ATS International Conference to Highlight Key Research and Themes in Respiratory Medicine

The agenda at this year’s American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference will spotlight not only the latest research in respiratory medicine, but also timely themes, with keynote sessions on minority health equity; the effects of climate on health and environmental policies that may mitigate future impacts; and reducing gun violence through advocacy from the provider and policymaker lenses.

The conference, taking place May 19-24 in Washington, DC, features a basic science core curriculum focused on exploring the mechanisms that integrate responses to environmental exposures. A 4-part Clinical Year in Review will include some of the most high-impact papers in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine each day from Sunday, May 21, through Wednesday, May 24. These sessions will feature the top papers in each field, along with the potential clinical implications of the latest research.

From the opening ceremony on, disparities in health care will be a prominent theme throughout the meeting. Stephen K. Klasko, MD, MBA, president of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and CEO of Jefferson Health, will address attendees at the opening ceremony on Saturday, May 20, to share his vision on the future of medicine. Klasko is an advocate for health equity and health care transformation.

On Sunday, May 21, Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, MD, director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health, will deliver a keynote session centered on clinical issues where health equity must be promoted, as well as data on disparities related to respiratory conditions.

Also on Sunday, the annual ATS Diversity Forum features speaker Horace DeLisser, MD, associate dean for Diversity and Inclusion at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He leads IDEAL MEd (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Learner Experience Program in Medical Education). The forum focuses on diversity in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine and research.

“I [look] forward to this meeting as an opportunity to refresh some of my clinical knowledge and information,” DeLisser told The American Journal of Managed Care^® in an interview. “I also appreciate the fact that there's a lot of state-of-the-art information, particularly around controversial topics, that, for me, are very instructive and informative.”

The following day, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan, MBA, will discuss climate effects on health and the environmental policies that can mitigate current and future impacts.

The final keynote address on Tuesday, May 23, is titled “Reducing Gun Violence Through Advocacy and Action by Physicians and Policymakers.” This session will address the ways in which gun violence—a leading cause of premature death and disability—can be mitigated through a public health approach if health care providers and policymakers work together in advocacy. Presenters include Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, director of the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative and co-founder of the Colorado Firearm Safety Coalition; Joseph Victor Sakran, MD, MPA, MP, a trauma surgeon, survivor of gun violence, and founder of “This is Our Lane”; and Fatimah Loren Dreier, executive director of the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention.

In addition to the keynote sessions, a host of abstract sessions, seminars, mini symposia, and more will round out the packed agenda. The conference exhibit hall will offer attendees a chance to interact with innovations and advances in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.