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April 24, 2003 |
Dear ISMRM Colleagues:
I regret that recent
events have compelled the ISMRM Board to postpone the Eleventh Annual Meeting
and Exhibition of our Society in Toronto, which was scheduled to start on May
10, 2003.
Alternative dates are being urgently evaluated and further information will soon
be provided through updates on the ISMRM website and by e-mail.
The Executive Committee has been watching the severe acute respiratory syndrome
(SARS) situation in Toronto very closely over the last several weeks. As a
scientific organization, the Society has relied on the recommendations of
authoritative bodies such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World
Health Organization (WHO).
On April 23, WHO issued an advisory:
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2003_04_23/en/,
officially discouraging nonessential international travel to Toronto. The
Executive Committee and the Board concluded that in view of this recommendation
it is prudent to defer the annual meeting to a later date.
Decisions regarding the annual meeting are being made with careful consideration
of the following:
•
The safety and health of
the
attendees, exhibitors, and staff
at our Annual Meeting
•
The public health issues
concerning spread of the SARS virus worldwide
•
The
scientific,
educational,
and
humanitarian
importance of our Annual Meeting
•
The financial and
intellectual investments made by our
attendees
and
exhibitors
in order to
participate in the Annual Meeting
•
The investment that our
members
have made
through the ISMRM in order to hold the Annual Meeting
Please check the ISMRM
website and e-mail messages in the coming days for important information,
including procedures for rebooking or obtaining refunds of registration and
hotel deposits. Details for the rescheduled meeting will be provided as soon as
possible, in order to provide more options for holders of airline tickets.
I would like to thank the members of the Scientific Program Committee and
Education Committees, who, with the support of the central office, designed a
truly outstanding Eleventh Annual Meeting. We also owe a debt of gratitude
to the faculty of our educational courses, our plenary speakers, and our
scientific presenters, who will all be contacted individually regarding the
deferred meeting plans, as soon as they become available.
Richard L. Ehman
President