David Boucher President, Global Companion Healthcare

It’s been a year since Medical Travel Today first interviewed David Boucher. At that time Boucher was assistant vice president for health care services at BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, helping to launch the organization’s first endeavor into medical travel, subsidiary Companion Global Healthcare. A year later, Boucher is president of Companion Global Healthcare and keeping very busy forging relationships and expanding the company’s offerings.

We recently caught up with Boucher to learn more about Companion Global Healthcare’s newest offerings.

NOTE: Boucher will be a keynote speaker at the upcoming Consumer Health World Conference taking place December 7-10, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA. Boucher will be speaking on U.S. Marketplace Opportunities, New Insurance Products, and will be part of a Payer and Innovators presentation on Technologies to Engage Consumers/Employees. For more information, click here. 

Medical Travel Today (MTT): How have your expectations for medical travel been met or changed in the past year?

David Boucher (DB): It’s really been incredible. We’ve seen a ton of changes in so many ways. From a network standpoint we continue to see expanding interest in medical travel. The popular media have continued to paint a fairly positive picture of the industry and its potential. And I think that coverage is truly warranted. I’ve traveled to many, many places, and from a quality and technological standpoint, I continue to see advancements and just be so impressed with what’s being offered abroad.

Three weeks ago I visited hospitals in Taiwan and China and was simply amazed at the level of care provided. You know, a year ago there were 80 to 85 JCI-accredited hospitals, and now there are about 200 accredited hospitals.

We’re also seeing more and more employer groups looking for ways to save money but always very clearly with an eye to finding competent, quality care for their employees.

In the past year, we’ve grown from one to 13 hospitals in our network and another five to six in queue, all JCI-accredited. We’re really close to maxing out the size of the network. We’re intentionally keeping the network small. There are so many choices out there for American consumers. It’s really difficult for members to choose. There are hundred and hundreds of hospitals and thousands of physicians. It’s hard to find patient satisfaction and clinical outcome information and even harder to understand it. Consumers have to do a lot of research and work to really understand what some of the metrics mean.

What we’re trying to focus on is making it easier for consumers by providing first-class options in a number of different destinations. The goal is to deliver superior service to members. And that’s easier to do with 15 to 20 hospitals than it is with 300. I have personal relationships with the CEOs or at least people at the C-level at each hospital. That’s really critical as feedback going both ways is essential to making it work. Again, I couldn’t do that with 300 hospitals. And, frankly, I don’t really see the value in having five or more options in one country. I think patients are better served by having a few top-quality choices.

This past year we also launched Companion Global Dental. We’ve contracted with three premier dental clinics in Costa Rica that I, personally, visited. Building the kind of infrastructure and network with the hospitals and clinics like we’ve done in the past year takes time. There’s a lot of contracting and legal issues to contend with. We’ve obviously learned a great deal completing these tasks in different cultures.

Other changes…a few months ago we launched a new Web site. The focus of the site is on transparency. We want to make it easy for individuals and employers to understand how this works. We list the procedures they can go for and offer cost comparisons, information on JCI accreditation, patient satisfaction, travel times, and so on.

Also, we added a voice-over application for the contact feature on the site. Consumers can plug in a headset and click on the button and literally connect with us from anywhere in the world. This is proving very popular. We launched it just two-plus months ago, and we’re already getting calls through it.

MTT: What’s the nature of the inquiries?

DB: First and foremost, we’re hearing from employer groups looking to offer services. We’re also hearing from patients looking for cost comparison or those that have made a decision to get a procedure done and are looking for help on getting it arranged.

Most of the procedural inquiries are about laparoscopic (LAP) band and gastric bypass. Perhaps another 10 percent are about cosmetic surgeries. But let me say we’re not really interested in that market. We do put them in touch with potential providers, but then we back away.

MTT: What other changes have taken place for you?

