Please read the below Polices, Terms and Conditions carefully as they are the National Health Council’s (NHC) registration policies for event attendees. By registering for the Science for Patient Engagement Symposium (“Symposium”), you agree to comply with the event policies and Cvent’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. The NHC reserves the right to cancel or suspend your access to the event at any time if it reasonably believes that you have violated these Policies, Terms, and Conditions.

REGISTRATION POLICY
Registration. To attend the event or access certain features of the event, you will be asked to provide your complete contact information and respond to registration questions as it relates to the event. When you register for the event, you agree to provide accurate and complete information.

Eligibility. The Symposium is open to all NHC members working on patient-centered research and engagement activities. NHC members in the business and industry category receive one Symposium registration as a member benefit. Additional registrations at the meeting come with sponsorship. For sponsorship information, please contact Mary Crowther.

Due to limits at the venue, NHC members will be considered for registration first. Non-member nonprofit and research staff working on patient-centered research and engagement activities can register without cost but may have delayed approval depending on space. U.S. state and federal government staff can attend the Symposium without cost. Non-member business and industry organizations must sponsor to attend.

Fee. Registration is free to attend the Symposium, contact NHCmeetings@nhcouncil.org if you have any questions about registering for the event. Not an NHC Member? Join today and gain access to a wide range of member services, including meetings and conferences, action teams, affinity groups, webinars, and projects to engage with NHC and participate in networking opportunities.

CANCELLATION POLICY
Cancellations must be requested via email to NHCmeetings@nhcouncil.org. If the NHC cancels the event due to unforeseen circumstances, the organization will communicate the cancellation to all registered attendees in a timely manner alerting them of the event update or plans to reschedule the event. Once you have received your personal registration confirmation to attend the event, it cannot be changed, substituted, or reissued to a different person, except in accordance with our Substitution Policy.

SUBSTITUTION POLICY
Substitutions are permitted prior to the commencement of the event. The individual submitting the substitution request is responsible for providing updated contact information via email to NHCmeetings@nhcouncil.org. Substitutes must meet the event eligibility criteria and are only permissible if the substituting individual qualifies for the original registrant’s category.

HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY
The National Health Council has implemented a series of protocols considering the spread of respiratory viruses and is working with the National Press Club to ensure the safety of all attendees. Please note that health and safety protocols might change as we monitor public health conditions.

Onsite Safety Protocols. Although optional, attendees may choose to wear masks, per their preference. The following protocols and practices will be in place during NHC in-person events:

• Masks will be available at the registration desk. 
• Hand sanitizer stations will be placed around the event’s meeting space.

Release and Assumption of Risk. As we continue taking important steps to provide for the health and safety of our attendees, speakers, guests, and NHC staff we ask that you review the information below.

By attending this NHC event, you agree to adhere to our policy to support a healthy and safe environment for everyone. Because a respiratory virus is extremely contagious and is spread from person-to-person contact, the NHC has adopted preventative measures to reduce the spread of respiratory viruses in accordance with guidance published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The NHC will comply with all applicable requirements imposed by the District of Columbia, and federal and local health authorities. However, the NHC cannot guarantee that attendees, speakers, staff, and guests will not become infected with a respiratory virus. Attendees and NHC staff should always self-monitor for signs and symptoms of any respiratory virus.  

If you get sick, please stay at home as much as possible, and stay away from others per CDC health care guidance. People who are at higher risk for severe illness who start to feel sick should seek health care right away so that they can access testing and/or treatment. The most important thing you can do to protect yourself from a respiratory virus is to stay up to date on your recommended vaccines. Please also practice good hygiene by covering your coughs and sneezes, washing or sanitizing your hands often, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces can help.  

Please contact Susan Gaffney at sgaffney@nhcouncil.org with any questions as it relates to our COVID-19 Policy.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
The NHC is committed to making each of its educational activities accessible to all participants so they may be actively involved in the meetings and conferences. If you have special physical, dietary, or communication needs that require auxiliary aids or services identified in the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact us at NHCmeetings@nhcouncil.org so that we can accommodate your requests.

USE OF ATTENDEE CONTACT INFORMATION
NHC events are supported by Sponsors. Benefits provided to these supporting organizations may include the contact list (Name, Title, Company and Email) of registered attendees. The NHC does not provide or distribute event attendees’ complete mailing address to these supporting organizations.

