2020 SBI/ACR Breast Imaging Symposium Cancelled Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

The 2020 Society of Breast Imaging/American College of Radiology (SBI/ACR) annual symposium has been cancelled, and the event rescheduled for April 8-11, 2020, in Savannah, Ga. #COVID19 #Coronavirus #2019nCoV #Wuhanvirus #SBI20

March 16, 2020 — The 2020 Society of Breast Imaging/American College of Radiology (SBI/ACR) annual symposium has been cancelled, and the event rescheduled for April 8-11, 2021, in Savannah, Ga. The Society of Breast Imaging’s annual symposium is one of the largest breast imaging conference in the world, and this year's symposium was to focus on Breast Imaging: Access.

In a statement to attenees and members, SBI President Margarita L. Zuley, M.D., FACR, FSBI, and the Board of Directors wrote:

Over the last several weeks, SBI staff and Board of Directors have closely monitored the developments around COVID-19. The situation has rapidly evolved. After careful evaluation and in light of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic we have made the difficult decision to cancel the SBI/ACR 2020 Breast Imaging Symposium planned for April 16–19 in Denver, Colo. Protecting the health and well-being of all attendees is our greatest concern. Cancelling the Symposium required much discussion and deep consideration. It was a decision we came to reluctantly. The time, commitment and resources that have gone into many months of planning and preparation for faculty, staff and attendees weighed heavily on our minds. So, as stewards of the Society, we wanted to make sure we took the proper steps to minimize any potential risks for exposure to our members, faculty, staff and attendees to mitigate the impact on our society. The SBI team employed a meticulous protocol that included extensive research and risk assessment to explore all options and implications. So, please know the decision was not made lightly or in a vacuum, but responsibly with careful thought and collaboration between staff, board and legal counsel. Presented with a detailed analysis outlining alternatives as well as the ramifications of cancelling the meeting, the board was left with cancellation as the only viable option. Thank you for your patience as we navigated this difficult terrain and for your support. Please know our team will work diligently to issue a full refund to all registered attendees over the next few weeks. We are grateful to each of you for entrusting us with the enormous responsibility and privilege of operating and governing our society. Above all else, your health and well-being is of paramount importance to us.

For more information: www.sbi-online.org