All participants will be required to agree to the AMS Commitment to Care 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 should plan to participate in the robust virtual options we are offering during our fully hybrid meetings.

We believe a large part of wellness at our meetings is to ensure our attendees work together to promote a professional and respectful environment for everyone. By registering for our meetings, you agree to follow our policies in our Guide to Professional and Respectful Conduct. We encourage all participants to follow these guidelines. If you are the subject of unacceptable behavior or have witnessed any such behavior, please immediately either:

• Notify an AMS Staff Member (wearing a blue ribbon at an in person meeting)
• Email [email protected] or call 617-226-3965
• Email AMS Executive Director, Stella Kafka, [email protected]

If you witness or experience behavior that constitutes an immediate and serious threat, please call 911.

AMS is committed to creating an environment for meetings that “embraces diversity through the inclusion of individuals across age, gender, race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, physical ability, marital status, sexual orientation, body shape or size, gender identity and expression, socioeconomic status, and other facets of social diversity” (see: Diversity and Inclusion at AMS).

Special accommodations, such as real-time captioning [communication access real-time translation (CART)], special printing needs, or reserved seating, necessary in order for any individual to participate in an AMS meeting, can be requested. Four weeks advance notice is recommended to ensure seamless action. We ask the participant to communicate such needs in advance by:

• Registering early for the meeting
• Checking the appropriate box in the registration process
• Contacting AMS staff by email ([email protected]) or by phone (857-930-7492)

The health of our meeting participants is very important. 

As a reminder, COVID-19 vaccinations as defined by the CDC are recommended for all in-person attendees. While masks will be optional at this meeting, we encourage all to wear a mask should they choose to do so.

If you feel sick, please do not come on-site. We encourage you to participate in the meeting virtually until your symptoms have resolved. If you need care, please see a list of hospitals, urgent care facilities, and drugstores found in attendee health resources. 

Nearby Hospitals:

UM Laurel Medical Ctr- 7150 Contee Rd, Laurel, MD 20707- 13.1 miles 

Howard Univ Hospital- 2041 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20060- 10.4 miles 

Nearby Urgent Care Facilities:

MedStar Health: Urgent Care at Hyattsville, 6401 America Blvd #200, Hyattsville, MD 20782- 2.9 miles 

AllCare Primary & Immediate Care?, 4407 Hartwick Rd, College Park, MD 20740- 2 miles

Nearby Pharmacies and Drugstores:
Walgreens Pharmacy, 6130 Baltimore Ave, Riverdale Park, MD 20737- 1.6 miles

CVS Pharmacy, 5707 Riverdale Rd, Riverdale Park, MD 20737- 1.3 miles 

In order to maintain a safe environment at every meeting both inside and outside, AMS has provided safety tips for all attendees.

• While off-site meeting grounds, remove your badge or tuck it into your clothing so it is not visible.
• Do not leave your badge unattended at any time. In addition, do not let anyone have access to your badge for any purpose.
• Never give a stranger your hotel room number.
• When out in an urban area, travel in groups or pairs.
• Plan your route ahead of time so you don’t get lost
• Remain in well-lit, high traffic areas
• Stay alert to your surroundings
• Keep your valuables out of sight.
• Know how to get help if you need it. 
• Do not leave valuables in your hotel room. If you must, please use the safe in your room.
• Remember to lock the deadbolt in your room when you are inside your room.
• Check the lock on any rooms connecting to yours.

Examples of security issues, which include ANY unsafe, unruly, or disruptive behavior in the AMS HQ Hotel, include:

• Disruption of a session or presentation
• Any filming in a session room or poster hall
• Altercation of argument of any kind

If you witness or experience behavior that constitutes an immediate and serious threat, please call 911.

To increase overall wellness at our meetings, we encourage attendees to connect with each other both on-site and virtually at our meetings. 

In-person attendees can;

• attend onsite networking or icebreaker events.
• use our provided Slack channel to post pictures from the conference.
• talk about how many steps they got in during the day

Virtual attendees can;

• use the attendee Slack channel to message their questions they didn’t get a chance to ask during a session
• share a PDF of their virtual poster to gain a larger audience and promote their science. 

Our host cities have a lot to offer, and, in your downtime, we encourage you to explore safely. This may mean utilizing Slack to set up a group outing or walking with a friend around the city.

AMS Meetings is committed to providing you information on local restaurants, with a focus on lgbtq+ owned and/or friendly dining options.

Participation in any gathering or activities outside of AMS is voluntary. Any such outside gatherings are solely the responsibility of those who decide to participate in them. Please be mindful of your own safety as well as that of your colleagues at all times.