COVID-19 mitigation strategy for ASPCS

In a little more than five weeks, the Texas Academy of Family Physicians will host its premier continuing medical education event, the 2021 Annual Session and Primary Care Summit at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel. We look forward to this in-person conference, but make no mistake, the health and safety of everyone who attends is our top priority.

The TAFP Board of Directors and our staff have committed a significant amount of time and effort to develop a plan for safely and successfully executing our most anticipated meeting of the year. We intend to proceed with hosting our live CME general session with all appropriate COVID mitigation strategies enacted, but all other Academy business and meetings will either be held virtually or postponed.

After careful deliberation, TAFP leadership has decided that given the high rate of vaccination among our membership and our valued friends in primary care, gathering to learn together as safely as possible will be a much-needed respite from the stress and burden of our day-to-day practice during the pandemic.  

What we will do for you:

• Limit registration to 50% of capacity and provide socially distanced seating arrangements in all meeting rooms.
• Provide socially distanced seating arrangements in meal settings or provide boxed meals for outdoor or in-room dining.
• Ensure that all TAFP staff are fully vaccinated.

What we ask of you, our attendees:

• Get vaccinated against COVID-19. To protect your fellow attendees and to help stem the spread of the pandemic, we expect that attendees will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the conference.
• Wear a face mask at all times while in TAFP meeting spaces.
• Please isolate if you experience any of the following symptoms: fever, chills, new or worsening cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, new muscle aches, or headache. We are happy to offer a full refund for any registrant unable to attend due to an occurrence of these symptoms.

Additionally, the Woodlands Waterway Marriott has its own COVID-19 safety protocols in place to keep its guests protected. Please click here to learn about the hotel’s mask requirements, social distancing measures, room cleaning, and more.

We understand that some family physicians may not feel comfortable attending an in-person meeting based on their personal comfort level or risk tolerance. For those who choose not to attend the conference, the TAFP Member Assembly will be virtual and we are expanding our online CME offerings.

• Plan to attend the virtual Member Assembly on November 2, 2021, at 7 p.m.
• Watch for information about the opportunity to register for on-demand CME from the TAFP Annual Session and Primary Care Summit after the conclusion of the live conference.

We are excited about meeting in person again and we want to do so as safely as possible. We acknowledge that the decisions we make regarding the pandemic depend entirely on clear-eyed analysis of the situation in the moment, and we promise to adjust our conference plans accordingly. I wish you health and peace, and I look forward to seeing you in November.

Jake Margo, Jr., MD
TAFP Board Chair