SPONSORED PARTICIPANTS

The Office on Women's Health will sponsor up to two representatives from each National Rural/ Frontier Women's Health Coordinating Center (RFCC), National Community Center of Excellence in Women's Health (CCOE), and National Center of Excellence in Women's Health (CoE).

Registration Information
Travel Information
Hotel Information

Registration Information for Sponsored Participants

Registration for this event is free and open to the public.

Online registration has been closed. Any invited sponsored participants planning to attend the conference who have not yet registered must contact Ursula Dees (ursulad@esi-dc.com) or Jennifer Pinder (jenniferp@esi-dc.com) immediately.

Travel Arrangements for Sponsored Participants

The Charting New Frontiers in Rural Women's Health Conference will be held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. Onsite registration and pre-registered participant check-in will be open from 4–7 p.m. on Monday, August 13, 2007. The formal program will start at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 14, and adjourn at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 15.

Air/Rail Travel

Designated Travel Agent
All Sponsored Participants are required to make their travel arrangements through the designated travel agency, Executive Services International Travel (ESIT). ESIT will coordinate your airline or rail reservations and tickets. Bridget Hanafin is the designated agent at ESIT for this event.

Please remember that this conference is sponsored and funded by a Federal Government agency; thus, ESIT is required to follow the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR).

Guidelines that ESIT is Required to Follow
ESIT is authorized to book your roundtrip travel from your designated origin to Washington, DC, and back ONLY. ESIT is not authorized to book travel itineraries that include special routing accommodations (e.g., a layover in another city for business or personal purposes, additional nights stay, or return flights to a city other than your home/departure city). If your travel needs require special routing accommodations, please contact Ursula Dees immediately at (240) 744-7021 or ursulad@esi-dc.com.

ESIT is also required by law to book you on the most economical, coach-class flight in order to comply with the FTR. Airline preferences to accommodate frequent-flyer benefits or airport preference cannot override price considerations.

Electronic tickets (e-tickets) will be issued to persons requiring air travel. Travelers will need to show a valid form of identification at the check-in counter. Participants traveling by train, and those for whom e-tickets are not an option, will receive paper tickets. ESIT will e-mail or fax you a copy of your itinerary after booking your ticket so that you will have it available for reference.

How to Make Your Travel Reservations

Click on the registration link above and follow the instructions provided for submitting your travel and accommodation requests as part of the online conference registration process.
Once ESI staff process your registration and approve your travel requests, your travel information will be forwarded to ESIT.
Based on your requests, the designated ESIT agent will develop a tentative itinerary that will be e-mailed to you.
Upon receiving the tentative itinerary, please contact the ESIT agent within 24 hours to confirm your itinerary, so that she can finalize your travel plans and issue your ticket. This is necessary for ESIT to obtain the most economical airfare.
The ESIT agent will send you a final itinerary via e-mail or fax after she issues an air e-ticket. If your itinerary requires rail or paper air tickets, the ESIT agent will e-mail you a final itinerary, and Ursula Dees, Conference Coordinator, will send your paper documents to you via overnight delivery.

Note: If you need to make any changes to your itinerary after your ticket has been processed, you will need to contact the airline or train directly. All additional costs incurred from changes will be at your own expense.

Airport Security Information
If you are planning to travel by air, remember that heightened security has been implemented at all airports. Please be prepared to furnish e-ticket itineraries and receipts, along with valid Government-issued photo identification, upon check-in. Travelers are advised to arrive at the airport 1-½–2 hours prior to their scheduled departure to ensure ample time to clear security. Also, please keep in mind that check-in procedures and policies vary according to each airport and airline. Upon arrival at the airport, we suggest that you ask airline personnel about specific check-in procedures.

Automobile Travel

If a Sponsored Participant elects to drive to the conference, mileage reimbursement cannot exceed roundtrip coach-class airfare or discounted rate air or rail fare. Mileage is reimbursable at 48.5 cents per mile for a person using his/her personal vehicle to travel to and from the conference location. Tolls for highways and bridges are reimbursable, and as with other expenses, receipts must be submitted in order to be considered for reimbursement. For specific driving directions, refer to the hotel information below or visit MapQuest.

