ACR President Dr. Kenneth Saag shares ACR Convergence 2022 highlights

ACR Convergence 2022 will be the ACR’s first in-person annual meeting in three years, featuring more than 200 scientific sessions, many of which will be livestreamed for those unable to travel to Philadelphia, and educational content will be available for on-demand viewing following the meeting for registered participants.

“We anticipate that ACR Convergence 2022 will be the premier rheumatology meeting of the year,” said ACR President Kenneth G. Saag, MD, MSc. “We’ve been working long and hard to come up with a program that is going to have high appeal for clinicians of all types, those who do medical education, and of course our colleagues who are investigators in rheumatology, both domestically and internationally. This will feature the state-of-the-art science in rheumatology.”

The meeting, taking place November 10–14, features programming that includes plenary sessions on some of the best new rheumatology research that has emerged in the past year, several concurrent disease- and methods-focused oral sessions, all-new Ignite Talks (five-minute talks featuring the highest-ranked posters), virtual Community Hubs, and more.

“Having a chance to network with colleagues and friends in rheumatology is unquestionably going to be the greatest advantage of being back in person,” Dr. Saag said. “There’s also an opportunity to ask live questions, to experience ‘hubs’ around topics of mutual interest, to enjoy the sights and sounds of Philadelphia, to meet the industry scientists who will be discussing their innovative products in our large Exhibit Hall, and to have more intimate interactions with other scientists following their Ignite Talks and at the many oral sessions.”

The hybrid format of the meeting also offers plenty of options for virtual education and networking, increasing the equity for the diverse base of rheumatology professionals who attend ACR Convergence.

“One of the great things about having a high-quality virtual experience is it allows people who may have professional or personal commitments and can’t simply travel, particularly in the COVID-19 era, an opportunity to be part of many of the meeting components and to integrate with what’s happening on-site in real time,” Dr. Saag said. “It also allows us to reach parts of the world that are newer to ACR.”

Among the sessions and activities Dr. Saag is most looking forward to are the Opening Celebration on Friday, November 11, and the Opening Session on Saturday morning, November 12. New York Times bestselling author and physician Abraham Verghese, MD, will deliver the keynote presentation at the Opening Session, focusing on “Physician, Patients, and the Nature of Heroism in Medicine.” Dr. Saag also will give his Presidential Address and recipients of the ACR Awards of Distinction, ACR/ARP Master designation, Distinguished Fellow Award, and ARP Awards of Merit and Appreciation will be recognized.

Other highly anticipated programming includes Year in Review sessions and presentations on health equity, workforce-related issues, COVID-19, and the latest innovations in rheumatology.

“There continue to be major advances in nearly every one of our disease areas, with many new studies looking at new therapeutics, basic science discovery, and population-based studies for understanding prevalence and risk factors for diseases and outcomes,” Dr. Saag said. “There will be something for everybody.”

Because there is so much going on at any given time during ACR Convergence 2022, Dr. Saag said it’s hard to go wrong when building your meeting agenda. His recommendation is for participants to sample as much as they can.

“Plan ahead and break it up. Do some sit-down lectures, go around and view Ignite Talk posters, spend time visiting with the exhibitors, talk to your friends and colleagues over coffee or your favorite beverage, and have a great meal in an award-winning Philly restaurant,” Dr. Saag advised. “These are the things that make it a great meeting.”

Attendees have four registration options to choose from to experience ACR Convergence 2022 in the format that works best for them. All registration passes include access to the ACR Convergence 2022 meeting website and virtual posters, as well as on-demand access to Community Hubs, industry-supported sessions, and scientific sessions through October 31, 2023. On-demand access will not be available to purchase after the meeting ends.

View the online program for additional session details.

“ACR Convergence 2022 will have the right mix of wonderful in-person sessions, great networking opportunities, terrific clinical updates, and probably most especially, state-of-the-art science—the latest and greatest in basic, clinical, translation, and outcomes research that has been happening in the last year in rheumatology. We look forward to many international colleagues coming from far and wide to Philadelphia—the city of brotherly love and sisterly love, too—to be part of this first renewed live, in-person hybrid ACR meeting.”