(Updated 14 January 2022)
From its inception, the AMS has been committed to health and safety. As we continue to plan for the 102nd Annual Meeting, our highest priority remains the health and safety of everyone attending the meeting as well as the community of Houston, Texas. As such, we are closely monitoring news and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the World Health Organization, and local health agencies regarding travel and events. We will be using this news and guidance, as well as the results of several attendee surveys, to evolve and update this Commitment to Care statement. We encourage you to check back often as the meeting approaches, especially given the emergence of the Omicron variant and the impending release of scientific information. We will allow for changes to attendance method to/from in-person and remote until 28 December.
While we will be enforcing the guidelines outlined below in the AMS meeting space at the Hilton of the Americas, we highly recommend that attendees also follow these guidelines while traveling to/from and throughout Houston.
All attendees (presenters, program chairs, session chairs, exhibit booth staff, volunteers, attendees, guests, press, AMS staff) will be required to agree to the AMS 102nd Annual Meeting Health and Safety Policy and Waiver, before completing their registration. Any attendee who is not able to adhere to the in-person guidelines set forth in that Policy and Waiver, or in this Commitment to Care statement, should plan to participate in the robust remote options we are offering during this fully hybrid meeting:
All in-person attendees at the 102nd Annual Meeting must provide proof of full vaccination and complete a daily health survey before entering our meeting space in Houston, TX.
This is an AMS form to help us to 1) notify attendees at AMS in-person Houston events that they may have come into close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, 2) aggregate data on COVID-19 positive cases associated with the meeting, and 3) provide support to individuals who need to quarantine during the meeting.
Names will not be shared beyond the AMS staff who are supporting Covid-19 needs. These staff are Jen Ives (Director of Meetings), Jenn Rosen (Senior Meetings and Exhibits Manager), Katy Putsavage (Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), Stephanie Armstrong (Associate Executive Director), and Sharon Kristovich (Reporting and Analytics Manager). Results will only be presented in summary form. Your participation is entirely voluntary and you can withdraw at any time by closing the browser.
AMS has set aside a block of rooms for attendees who test positive while at the meeting and need to quarantine. We also have rooms available for individuals who have travel impacts due to flight cancellations because of COVID. If you need to quarantine or do not have financial support from your organization to extend your stay due to COVID travel disruptions, please contact the AMS Meetings team at [email protected] or provide your name and contact information near the beginning of this form.
AMS Staff will be monitoring responses during the Student Conference and through Friday, January 28th. During the Student Conference, we will check for support needs between 8am and 10pm CT. Starting Tuesday, January 25th we will check between 8am and 5pm CT.
From its inception, the AMS has been committed to health and safety. As we continue to plan for the 102nd Annual Meeting, our highest priority remains the health and safety of everyone attending the meeting as well as the community of Houston, Texas. The science and the guidance from health experts are clear that vaccines and masking will better protect the health of those at the meeting, so as a scientific organization we have an obligation to follow the science.
We implemented a fully hybrid meeting so that those who could not (or chose not to) attend (for any reason) could still fully participate in the meeting through remote options.
The CDC considers individuals to be fully vaccinated two weeks following a second dose of mRNA vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer) or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
For international attendees, this guidance applies to COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization (i.e., AstraZeneca/Oxford, Covishield, Sinopharm, and Sinovac) - 2 weeks after final dose. The full list of vaccines with final WHO EUL/PQ evaluation status is available here.
You must receive your final vaccine dose by 8 January to be considered eligible to attend the 102nd Annual Meeting in person.
While the CDC does not currently require individuals to receive booster shots to be fully vaccinated, we highly recommend that you receive one before traveling to Houston if you are eligible. For more information on booster eligibility, please see here.
While the CDC does not currently require individuals to receive booster shots to be fully vaccinated, we highly recommend that you receive one before traveling to Houston if you are eligible. For more information on booster eligibility, please see here.
We are in close contact with our attorney and with our venues in Houston and they all assure us that we are still well within our rights to require that our attendees be vaccinated in order to attend the 102nd Annual Meeting, despite recent Executive Orders.
HealthPass by CLEAR will provide vaccination and daily health verification via the CLEAR app for the 102nd Annual Meeting.
BEFORE YOU TRAVEL TO HOUSTON (ONCE): Download and enroll in the CLEAR app.
Code info:
Code: EFATTENDEE300
Display Name: Attendee Health Pass
CLEAR App Link: https://clear.app.link/EFAttendee300
BEFORE YOU GO TO THE MEETING SPACE (DAILY): Complete your Health Pass
UPON ENTERING THE AMS MEETING SPACE (FIRST TIME EACH DAY): Show your Green Health Pass
UPON ENTERING THE AMS MEETING SPACE (SUBSEQUENT TIMES EACH DAY): Show your Colored Wristband
Go to the security checkpoint at the entrance to the AMS meeting space at the George R. Brown Convention Center or enter your meeting room at the Hilton of the Americas.
Show the colored wristband that you obtained earlier in the day
Enter the AMS Meeting Space at the George R. Brown Convention Center or meeting room at the Hilton of the Americas.
Vaccination details or lab results are not provided to AMS and are only utilized to generate a red or green Health Status for screening purposes. What will be shared with AMS on a daily basis is your name, Health Pass result (Red or Green), and the time your pass was completed.
