#ATSSafe4All

I urge the American Thoracic Society to choose its conference locations responsibly in a post-Roe world.

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  -  Why support #ATSSafe4All?
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Why support #ATSSafe4All?

Recent commentary from ATS members:

Medical societies must choose professional meeting locations responsibly in a post-Roe world [PDF]
Lee AG, Maley J, Hibbert K, Akgün KM, Hauschildt KE, Law A, Kaminski N, Hayes M, Gesthalter Y, Bosslet GT, Santhosh L, Witkin A, Hills-Dunlap K, Çoruh B, Gershengorn HB, Hardin CC. Annals of the American Thoracic Society. 2023; in press.

"Holding professional meetings in locations where pregnant persons cannot access standard-of-care reproductive care violates the professional societies' commitment to inclusion and equity.

"Boycotting states with restrictive health care access advocates for change and aligns us with communities made more vulnerable by restrictive legislation.

"Financial considerations are not sufficient justification to continue to hold professional meetings in these locations.

"Advocacy for equitable access to evidence based medical care for pregnant persons is our professional responsibility."

Recent commentary in JAMA Internal Medicine:

Holding medical professional society scientific meetings only in states that protect abortion rights—clinical and ethical considerations
Gross CP, Kraschel KL, Emanuel EJ. JAMA Internal Medicine. 2023;183(4):283-284.

"Members look to the leadership of medical societies to not only set technical and ethical standards, but also to iteratively define and promote professional values for their fields. Is it a slippery slope for societies to take a meaningful stand in support of abortion access? On the contrary: it is the reluctance of professional societies to take a stand that would be a slippery slope—toward condoning unjust restrictions on access to abortion care."

General information:

ACOG/AMA joint statement on legislative interference in abortion care, joined by over 75 other professional societies including ATS, AAFP, ACP, AAP, SGIM, and others

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What does ATS leadership say?

In an official statement released via Twitter on May 2, 2023, the ATS Executive Committee wrote:

"Of course, we all care about these issues deeply. However, these arguments and concerns deserve not only attention but also context, as they often fail to acknowledge the many thoughtful conversations that have previously occurred surrounding the contradicting wishes of a diverse membership with the overall health of an organization; the distance these well-intended communications create between peers who agree on the root of this problem; and the feelings of abandonment of those living in states affected by jurisdictions that affect their rights."

Other concerns raised by ATS leadership in their official statements include:

• adverse effects on residents of excluded states
• "considerable damage to [the society's] outstanding reputation in the meetings industry"
• support for ATS members from "Florida and Texas," who might feel abandoned
• limited available venues in "the third week of May" with the necessary space, hotels, and "excellent airport access"
• disruption of future plans by unforeseen legislative changes
• decreased advocacy in excluded states
• cost of cancelling existing contracts
• decreased conference revenue

See compilation of official ATS statements (PDF).

* Between 2000 and 2022, ATS was hosted in 10 different states and provinces. Ten conferences were hosted in California; two each, in Colorado and Ontario; and one each in the remaining seven states and provinces. See past conference sites and attendance.

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What can I do?

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#ATSSafe4All

The opinions on this web page are the author's, and do not represent the positions of the University of Washington or UW Medicine.