2024 International Annual Patient Conference
New! TMA is excited to introduce optional field trips for those who would like to learn even more about myositis and Baltimore while attending our 2024 International Annual Patient Conference. Three exclusive pre-conference excursions will take place on Friday, September 6.
Accessibility Information
- Each excursion includes a tour component. This requires a degree of active participation (walking, wheeling, or similar). The Baltimore sightseeing tour is the least active excursion, as it’s primarily a driving tour.
- Each charter bus has a lift for boarding and can accommodate two passengers riding in their wheelchairs. Additional wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility devices can be stored in the baggage area of the bus.
- Unfortunately, due to weight and size, power scooters or motorized wheelchairs cannot be taken on the buses. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires transportation operators to offer bus lifts with a minimum design load of 600 pounds, and a platform that accommodates a wheelchair measuring 30 inches by 48 inches.
Registration Information
- Each excursion is limited to 40 attendees.
- Only attendees who have registered for the conference are able to register for excursions.
- Excursions may be canceled for a refund until Friday, August 30, 2024. After that day, there will be no refunds.
Excursions Information
Sightseeing in Baltimore
SOLD OUT!
Depart 10:00 am ET
Return 12:30 pm ET
Cost $30 (charter bus, snacks and swag)
Baltimore is richly diverse, and the very best of this American city will be on display during this excursion with a custom itinerary that shows notable neighborhoods, sites, and landmarks. A knowledgeable guide will accompany TMA on our charter bus as we learn about the Inner Harbor, Fells Point, Little Italy, Charles Street, Mt. Vernon, the original Washington Monument, the first Basilica in the country, Edgar Allan Poe’s grave, and the birthplace of Babe Ruth.
Most of the tour will be conducted from the bus, but we will include a stop at Ft. McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. Guests will have an opportunity to tour the Visitor Center and see the 10-minute film that outlines the story of the Battle of Baltimore and the Star-Spangled Banner.
Charter bus transportation and swag bag of Baltimore snacks and treats included.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD
SOLD OUT!
Depart 8:00 am ET
Return 3:30 pm ET
Cost $45 (charter bus, lunch)
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center, America’s research hospital, is located on the NIH campus in Bethesda. Through clinical research, clinician-investigators translate laboratory discoveries into better treatments, therapies and interventions to improve the nation’s health. This excursion is a special opportunity to learn about the Clinical Center and the NIH research philosophy, with a tour that includes rehab medicine, an outpatient clinic, and inpatient units.
Preeminent experts and guest speakers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) will join us for presentations. Topics under development include:
- Research at NIH: Discoveries and Current Studies
- Enrolling in a Research Study at NIH
- Occupational Therapy at NIH
- PT/Physiatry at NIH
- Biorepositories at NIH
- Innovations in Muscle Biopsies and Imaging
Charter bus transportation and boxed lunch included. Thank you to our hosts: TMA Medical Advisory Board member and NIEHS Deputy Head of the Environmental Autoimmunity Group Dr. Adam Schiffenbauer; and, NIEHS Head of the Environmental Autoimmunity Group and Senior Clinician Dr. Lisa Rider.
Johns Hopkins Myositis Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Sponsored by Abcuro and Nufactor
SOLD OUT!
Depart 9:00 am ET
Return 1:30 pm ET
Cost $45 (charter bus, lunch)
The world-renowned Johns Hopkins Myositis Center, a multidisciplinary clinic formally established in 2007, brings together a wide range of expertise. The program couples clinical and basic science research in the departments of Rheumatology and Neurology at the Johns Hopkins Bayview campus. This excursion is a rare opportunity to learn about the patient experience and clinical trials at Johns Hopkins.
Attendees will interact with the leading experts in physiatry, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. Scientists and clinicians from Johns Hopkins faculty will discuss the Myositis Center approach to patient care, timely myositis topics, and emerging therapies.
Charter bus transportation and light luncheon fare included. We are working on the logistics to welcome attendees in power chairs or motorized scooters who arrive in their personal vehicles. Registration will still be required, even for those who are providing their own transportation.
Thank you to our hosts: TMA Medical Advisory Board members Dr. Lisa Christopher-Stine, Professor of Medicine and Neurology and the Director and Co-Founder of the Johns Hopkins Myositis Center; and Dr. Julie Paik, Co-Director of the Myositis Center and an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology.