81ST Annual Meeting
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
September 12-15, 2024
The Pediatric Travel Club’s Philadelphia Chapter looks forward to welcoming you to our 81st annual meeting!
Deborah Consolini, Steven Docimo, Carl Gartner, Frank Maffei, Jeffrey Malatack, Kevin Strauss, and Renee Turchi
Accommodation at The Logan Philadelphia
One Logan Square Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 963-1500
Nightly Room Rate = $289
The Logan is a great hotel complete with a spa and salt-water pool and should make a terrific central spot for the meeting. Located on the Ben Franklin Parkway, The Logan is within walking distance of many world-class museums and places of interest. While you are at the Logan be sure to visit the Assembly, the Logan’s roof deck café, with a grand view of the Parkway from City Hall to the “Rocky steps” of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
We have reserved a limited number of rooms at a favorable rate of 70% of the walk-in price. If you would like to extend your stay, the hotel will honor PTC’s reduced rate through September 9-17, provided there is space available. Please note, The Logan is situated adjacent to the Philadelphia Archdiocesan Catholic Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, making it a popular hotel for wedding-goers in September. Please don’t delay booking your room.
Meeting Itinerary
FRIDAY
September 13, 2024
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The meeting events will begin Friday morning with a bus ride to Longwood Gardens. Carl and Kay Gartner, members of this incomparable arboretum, have arranged for a memorable visit. Carl will narrate on the bus-ride from Philadelphia to Kennett Square and fill everyone in on the story behind these remarkable gardens. Aside from being the most visited public garden in the nation, Longwood touts having been named in 2014 as having America’s Best Restrooms-that’s right restrooms (2014 Cintas award in an annual public restroom rating contest). The 4,200 square foot restroom and a 12-foot wall covered in 50,000 plants is worth properly timing your visit. The bathrooms contained within are also green using 63% less water per flush than standard toilets. The gardens, fountains and greenhouses overwhelm attempts at verbal description and need to be seen to be appreciated.
Lunch will be arranged at the Longwood Gardens restaurant before a return bus ride to the hotel.
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Welcome cocktails and light fare will be hosted next door to the Logan Hotel at the Victory Brewing Company. Frank Maffei is organizing this event and is hoping for a great September evening so we can enjoy the ambience and Benjamin Franklin Parkway view of this roof deck restaurant. The event will begin at 5:30PM and continue until 8:00PM or until one decides to leave for a dinner reservation (a listing of highly-rated Philadelphia restaurants will be sent to you to consider). The Victory Brewing Company is an acclaimed craft brewery that has its origins in southeastern Pennsylvania. Dr. Strauss relying on his extensive experience supporting the local greater Lancaster economy is a great source of information about all of the Victory’s iconic beers.
SATURDAY
September 14, 2024
Spousal Program:
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A short walk from the Logan Hotel is the Rodin Museum, which houses the largest collection of Rodin’s sculptures outside of the Rodin Museum in Paris. This museum has long been a gem in Philadelphia’s cultural collection and is a great compliment to a trip to the Barnes.
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The art displayed in the Barnes Foundation’s 12-year-old building is world renowned for its staggering collection of impressionist, post-impressionist, and modern art as well as an African art collection. A visitor needs to accept that a visit to the Barnes will be unlike most museum visits. Paintings are not starkly isolated upon white walls, but woven together in vignettes of artistic dialog, theme, form, and the conversation that seems to leap from their chance meeting. Dr. Barnes never intended his collection as a museum, but rather a school for invited art students. The collection was moved contentiously from Barnes’ Lower Merion home to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway after the foundation pledged to reproduce Barnes’ artistic arrangement of the artworks and other furniture within the new gallery to maintain the experience as Barnes intended.
Following the guided tour of the Barnes, lunch will be provided in one of the foundation’s private rooms.
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As the program winds down a walk back to the hotel will be by way of the Swan Fountain where one can take in this remarkable work that highlights the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Kit Malatack will provide information regarding this sculpture and the sculpturer, Andrew Calder.
Scientific Meeting:
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The scientific meeting will be a short bus ride into West Philadelphia and the campus of the University of Pennsylvania at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
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We will begin with a light breakfast after which the presentations of the early morning group will commence. After welcoming and orienting comments by Steve Docimo, he will pass the mic to Jeff Malatack who will begin the speaker introductions.
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Kevin Strauss, our very own, PTC-Philadelphia contingent member, will talk about genetics, medicine, and the Plain People.
Ed Behrens, the chief of Pediatric Rheumatology at CHOP, will talk about precision medicine in complex immune disease.
Paul Offit will teach us about lessons learned from the COVID pandemic.
Coffee break
Dan Doyle, chief of Pediatric Endocrinology at Nemours Children’s Hospital and a former Angelo DiGeorge fellow who will fittingly discuss what Dr. DiGeorge called his favorite subject, calcium.
