2022 Annual Meeting of the HOD: April 14 Speakers' Update

Planning continues for the Annual Meetings of the House of Delegates and sections this coming June. Your speakers provide the following important updates:

As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues to evolve, CDC recommendations have been modified, and Chicago and Illinois restrictions have been lifted. While it is impossible to foresee the situation that will exist June 8–15, your Board of Trustees recently adopted the following health and safety protocol that will be in place for the meeting. Please be aware that this protocol is the minimum requirement while noting that your Board continues to monitor the environment and may implement more stringent requirements as the meeting approaches.

This protocol applies to all attendees, including section members, delegates, alternate delegates and all guests.

All attendees at the section and House of Delegates meetings:

1. Must be up to date with respect to their COVID-19 vaccinations. “Up to date” corresponds to the CDC recommendations in effect on April 2, 2022.*
   1. For U.S. citizens, this means having received their COVID-19 primary series vaccine and, if eligible, (at least) one booster. The vaccine must have been authorized or approved by the FDA.
   2. For international guests, this means a vaccine approved by the World Health Organization.
   3. As per AMA Policy (H-440.970, “Nonmedical Exemptions from Immunizations”), medical exemptions will be honored. No other exemptions will be allowed. Persons seeking a medical exemption must contact [email protected] by May 15 for instructions.
2. Must agree to COVID-19 rapid antigen tests upon arrival and a second test 72 hours after the first test, with a negative test result in order to continue participating in the meetings
   1. Individuals who test positive should self-isolate and may not participate further in the meetings.
   2. Any individual who develops symptoms should retest and not participate further until a negative result is confirmed.
   3. Attendees are encouraged to test prior to departure from home to avoid unnecessary travel. 
3. Must agree to adhere to any additional requirements adopted by the Board of Trustees, the CDC, the city of Chicago or the state of Illinois in effect at the time of the meeting.

In an effort to provide a safe environment, your speakers have made modifications to provide greater physical distancing. Seating at the opening session (typically the highest attendance) will be “theater style” (no tables), allowing greater separation of seats and accommodating more attendees in the Grand Ballroom.  The opening session will be recorded and live streamed for individual viewing. All other HOD sessions will be “classroom style” (tables and chairs as usual), but seats will be further distanced than past meetings. This will necessarily reduce the seating available for guests and alternates. Additional seating in the Exhibit Hall with closed video streaming will be available for all sessions of the House. Reference committee hearings will feature double the usual space allowing some distance between chairs. In addition, hand sanitizer and wipes will be available on the tables within the House and throughout the hotel in other meeting rooms.

All attendees will be required to appear at the health & safety desk to complete a health questionnaire, testing and required attestations before they will be allowed to proceed to the AMA registration desk to receive their badge and other meeting materials. No one will be allowed in the meeting rooms without a badge, and the badge can only be obtained by having appeared at the health & safety desk and the registration desk. Individuals are welcome to wear masks. As of this date, masks are not required, but the final decision on masking will be made by the Board closer to the meeting.

Meeting attendees will be kept up to date on any changes to this protocol and further details regarding the health & safety desk will be included in the Speakers’ Letter.

The Board of Trustees has implemented the following health and safety requirements for children participating in CampAMA. This protocol was developed in consultation with a group of parents who plan to use CampAMA for their children.

1. Advance registration will be required for all children planning to attend CampAMA. The deadline for registration is May 20, 2022. Please note that a maximum of 45 children can be accommodated on any given day due to space constrictions necessary for COVID-19 safety. No “walk ups” will be accommodated.
2. Any child with a fever or exhibiting other symptoms of illness should not participate in CampAMA. Children who become ill during the day must be picked up by their parent(s) upon notification.
3. All children eligible for vaccination (ages 5 and older) will be required to have proof of vaccination or medical exemption signed by their pediatrician or primary care physician.
4. All children over age 2 will be expected to wear a mask except while actively eating or drinking in designated areas. Parents need to bring an adequate supply of appropriately sized masks. AMA will have available a limited number of child-size masks.
5. All children over age 2 must have a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival and a second test 72 hours after the first test with a negative result to participate in CampAMA. A negative COVID-19 test is also required to return to CampAMA should the child have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or receive a diagnosis of COVID-19. Parents will be asked to attest to the result of testing. Any child testing positive after May 31 should not participate in CampAMA. Parents are encouraged to bring COVID-19 test supplies.
6. Children between 6 months and 2 years are welcome at CampAMA. Testing of these children will be at the discretion of the parents.
7. Parents are encouraged to test their children prior to departure to avoid unnecessary travel.