Ground Transportation

Please be aware that you will need to arrange your own transportation from the airport or train station to the hotel. Ground transportation costs are reimbursable if they are documented with original receipts. The Washington, DC area offers a variety of ground transportation options. Below is a list of several options for traveling from any one of the three regional airports or Union Station to the hotel. All fares are one-way and per person unless otherwise specified.

SuperShuttle
Shuttle services are available to the hotel for approximately $12 from DCA, $25 from IAD, and $30 from BWI using the SuperShuttle service. To make shuttle reservations, call (1-800) BLUE-VAN or visit supershuttle.com. Please note that reservations must be made at least 12 hours in advance.

Taxi
Taxi stands are located at the baggage claim areas of all major airports and at the front entrance of Union Station. Approximate fares are: $20 from DCA, $55 from IAD, $65 from BWI, and $10 from Union Station.

Metro
The Omni Shoreham is easily accessible via the Washington Area Metrorail. The hotel is located on the Red Line at the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan stop. From DCA airport, take the Yellow Line in the direction of Mount Vernon Square/7th Street Convention Center or Fort Totten to Gallery Place/Chinatown. Change to the Red Line in the direction of Shady Grove or Grosvenor-Strathmore. Ride the Red Line to the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan stop. The hotel is located one-half block from the Metro. The approximate fare is $1.20–$1.90 per person. Click here to view the complete Metrorail System map.

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Hotel Information for General Participants

The Omni Shoreham Hotel is located at the following address:
    2500 Calvert Street, NW (at Connecticut Avenue)
    Washington, DC 20008
    Phone: (202) 234-0700
    Fax: (202) 265-7972

ESI will reserve a room for a Sponsored Participant requiring overnight accommodations at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Reservations will be made based on the information provided to ESI as part of the online conference registration process. Your hotel confirmation will be e-mailed to you before July 31, 2007.

Your room costs (room and tax ONLY) for the approved duration of your stay will be billed to ESI's master account. Sponsored Participants should note that incidental charges, including room service, telephone calls, movies, laundry, etc., are not reimbursable and are the responsibility of the individual guest. Upon check-in, you will be required to present a valid credit card to cover the cost of any incidental charges incurred during your stay.

Check-in time at the Omni Shoreham is 3 p.m. and checkout is 12 p.m. (noon). Should you arrive early, the hotel will make every attempt to accommodate your early check-in. However, if there are no rooms available upon your early arrival, your luggage will be stored until your room is available.

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Driving Directions to the Hotel

Directions from Baltimore and the North—Via I-95 South or 295

Take either Baltimore/Washington Parkway (295) or I-95 South to Exit I-495 West. Follow 495 West to Exit 33 South (Connecticut Avenue). Travel south for approximately 5.5 miles. Turn right onto Calvert Street. The hotel is one block up on the left.

Directions from the South—Via I-95 North and I-395 North

From I-95 North, merge onto I-395 North via Exit 170A. Take I-395 North across the 14th Street Bridge. Merge onto US-1 North via the exit on the left. Stay straight to go onto 14th Street. Follow 14th Street to R Street. Turn left onto R Street. Turn right onto Connecticut Avenue. Cross the Taft Bridge. Turn left onto Calvert Street. The hotel is one block up on left.

Directions from the West—Via Routes 66 and 50 East

Go over Roosevelt Bridge to Constitution Avenue. Turn left onto 18th Street. Turn left onto Connecticut Avenue. Cross the Taft Bridge. Turn left onto Calvert Street. The hotel is one block up on left.

Directions from Annapolis, MD—Via Route 50 West

Take Route 50 West to New York Avenue. Bear right on Massachusetts Avenue. Go around Dupont Circle, pass P Street, New Hampshire Avenue, and 19th Street. Turn right onto Connecticut Avenue northbound after Starbucks. Cross the Taft Bridge. Turn left onto Calvert Street. The hotel is one block up on left.

Should you require more detailed driving directions, please visit MapQuest.

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