A husband-and-wife tag team, the Seeleys, one an orthopedist and one a geneticist. The Seeleys will discuss orthogenomics and congenital hip dysplasia, a condition that has implications related to both of their specialties. This is the first time that the Geisinger Janet Weiss Children’s Hospital and the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine will have speakers at the PTC meeting.
Stephan Myers, the Chief of Bariatric Surgery at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children who will talk about Advances in Pediatric Bariatric Surgery.
Coffee break
Drew Weissman, the current Nobel Laureate in Medicine, will discuss the subject of his Nobel Laureate Prize, mRNA technology and therapeutics.
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We will have lunch following the morning speaker session then return to the Logan Hotel.
Evening Event:
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Across 19th street from the Logan Hotel is the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University which will be the site of the dinner and titular PTC meeting. Cocktails will begin at 6:00 PM and dinner will follow.
SUNDAY
September 15, 2024
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The Sunday getaway event will be a trip to Independence Park. A short bus ride will get us to this venerated site. There, we will be treated to a private tour of icons of America’s beginning.
The sites to be visited include the room where the Declaration of Independence was written and ratified, which is also the site of the hammered together, multiply compromised, US Constitution.
We will visit the room on the first floor (the lower chamber) that housed the original House of Representatives and, in the same building, on the second floor (the upper chamber), the room that was the original Senate Chamber.
In another nearby building we will visit the first Supreme Courtroom and finish the tour with a viewing of the Liberty Bell.
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We will have a farewell brunch at the Red Owl Tavern, a short walk from the Liberty Bell, before our bus ride back to the Logan Hotel.
What To Do While You are Visiting
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The Assembly
Logan Hotel’s rooftop bar offers a dramatic view of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway an a nice place for a cocktail on a beautiful September evening.
1840 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Rooftop of Logan Hotel -
The Franklin Institute
Science museum offering a stimulating experience, especially for families with children, featuring interactive exhibits such as a giant human heart where visitors can simulate the journey of a RBC moving through its chambers.
222 N 20th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
1 block from Logan Hotel -
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA)
Within walking distance of the Logan Hotel, lies the PAFA, housing the renowned "Gross Clinic" by Thomas Eakins, depicting Dr. Samuel Gross in a surgical operation, famously saved from sale through a community-supported effort, alongside other colonial-era masterpieces.
118-128 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102
5-6 blocks from Logan Hotel -
The National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center offers an inspiring amphitheater show, bronze statues of signers with remarkable accuracy, and a chance to listen to historic Supreme Court arguments, making it a must-visit landmark commemorating constitutional history, including significant speeches by figures like President Obama.
525 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
18 blocks from Logan Hotel -
The Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania
Located just two blocks past the PAFA, the Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania showcases Freemasonry's rich history, debunking its secretive reputation, and boasting treasures like Washington's Masonic apron and Benjamin Franklin's sash, offering a glimpse into the lives of its renowned members, easily accessible for exploration.
1 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
8-9 blocks from Logan Hotel -
The Eastern Penitentiary
The Eastern Penitentiary pioneered the concept of rehabilitation through single-occupancy cells, though later criticized as barbaric, featuring in literature like Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" and offering spooky tours during Halloween, with nearby trendy restaurants like Jack's Firehouse for sustenance.
2027 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19130
8-9 blocks from Logan Hotel -
The Philadelphia Museum of Art
Facing the Ben Franklin Parkway from the Logan Hotel, the iconic stairs of The Philadelphia Museum of Art, made famous by Rocky, beckon visitors, offering a vast collection spanning various eras and regions. While the Rocky Statue nearby attracts attention, the museum's extensive offerings make repeat visits worthwhile, a testament to its national significance.
2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19130
Across the street from Logan Hotel -
College of Physicians of Philadelphia and the Mutter Museum
Founded in 1787 by Benjamin Rush and other physicians, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and the Mutter Museum aims to advance health and medical heritage. The museum's unique collection offers insight into medical history and serves as a teaching resource.
19 S 22nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
6-7 blocks from Logan Hotel -
The Reading Terminal Market
Located 11 or 12 blocks from the Logan Hotel, the Reading Terminal Market, housed in the historic Reading Railroad headhouse, offers a vibrant mix of historical charm and contemporary delights, serving diverse fare since 1893 and providing a bustling atmosphere to experience the city's vibrance, including iconic Philly Cheesesteaks.
1136 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
11-12 blocks from Logan Hotel -
Curtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music defies rising education costs by providing free music education to talented students, boasting a highly competitive acceptance rate of around 5% and offering free weekly concerts showcasing tomorrow's musical talents, albeit requiring reservations.
1726 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
8 blocks from Logan Hotel -
The Free Library of Philadelphia
Directly opposite the Logan Hotel on the Ben Franklin Parkway lies The Free Library of Philadelphia, boasting rare book selections and guided tours showcasing remarkable first editions and artifacts like Edgar Allan Poe's notes and the stuffed bird that inspired "The Raven," best visited on Thursdays due to funding uncertainties.
7810 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19136
Across the street from Logan Hotel