2020 AAD Annual Meeting canceled due to COVID-19 outbreak

ROSEMONT, Ill. (March 10, 2020) — Statement from AAD President George J. Hruza, MD, MBA, FAAD

As the outbreak of COVID-19 has been developing worldwide, the American Academy of Dermatology’s Executive Leadership has been closely tracking its impact within the global dermatology community. We have been monitoring daily recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, along with the numerous travel restrictions issued by companies and medical institutions. Over the last several days, the AAD has received notices from faculty nationwide who have been put on a travel ban from their institutions. Due to the limited number of academic faculty able to present at our meeting and other related factors, we are no longer able to host the high-caliber meeting that our attendees and exhibitors have come to expect.

After carefully weighing the emerging facts, as well as our duties to the Academy, our members, other meeting attendees, and the local communities we as dermatologists serve, the AAD has made the difficult, but necessary decision to cancel the AAD 2020 Annual Meeting in Denver. We have given the situation deep consideration and want to provide all attendees with ample opportunity to manage air travel, hotel reservations, and personal schedules. We also want to respect our physicians’ need to be available to and healthy for their own patients, communities, and countries.

Preparing for the conference involves the time, talent, and creativity of a great many of our physician volunteers, speakers, exhibitors, and event partners. We’re incredibly grateful for this and deeply disappointed not to be able to hold the meeting as planned.

In the coming weeks, we will tap into the innovative and agile spirit of this specialty to explore virtual meeting options that deliver world-class education, spotlight dermatology’s innovation, and celebrate the many achievements we had planned to recognize in Denver. Through regularly posted updates on aad.org and our other member communications channels, we will keep all 2020 Annual Meeting participants apprised of our plans to deliver the research, knowledge, and expert insight you value from the meeting.

We want everyone to know that foremost in our decision is AAD’s core purpose and mission: advancing excellence in dermatology. We will be communicating specific information in the next several days to those who have registered, planned to exhibit, and sponsor our meeting. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we were considering the rapidly changing circumstances, as well as the safety and well-being of not just our meeting participants and staff, but their families, colleagues, and patients.

About the AAD
Headquartered in Rosemont, Ill., the American Academy of Dermatology, founded in 1938, is the largest, most influential, and most representative of all dermatologic associations. With a membership of more than 20,000 physicians worldwide, the AAD is committed to: advancing the diagnosis and medical, surgical and cosmetic treatment of the skin, hair and nails; advocating high standards in clinical practice, education, and research in dermatology; and supporting and enhancing patient care for a lifetime of healthier skin, hair and nails. For more information, contact the AAD at (888) 462-DERM (3376) or aad.org. Follow the AAD on Facebook (American Academy of Dermatology), Twitter (@AADskin), Instagram (@AADskin1), or YouTube (AcademyofDermatology).

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2020 AAD Annual Meeting canceled due to COVID-19 outbreak

Registration begins today at 12 pm noon (CT) for physician members, life members, and honorary members.