Integrative Healthcare Symposium postpones May edition

The Integrative Healthcare Symposium, scheduled to take place May 2-4, 2021 at the Hilton Midtown in New York City, has been postponed by its organizer, Diversified Communications, which also produces Integrative Practitioner. The conference is expected to take place later in the year.

The continued magnitude of the public health and safety issues caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) led to the postponement, according to Liz Plizga, Diversified Communications Group Vice President.

“We have been closely monitoring the global and national trends of the COVID-19 pandemic and carefully considered the concerns raised by our customers and attendees,” Plizga said. “Unfortunately, it has become evident that May 2021 would be too early to convene our community in New York in a safe way.”

The 2021 edition of the Integrative Healthcare Symposium was originally scheduled for January 14-16. Event organizers announced last year that it would be postponed to May 2-4. Conference organizers said in a statement that they are committed to delivering an in-person event in 2021.

“We are working with the venue on securing new dates later in the year and are targeting the fall time frame,” the statement said. “We will communicate the new dates as soon as they are confirmed.”

The healthcare industry continues to experience dramatic shifts amid COVID-19, with federal and state guidelines evolving as a so-called second wave leads to further shutdowns and stay-at-home orders. As medical facilities proceed with vaccine distribution, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) extended the public health emergency surrounding the pandemic through April 2021.  

According to the World Health Organization, there are more than 92,482,273 cases reported globally as of January 14 at press time, with about 23,079,163 cases occurring in the United States. More than 1,990,050 people have died from the virus worldwide, the organization said.

The New York State Department of Health currently has statewide restrictions on non-essential mass gatherings in place based on a new micro-cluster strategy, which prescribes limits based hospital capacity and growth rate. Currently, indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences are limited to no more than 10 people. Individuals must wear face coverings when they are in a public, are within six feet of distance from other individuals, or are in a public or private transportation carrier or for-hire vehicle.

The Integrative Healthcare Symposium event organizers said they are committed to the health and safety of their customers. Updates on health and safety information will be added on the event’s website as they become available.

Editor's note: The Integrative Healthcare Symposium and Integrative Practitioner are owned and operated by Diversified Communications. Click here for more information and ongoing COVID-19 updates for integrative healthcare professionals.