. Grondin, MD, MPH, FRCSC. "I am so pleased with the high-quality virtual conference our STS staff and volunteer physician leaders have been able to put together on such short notice. We have been able to retain or reschedule the key elements, including groundbreaking science and research, thought-provoking plenaries, and industry symposia. I also am grateful for the adaptability and flexibility of our talented speakers, faculty, and technology partners.”
From the beginning of the planning process, STS leadership made clear its stance that all registrants, faculty, exhibitors, and staff attending the meeting in person should be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. However, as STS began making preparations for the approaching meeting date, it learned that legislation had been enacted that prohibited businesses in Florida from requiring any patrons to show proof of vaccination as a requirement of entry. This applied to events hosted in Florida.
While the vast majority of STS 2022 registrants, and all STS staff, already were fully vaccinated or planning to be fully vaccinated in time for the meeting, the legislation created a roadblock for registrants and faculty whose institutions had instated travel restrictions to events where vaccination was not required—or for those who simply weren’t comfortable traveling to Florida in the grip of a pandemic.
“The rising COVID cases created additional issues in crafting in-person scientific sessions in a safe, reasonable environment,” said John D. Mitchell, MD, Chair of the STS Workforce on Annual Meeting. “This would not be an ideal experience for attendees, and certainly not what we had in mind for being ‘Together Again.’”
STS leadership and staff waited in the wings as the Omicron wave surged at the end of 2021, greatly exacerbating safety concerns for all attendees, and in early January the STS Board of Directors unanimously voted to pivot to a virtual meeting in recognition that the dramatic worsening of the COVID-19 pandemic made such a move necessary for the health and safety of attendees, faculty, exhibitors, and staff. Those staff stood ready to manage the logistics of presenter schedules, exhibitor showcases, attendee communications, and—most importantly—the attendee experience.
“As you can imagine, it’s challenging to take a 3-day meeting and pare it down to an experience that will be well received and effective,” Dr. Mitchell said. “We’re not simply taking the whole meeting and placing it in a virtual environment. We have to keep in mind attendees’ personal and professional schedules, and present highly engaging content that won’t contribute to ‘Zoom fatigue.’”
STS has condensed the program to 2 days, retaining the most critical scientific presentations, technology demonstrations, and discussions of current issues affecting the specialty. Plenary sessions—including Dr. Grondin’s Presidential Address, the Thomas B. Ferguson Lecture, the Vivien T. Thomas Lecture, and the C. Walton Lillehei Lecture—remain cornerstones of the event, as will highly anticipated sessions such as “It’s Not in the Books … So How Do They Do It?”, new technologies sessions, and “Same Toys, New Indications.”
Parallel sessions will form the meeting’s core, with the concurrent presentation of four tracks—adult cardiac, general thoracic, congenital, and a track combining wellness and cardiopulmonary failure topics. See “Scientific Program at STS 2022 Represents the Finest in Every Discipline” for more details on program highlights.
An additional 19 sessions will be available as on-demand content, allowing registrants to browse and learn at their own pace. Popular immersive experiences, including “In the OR with …” and “Deep Dives” sessions will become separate offerings and are expected to make an appearance later this year.
“We’re certainly disappointed that we won’t be able to see each other in person in Miami, but with the reconfiguration of STS 2022 we’ve kept in mind the best ways to have the crucial discussions we need to have in the virtual setting, and to bear witness to the science that drives us,” Dr. Mitchell said. “We’re confident that the meeting will reflect all the strengths of our specialty and of STS.”