DB: From a business standpoint, we’ve grown. We now have about 15,000 members nationwide. We have direct contracts with self-insured companies in three states. And Companion Global Healthcare’s benefits and network are included in more than 280 employer groups within fully-insured products in 18 states. We just hired our first two sales people, so we are only now beginning to market ourselves. We’ll be starting more advertising and appearing a bit more at conferences.

The other big change for me is my responsibilities. When we last talked, Companion Global was only part of my focus. Now, a year later, I’m completely focused on it. I think that speaks to the success of the program. It’s just an incredible opportunity provided by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, and I’m blessed to work for such a great company.

MTT: What’s in the plans for Companion Global in the coming year?

DB: We’ll be involved in a product launch in late December to address what we see as a gap in medical insurance. I can’t go into great detail, but it will be low-cost with a varying level cap. It’s primarily intended to be purchased by employer groups, but the benefits are member-centric. We’re hearing concerns from employers. Things like “what if something goes wrong, what kind of benefit can I avail my employees to?” So we developed a product that offers capital payout in lieu of lost wages, home rehabilitation if indicated, modifications to the home if needed, medical evacuation, etc, etc.

Let me clarify one point: Companion Global will not be selling the product. An external company has been working with us on it in the past year. There will be more to say in early December at the International Medical Travel Association (IMTA) conference.

Another area we’re looking at is the whole continuing care process back here in the States. We’ve entered into an agreement with Doctors Care. They operate 39 physician-staffed urgent care centers in South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. They’re open seven days a week, and we’re looking to them primarily for aftercare consultations. This way, patients will have doctors they can follow up with. We recognize it’s only available in two states right now, but we needed to start somewhere. We are working on expanding this nationally.

MTT: To what countries are you currently sending patients?

DB: We’re currently operating in Thailand, Turkey, Ireland, Taiwan, India, Costa Rica, and Singapore. Plus, we’re talking to five other organizations in five different countries.

MTT: What treatments are people seeking most often?

DB: Orthopedics is an area of big interest, as are cardiac and general surgery. One of our members, Ben Schreiner, was actually quoted in the recent Wall Street Journal article. He’s a really good example of the type of patients we serve. He’s a BlueCross member with a $10,000 deductible. He was in need of a bilateral hernia that, if performed here in the States, would have cost about $13,000. He used his frequent flyer miles and went to Costa Rica and spent $3,900 for the entire experience. He easily saved himself at least $6,100.

That story was great exposure for the entire industry. The more we can do to help the John Q. Public who needs hernia surgery, hip replacement, or a shoulder repair, the better off we’ll all be. And that understanding is coming. It will just take time.

MTT: Which destination is seeing the most traffic and why?

DB: It’s really spread around. Ben’s story is a good example of how choices take place. He actually called us for information about medical travel. He said, “I know that BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina wouldn’t do this if it wasn’t legitimate.” He also mentioned he had friends in Dublin, Ireland, and was thinking about traveling there and taking care of the surgery.

We talked for quite a while about his plan, his coverage, and so on. I suggested he explore our Web site for more information and options. He did that and called back a few days later. He and his wife had decided to go to Costa Rica, get the surgery, and then do a little exploring afterward.

Now, while we try to avoid the “medical tourism” label, this particular individual made the most of the travel experience. However, we don’t like to position ourselves as travel agents. We really serve employer groups. That’s what we’re set up to do, but if a patient wants to do more, we can assist, as we did with Ben. He spent several days in a hotel near the hospital after his surgery. He was visited by his doctor and nurse every day. Once he was fit, he then went to the Pacific side of the country and stayed in a condo. He then went to the Atlantic side and relaxed there, as well. In all, he spent about three weeks in the country.

MTT: How have you seen employers’ feelings about medical travel change in the past year?

DB: They are definitely becoming more comfortable with it. The more they read about it in popular media, the more comfortable they get. The more coverage it gets in employee benefits magazines, the more positive it gets. Those same folks also read BusinessWeek, US News & World Report. That coverage is helping with acceptance.

