In the Middle of Difficulty Lies Opportunity –
Albert Einstein
After careful consideration of the risks posed by holding a live conference during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kansas Council of Health-System Pharmacy (KCHP) and Missouri Society of Health-System Pharmacists (MSHP) have made the difficult decision to look for alternatives to holding the 2020 Spring Meeting in Overland Park, KS, scheduled to take place April 3-4, 2020.
The KCHP and MSHP Boards of Directors have been closely monitoring updates and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as state and local governments. In the last week, we've also learned of the increasing number of travel advisories and restrictions being placed on health care providers and hospitals and institutions in the U.S. and globally.
The health, safety and well-being of our members, staff, exhibitors, faculty, and the patients we serve is of paramount importance. With an ever-increasing number of KCHP and MSHP members on the front lines of preparing and reacting to the COVID-19 outbreak, we believe it is in the best interest of everyone to cancel the live meeting and ensure our members are able to do what they do best – help and heal.
Our decision was not taken lightly. We have had several meetings over the past two weeks to discuss options that will still meet the needs of our membership.
We are already investigating the ability to hold the Spring Meeting as a virtual event. This will allow us to induct our incoming board members, present posters virtually, secure foundation support, recognize award winners, and deliver high-quality educational content from the 2020 Spring Meeting directly to you. This may require us to move the date to allow time for coordination. Look for more details to come out soon.
Last, but certainly not least, a meeting the size of the 2020 Spring Meeting is months in the making and involves many member volunteers and staff, as well as generous support from partners and stakeholders and close collaboration with our venue. Please join us in recognizing all of these individuals, particularly 2020 Spring Meeting Chairs:
Lainie Linafelter, PharmD / Children’s Mercy Kansas City
, and
Rebecca Nolen, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP, AAHIVP
/
SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – St. Louis
as well as all the volunteers on the sub-committees, for all of their hard work.
Thank you for all that you do every day to serve your patients and your communities.
Sincerely,
Alex Oschman, PharmD, BCPPS
MSHP President
Joe D. Slechta, PharmD, BCPS – AQ Cardiology
KCHP President
KCHP/MSHP Board of Directors