Please know that under current city and state regulations, hotel guests and staff are no longer required to wear masks or to be vaccinated, and restaurants and other establishments are following similar paths. Please note that the AMA is unable to impose requirements on the Hyatt or its employees.

This notice of current planning and required health and safety protocols is provided to allow attendees to know what to expect and to make decisions regarding their attendance. Those uncomfortable with attending under these requirements may wish to make alternate arrangements for representation.

*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of April 2, 2022: A person is up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination if they have received all recommended doses in the primary series and one booster when eligible. Getting a second booster is not necessary to be considered up to date at this time. 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html

Advance registration online is required for all attendees of all section and House meetings including guests and children. This also includes HOD delegates and alternate delegates. Organizations represented in the House must still submit names of delegates and alternates for credentialing. This advanced registration includes acceptance of the health & safety protocol and our usual AMA Code of Conduct. Participants must register their guests and children who plan to attend any function. Registration is now open for the House of Delegates and all section meetings. To get started, visit https://www.ama-assn.org/house-delegates/annual-meeting/2022-annual-meeting-ama-house-delegates and sign in.

Per the policy adopted at November’s Special Meeting, the online forums will be open for a 14 day period that starts in mid-May (specific date will be included in the Speakers’ Letter). Reference committees will issue a preliminary document based on their review of the online comments, which will be posted by June 7 to allow members of the House to consider the documents. Discussion of each item at reference committee hearings will begin with the resolution or report as originally submitted. 

 We will inform the House when the forums have opened for comments. However, all resolutions and reports will be posted on the meeting website as they become available. 

Volunteers to serve on House committees, including reference committees and rules and credentials, or as tellers are being sought. A new application form, found here, should be submitted to [email protected]. Note that those who have applied for prior meetings need to submit this new form to be considered. As a reminder, reference committee volunteers would need to be available to meet virtually on the weekend prior to the opening session of the House to develop a preliminary document based on the online forum testimony as adopted by the House at N21. All applicants are asked to hold this weekend open on their schedule to accommodate this meeting. We encourage all who are interested to apply, even those who may have served at our recent special meetings.

All times are in Central

 Deadlines

• Monday, April 18 – Candidate sign up for AMA Candidates Reception
• Wednesday, May 11 – Ontime deadline for resolutions
• Friday, May 20 – Registration for CampAMA closes
• Friday, May 27 – Deadline for caucuses/delegations to submit contact information if they wish to conduct in-person interviews

 HOD meeting schedule

• Friday, June 10, 5:30-7:30 p.m. – Opening session
• Saturday, June 11, 7 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Open for caucus/delegation meetings
• Saturday, June 11, 12:30 p.m. – Second opening
• Saturday, June 11, 1 pm– Reference committee hearings 
• Sunday, June 12, 8 a.m. – Reference committee hearings 
• Sunday, June 12, 1:30 p.m. – Education sessions
• Sunday, June 12, 5-7 p.m. – AMA candidate reception
• Monday, June 13, 7 -10 a.m. – Open for caucus/delegation meetings
• Monday, June 13, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. – HOD business session (with a break for lunch)
• Tuesday June 14, 7:30 a.m. – Delegates admitted for election session
• Tuesday, June 14, 8 am – HOD election session
• Tuesday, June 14, 8:30 a.m. (or 10 minutes after election session concludes) to 3:30 p.m. – HOD business session (with a break for lunch)
• Tuesday, June 14, 5:30 p.m.  - Presidential inauguration
• Wednesday, June 15, 8 a.m. through the completion of business – HOD business session

-- Responses should be directed to [email protected]

For additional speakers' updates visit the updates overview page.