By Gabriela L Melo Ghisi, BSc PT, MSc, PhD, CRFC, FAACVPR

Each year, as the AACVPR Annual Meeting approaches, I find myself asking: Is it still worth it?

Not in the abstract sense — cardiopulmonary rehabilitation professionals recognize the value in networking, learning, and staying current — but in the practical, lived reality of our work and our lives. The demands are real. Clinical responsibilities do not pause. Research timelines do not slow. And for many of us, especially those balancing family life, stepping away for several days carries a cost that is both logistical and emotional.

So, the question is not whether conferences are valuable in principle. It is whether this one, at this moment, is worth stepping away for.

Each year I ask the question; and, year after year, I go.

Not because it is easy and not because it is expected, but because it offers something that I have not found in any other format — something that becomes more important, not less, as our field evolves.

The value of stepping outside the constant pace

Most of our professionals are in continuous motion. We move from clinic to meeting, from analysis to deadlines, often making decisions quickly and with incomplete information, rarely pausing to ask whether the way we are working is still the right way.

What the AACVPR Annual Meeting provides is not just new information, but distance that allows us to see our work more clearly and, at times, more critically.

It is often in that space that more meaningful questions begin to surface. Not “What is new?” but “What needs to change?” Not “What are others doing?” but “Why are we doing things the way we are?”

That kind of reflection is difficult to create within our daily routines, yet it is essential if we want to move beyond incremental improvements.

What actually happens when we come together

We often describe conferences in terms that feel familiar — learning, networking, collaboration — but these words can obscure what is actually happening underneath.

In reality, conferences reshape the “social world” of our field. Much of the most valuable knowledge we carry forward comes from these informal exchanges: a method mentioned in passing, a challenge openly discussed, an idea still taking shape.

Conferences are where relationships are formed, where trust begins to develop, and where shared agendas start to emerge.

The limits of virtual connection — and what still requires presence

We have become highly efficient at sharing information. Webinars, virtual meetings, and digital collaborations have made knowledge more accessible than ever.

But efficiency is not the same as depth.

Some conversations require time, context, and trust. They unfold gradually, often unpredictably, shaped by nuance and by a willingness to sit with complexity and uncertainty. These are the conversations that tend to happen in between sessions, in quiet corners, or during unplanned moments of exchange.

They are also the conditions under which new ideas — and new directions — begin to take shape.

These interactions are difficult to replicate in structured, time-limited virtual formats. They require presence — not only physical, but cognitive and relational.

Recalibrating what matters in our field

Cardiac rehabilitation is at a critical point. We continue to generate evidence, refine interventions, and expand our understanding of patient needs, yet persistent challenges remain in access, implementation, and equity.

In this context,  the AACVPR Annual Meeting serves a function that goes beyond education. It’s a space where the field can, collectively, recalibrate.

What are we prioritizing?
What are we overlooking?
Where are we making progress — and where are we not?

These are not questions that can be answered by any single study or program. They require collective reflection, and at times, uncomfortable honesty. Being in the same room matters when those conversations take place.

The personal dimension we do not often name

There is also a more personal layer to this decision — to attend Annual Meeting onsite — that we do not always acknowledge openly.

Leaving home, even for a few days, is not neutral. It requires negotiation — with schedules, with responsibilities, and sometimes with our own sense of balance. For many of us, particularly women in the field, these decisions carry additional weight.

And yet, there is also something important in choosing to go:

To invest in our professional growth.
To engage with our community.
To allow ourselves the space to think more deeply, to question more openly, and to reconnect with the purpose behind our work.

Each time I attend, I am reminded that stepping away is not a detour from the work — it is part of sustaining it.

Why it still matters

So when I ask myself, each year, whether attending is worth it, the answer is not based on a single session or outcome. It is based on what becomes possible when we step outside our usual context — when we allow time for reflection, for meaningful exchange, and for the kinds of interactions that quietly shape both individual trajectories and the direction of our field.

In a time when information is abundant but attention is limited, and when connection is constant but often superficial, there is still value in gathering — intentionally, in person, and with a shared purpose.

That is why I keep coming back.

Dr. Ghisi is an affiliate scientist at University Health Network (Canada) and chair of the International Council of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (ICCPR). Her research focuses on patient education in chronic disease management and global access to cardiac rehabilitation (CR). She has led the development and implementation of educational curricula in over 10 countries and has published more than 190 scientific manuscripts, including clinical guidelines and validated CR-related scales used worldwide.