PERSONAL INFORMATION AND RECORDINGS
Your data privacy and security are important to us. The NHC will handle your personal information collected during registration and will use your registration information to update or add in our membership database, and send membership updates, communications, and surveys regarding the event.

Attendees. When registering, all attendees will have an option to opt in or out of sharing their information with Sponsors; however, opting out does not apply to the information about attendees that will be visible on the event app. If applicable, you acknowledge and agree that other attendees at the event will be able to view your name, profile photo, and other information you choose to share in the conference app. If you opt-in to permit the NHC to do so when registering, we are authorized to share your registration.

MEDIA POLICY
Those requesting media registration must be currently employed or retained by a news organization and approved in advance by the NHC. Media passes for freelance journalists will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Account representatives, sales executives and book authors do not meet the criteria for media registration. Audio recording is permissible when approved by presenters and the NHC for note taking purposes only. Video recording is prohibited. The reproduction or transmission of recordings is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of the NHC. If you have any questions regarding our media policy, please contact Jennifer Schleman, Senior Vice President, Communications & Governance, at jschleman@nhcouncil.org

MEETINGS ACCESSIBILITY
If an attendee needs assistance for an activity or event, or any other special accommodations, the NHC is happy to provide to support your attendance needs. For additional information please email nhcmeetings@nhcouncil.org.

AI NOTE-TAKING SOFTWARE
The NHC recognizes the importance of privacy and works diligently to protect information shared during NHC meetings and events from loss, misuse, and/or unauthorized access or disclosure. Attendees must seek approval from the NHC before utilizing AI note-taking software during meetings or events by emailing nhcmeetings@nhcouncil.org. Attendance will be denied if approval has not been provided. For accessibility needs, please refer to our Meetings Accessibility policy. 

CODE OF CONDUCT
NHC events are intended for education, networking and collaboration amongst attendees. The NHC is committed to providing a safe, supportive, and respectful event experience regardless of a person’s race, color, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, age, religion, disability status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, physical appearance, or other characteristics. The NHC expects attendees to communicate professionally and constructively, not make disparaging remarks about other organizations or attendees, and uphold the professional and educational purposes of the event whether in person or virtually. We expect cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe environment for everybody.

Reporting Unacceptable Behavior. Unacceptable behavior will not be tolerated. If you experience or notice others experience any of the above unacceptable behavior or have any other concerns, please contact Susan Gaffney, Executive Vice President of Membership, Development, and Events, at sgaffney@nhcouncil.org.

Our Commitment. The NHC will investigate all incidents reported with discretion and confidentiality. The NHC reserves the right to bar any attendee who violates the Code of Conduct or these event policies, from attending future events.

For any questions regarding our event policies, please contact the NHC at nhcmeetings@nhcouncil.org.

NHC’s MEETINGS & EVENTS SITE SELECTION PROCESS
The NHC is a patient-focused organization that forges consensus among diverse organizations, drives patient-centered health policy, and functions as the united voice of over 160 million people living with chronic diseases and disabilities and their family caregivers. The NHC is proud to have a diverse group of public, private, and nonprofit entities that support the important work of putting patients at the center of health care policy, enabling us to create a collaborative environment and put forward consensus-based public policy solutions.

The NHC uses the following criteria when selecting a meeting site:

• Pattern of dates for the event schedule
• Venue type and size
• Budget and overall travel costs
• Proximity to major airports and availability of public transportation
• Weather considerations
• ADA accessibility and accommodations
• Walkability of the venue and surrounding area
• Available local resources and meeting support

The NHC is a nonpartisan organization. Site selection is not indicative of an endorsement of any local health care policies, social issues, or governing structures in any specific district, county, city, or state. The NHC is a patient-focused, mission-minded organization that represents the diverse sectors of the health community with the primary focus being people living with chronic diseases and disabilities across communities in the United States. 

As a broad and diverse community, NHC members and stakeholders will have varied opinions on many issues currently debated by national, state, and local politicians. The NHC is a champion of promoting civil discourse and creating a safe space for the respectful exchange of different perspectives, beliefs, and experiences that shape who we are as a community and an organization.

If you have any questions about our site selection process, please contact Susan Gaffney, NHC’s Executive Vice President.

AMENDMENT OF POLICIES, TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The NHC reserves the right to amend these policies, terms, and conditions from time to time. However, attendees will be subject to the policies, terms, and conditions in force at the time of submitted registration.