MTT: You’ve been doing a lot of speaking engagements lately. What topics are most people interested in hearing about?

DB: Mostly it’s sort of describing the state of the state. People want to know what Companion’s doing and what’s going on industry-wide. There tend to be a lot of operators in the audience, and they ask us, “Where’ve you been lately? What have you seen? What kind of questions are employers asking?” We also get a lot of coverage questions. Personally, I learn a lot at the Q&A sessions at the end. That’s where you get to hear what other operators and employers are looking to learn.

About David Boucher
With more than 25 years of health care administration experience from the perspective of both the health plan and medical facility, David Boucher founded Companion Global Healthcare and currently leads the company. He began his career with BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina in 1981 before leaving the payer community to hold several executive positions within hospitals, including serving as CEO of three different facilities with Quorum Health Group.
 
He returned to BlueCross in 1999 to oversee commercial electronic data interchange (EDI) transactions, provider e-commerce initiatives, provider services, member complementary health programs, and medical management services. Under his leadership, the company launched several award-winning Internet services, including STATchat, a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service for provider service, real-time claims adjudication and Web precertification.

---

INDUSTRY NEWS

JCI Unveils International Essentials of Health Care Quality and Patient Safety
New program provides international community with global building blocks for better health care; Mexico to be first project demonstrator

Click here to access media file of the JCI’s announcement at the National Press Club.
Panelists:	Karen Timmons, president & CEO, Joint Commission International David Jaimovich, chief medical officer, Joint Commission International Sherry Kaufield, executive director, International Services, Joint Commission International Carlo Ramponi, managing director, European International Office, Joint Commission International
Audiographer:	National Press Club
Moderator:	Johnette McCrery, Hayes & Associates

(WASHINGTON, D.C., USA – October 15, 2008) Health care organizations, governmental agencies, and Ministries of Health around the world can now begin their journey to higher quality patient care with the International Essentials of Health Care Quality and Patient Safety™ (“Essentials”) from Joint Commission International (JCI). Essentials is a quality and safety improvement framework designed to help organizations focus on five risk areas that have the greatest impact on improving health care quality and patient safety. The Essentials criterion and rationale are posted on JCI’s website. JCI, the international arm of The Joint Commission, works with Ministries of Health around the globe to assess the quality and patient safety performance of their constituent hospitals, and accredits more than 200 hospitals worldwide.

JCI recognizes that health care organizations around the world are called upon to provide high quality, safe patient care despite limited financial and human resources. The Essentials framework was developed to help organizations focus on the safety risk areas that will have the highest impact on patient safety.

“The mission of JCI is to improve the quality and safety of healthcare globally, and by
offering the Essentials framework, we are now able to more efficiently assist health care organizations at every stage of their journey to higher quality care,” says Karen H. Timmons, president and CEO, JCI. “As part of the Essentials program launch, JCI is proud to have Mexico as the first country to demonstrate this product to other countries internationally.”

The JCI Essentials provide guidance by identifying the five risk areas on which organizations can focus their initial quality management and improvement efforts. These five areas, named “Essentials” from the extensive health care literature on quality and safety, include criteria for each risk area. These criteria were developed from JCI’s standards and experiences in helping organizations around the world begin the quality improvement journey.

The five risk areas are:

• Leadership Process and Accountability
• Competent and Capable Workforce
• Safe Environment for Staff and Patients
• Clinical Care of Patients
• Improving Quality and Safety

The Essentials are designed to provide clear and achievable risk reduction expectations. Levels of effort are identified for each criterion to provide a means for evaluating progress in reducing risk and improving quality. A complimentary copy of the Essentials program will be available to all health care organizations around the globe.

“Increasingly, JCI has been asked to provide assistance to organizations and countries that are focusing on the foundational elements of quality and safety, which may eventually serve as a step toward national or international accreditation. The Essentials methodology for improving quality and safety is an accumulation of the knowledge necessary to achieve the level of health care safety and quality that meets the needs of all stakeholders,” adds Timmons.