Privacy is at the center of everything they do at CLEAR and they are fully committed to protecting members' information. They never sell or rent personal information. Personal information is only used to deliver a frictionless and secure experience with CLEAR.
The use of data is governed by CLEAR’s Member Terms and Privacy Policy and you can learn more here.
Find out more via the Health Pass FAQs.
Can attendees traveling from outside the United States use CLEAR?
Yes, CLEAR can be used by all attendees. However, those international attendees that do not have access to US app stores (Google play or Apple Store) will have to wait until you are in the US to download the app.
No. If you are not able to provide vaccination proof, please participate in the robust remote options we are offering during this fully hybrid meeting:
No. If you are not able to provide vaccination proof, please participate in the robust remote options we are offering during this fully hybrid meeting:
Yes, we will require that all attendees wear a mask covering their nose and mouth while in the 102nd Annual Meeting space.
Health Pass uses questions based on publicly available guidance from the CDC, as well as other health institutions. The survey was reviewed and refined with the assistance of CLEAR’s medical advisors. Note: All question responses are Yes / No.
1. In the past 10 days have you experienced any of the following new or worsening symptoms?
a. Fever
b. Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
c. Sinus congestion or runny nose
d. Loss of taste or smell
e. Persistent cough
2. In the past 10 days have you experienced any of the following new or worsening symptoms?
a. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or loss of appetite
b. Headaches or sore throat
c. Severe muscle aches
d. Fatigue
3. In the past 14 days have you been diagnosed with COVID-19 or asked to quarantine?
4. In the past 10 days have you been asked to get a COVID-19 test due to symptoms or risk of exposure and are still waiting for the results or received an inconclusive result?
If you are unable to show proof of vaccination or fail the daily health survey, you will receive a Red Health Pass and will not be granted entry to AMS meeting space. Even if you are registered as an in-person attendee, you will have access to all of the remote options we are offering during this fully hybrid meeting:
If you have Covid-19 symptoms or fail the daily health survey, please participate in the robust remote options we are offering during this fully hybrid meeting, even if you test negative:
AMS is continually assessing their health and safety policy as it pertains to future meetings. While vaccination is required with no exceptions at this time for the Annual Meeting, this policy will be revisited for each meeting as CDC guidance evolves.
We will require that all attendees wear a mask covering their nose and mouth while in the 102nd Annual Meeting space. Masks may only be removed when actively eating or drinking while stationary. Given all of the other precautions we’ll have in place, presenters and speakers can also choose to remove their masks while presenting and stationary if they are able to maintain a distance of 6 feet from others.
Please reference the CDC’s Guide to Masks for information on proper mask selection, wearing, cleaning, and storing.
While we do encourage that you bring plenty of your own proper masks with you to Houston, disposable masks will also be available at the AMS Info Desks and at Health and Safety Stations located throughout the Hilton of the Americas.
While we do not require that participants submit a negative Covid-19 test result in order to attend the 102nd Annual Meeting, all travelers should follow recommendations set for by the CDC for domestic and international travel as well as check requirements set forth by their travel providers (planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation).
To find testing locations near the hotel and how to receive at home test through insurance click here.
Other options for Covid-19 testing, please visit this page to find the nearest location.
We will have a healthcare partner available onsite to address the healthcare needs of attendees who become ill at the Hilton of the Americas.
Attendees who become ill outside of the Hilton of the Americas should not attempt to enter AMS meeting space and should visit a nearby healthcare facility:
AMS staff members and the Overall Planning Committee, in consultation with event industry leaders and venue officials, are currently considering several options to reduce crowding and congestion throughout the 102nd Annual Meeting space. There will also be signage throughout to remind attendees to practice physical distancing when possible.
The schedule for the AMS 102nd Annual Meeting includes longer breaks and an additional poster viewing (on Thursday) to reduce attendee crowding and congestion.
Chairs in session rooms and set around tables at food and beverage functions will be set at 50% capacity.
Exhibitors will be required to design their booth spaces according to CDC and WHO guidelines.
We are asking exhibitors to consider how they will offer giveaways for products and hosted events in ways that will help us with crowd control and social distancing at receptions and through exhibit hours.
Food and beverage items will be individually packaged and if not, will be served by an attendant. Items will be available from an increased number of stations to reduce congestion and crowding.
Attendees will be provided with three colored bracelets and stickers which they can use to indicate their personal level of contact comfort to others while at the AMS 102nd Annual Meeting (optional):
Red: Please keep your distance
Yellow: Elbow/fist bumps are ok
Green: Handshakes/hugs are welcome
Registration and badge pickup will take place at self-serve kiosks. Attendees will print their own badges on-demand in the registration area at the Hilton of the Americas.
Concessions sold at the George R Brown Convention Center can be purchased with cashless options.
The George R Brown Convention Center:
Hilton of the Americas:
Marriott Marquis:
There are multiple hand sanitizing stations located throughout the AMS 102nd Annual Meeting space.
All AMS 102nd Annual Meeting hotels and venues have increased cleaning/disinfecting of high touch surfaces such as handles, buttons, and handrails.
Each exhibiting organization will be responsible for the cleanliness and sanitization of their space. We recommend products and instruments be wiped down between demonstrations and have hand sanitizer available for those visiting the booth space.
Information on Health and Safety in Houston can be found here.
The George R Brown Convention Center’s Health and Safety Plan can be found here.
Information on the Hilton CleanStay Program can be found here.
Marriott’s Commitment to Clean can be found here.