Back to the American Congress of Rheumatology

After 2 years of Covid Pandemic I was so happy to be back personally at the American Congress of Rheumatology.

The 2022 American Congress of Rheumatology (ACR) was held in November, in Philadelphia, the capital of Pennsylvania, on the East Coast, the cradle of American independence.

Although the War of Independence started from the economically much wealthier Boston, the Quaker city of Philadelphia took the political lead. Originally, the Founding Fathers  (see the picture on the left) gathered from the 13 British colonies, debated and signed The Declaration of Independence (1776), written by Thomas Jefferson. The more than 10-year War of Independence was led to victory by George Washington, who was later elected as the first president of the US. Benjamin Franklin, a leading citizen of Philadelphia, whom all Philly residents are extremely proud of, played a key role in the fight for independence, both domestically and internationally.  B. Franklin was not only an outstanding politician and diplomat, the Pennsylvanian Ambassador to France, but also - as a public printer - he founded a Printing Office and Bindery, where he edited and published local and regional newspapers, founded the Philadelphia Library, contributed to the foundation of the Pennsylvania University (see the picture below) and Hospital, the first Fire Company, and, with the invention of the lightning rod, he enabled the prevention of the great fires of his time.

The statue on the top of the Philadelphia City Hall is that of William Penn, who - by settling the Quakers, an undesired community in Britain - became the founder of Pennsylvania (1681). There was a time when no building was allowed to be higher than the statue of Mr. Penn. The main street of Philadelphia is Market Street going down to the sea. The characteristic red-brick buildings of the time of the War of Independence can be found in the area of the 5th-6th Streets, such as Carpenter’s Hall, Independence Hall, the President’s House and the famous Liberty Bell, which rang out to proclaim the freedom of the US. The former Central Railway Station, the Reading Terminal, is situated at13th Street, which -besides a Hard Rock Cafe, a Fashion District, Jefferson station, the Marriott Hotel and the popular Philly market - is the home of Pennsylvania Convention Center (see the picture below), the venue of the ACR.

ACR Convergence 2022 was the ACR’s first in-person annual meeting after the Covid pandemic. The name “Convergence” was introduced during the Pandemic when only the virtual possibility existed “for rheumatologists to meet” and “to shape rheumatology”.

ACR Convergence is the premier rheumatology meeting of the year, it features state-of-the-art science in rheumatology. The program in Philadelphia  had a strong appeal for clinical rheumatologists, as well as for those who worked in rheumatology education and investigation, both domestically and internationally. The meeting had more than 200 scientific sessions, many of which were live-streamed for those unable to travel. Besides the plenary sessions on some of the best new rheumatology research, several concurrent disease- and method-focused oral sessions, all-new Ignite Talks (five-minute talks featuring the highest-ranked posters) and virtual Community Hubs were included in the program.  The hybrid format of the meeting offered plenty of options for virtual education and networking.

There was an opportunity to ask live questions, to experience ‘hubs’ around topics of mutual interest, to meet the industry scientists discussing their innovative products in the large Exhibit Hall, and to have more intimate discussions with other scientists following their talks and presentations. At the same time, a high-quality virtual experience existed to allow people far and wide to integrate with what’s happening on-site in real time.

The meeting provided the opportunity to network with our colleagues and friends in the field of rheumatology, which was unquestionably the greatest advantage of being back in person. I could also meet my fellow colleagues of the international PMR/GCA study group and as such I could talk to my professor-friends from the Mayo Clinic and from Reggio Emilia, Italy. I took part at the PMR meeting, discussed the new concepts of therapy and diagnostic imaging.

The keynote presentation at the Opening Session was delivered by the NY Times bestselling writer and physician A. Verghese, focusing on “Physician, Patients and the Nature of Heroism in Medicine”.  Other highly anticipated programs included “Year in Rheumatology” presentations on COVID-19 generated health care problems, workforce-related issues and the pitfalls of social media. One of the most interesting sessions dealt with telemedicine, its advantages in stable state, but its failures in the case of acute problems. The “Year in Review” discussed breakthrough results in clinical practice. New studies looking at new therapeutics, basic science discoveries and population-based studies analyzing risk factors and outcomes were also major advances.

Because there was so much going on at any given time during ACR Convergence 2022, it was hard to go wrong when building our meeting agenda. “Sample as much as you 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.” - Kenneth Saag, the ACR President advised the participants. “These are the things that make a meeting great”.

I was delighted to be part of this first renewed live, in-person hybrid ACR meeting, to enlarge my knowledge, to meet my colleagues and to look around Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love.