For detailed information about the JCI Essentials, contact Sherry Kaufield, M.A.,
F.A.C.H.E., executive director, International Services, JCI at skaufield@jcrinc.org or visit www.jointcommissioninternational.org.

To receive a copy of the Essentials Framework, click here.

Medical Travel Today Celebrates First Anniversary, Cites Key Industry Trends and Impact of Worldwide Financial Crisis on Medical Tourism

Marking its first year of publication serving 35,000 worldwide business-to-business leaders in medical tourism, Medical Travel Today (MTT; www.medicaltraveltoday.com), cites key industry trends that are impacting this fast-paced industry which, according to Deloitte, expects the number of Americans traveling abroad for treatment to soar from 750,000 last year to 6 million by 2010 and reach 10 million by 2012.

MTT forecasts include:

• Global economic downturn will actually fuel medical travel as individuals, employers, and health plans seek out the highest quality, cost-efficient venues for medical care.
• U.S. employers, third party administrators, and insurance companies are at a tipping point and will begin rolling out meaningful benefits programs for medical travel in 2009.
• A fall-out in the number of medical travel companies is bound to occur, although mergers and acquisitions will be fueled by venture capital organizations that recognize opportunities.
• Multiple insurance products will materialize to offer employers and individuals coverage options; captive insurance policies are on the horizon for addressing malpractice.
• Aesthetic surgeries and dental care will continue, but more patients will travel for serious surgeries and procedures including orthopedics and joint replacement, cardiac, in vitro fertilization, bariatrics, and procedures not available in the United States such as stem cell transplants.

A survey conducted by MTT showed that 13 percent of respondents were interested in cosmetic procedures abroad, especially dental (12.5 percent), cosmetic (12.5 percent), orthopedics (11.6 percent), neurosurgery (10.7 percent), and bariatrics (10.7 percent). Cosmetic procedures performed overseas by world-class doctors can save Americans thousands of dollars, with breast augmentation surgery costing $5,000 less in India and Thailand, and an average savings of more than $2,000 for rhinoplasty in India, Singapore, and Thailand.

"In a remarkably short time period, medical tourism has catapulted into a multibillion-dollar worldwide industry, accelerating the globalization of healthcare," says MTT publisher, Laura Carabello of CPR Communications. "For U.S. residents, the current economic crisis and potential loss of jobs or insurance coverage are likely to prompt more patients to seek less expensive healthcare options outside domestic borders."

She advises patients to do their research, work with reputable medical travel coordinators, and speak with other patients who have traveled for medical care. Destinations should offer hospitals that are accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI) or equivalent, demonstrate the highest quality care standards and safety records, offer a comfortable environment with English-speaking professionals, and assist with follow-up care.

Following the widespread global receptivity to MTT, the publishers launched Your Medical Travel (www.yourmedicaltravel.com), a sister newsletter directed at consumers that now reaches 1.7 million individuals, primarily in the United States. Subscriptions and sponsorship opportunities for both newsletters are available at www.medicaltraveltoday.com or pr@cpronline.com.

Companion Global Dental Expands Network to Include Adult Dentistry of Costa Rica

Columbia, S.C. – Clients of South Carolina-based dental travel company Companion Global Dental now have a third option in San Jose, Costa Rica, for obtaining dental care at a fraction of the U.S. cost.

Companion Global Dental (www.CompanionGlobalDental.com) has added Adult Dentistry of Costa Rica to its network of dental clinics. Led by Dr. Mario Garita, a specialist in implant dentistry, Adult Dentistry offers care in a state-of-the-art facility designed to provide a comfortable experience.

For more than 15 years, Adult Dentistry of Costa Rica (www.DentalImplantsCR.com) has served international patients with a variety of dental services, including bridges, crowns, veneers, implants, whitening, root canal therapy and more at prices generally 50 to 75 percent less than in the United States.

Companion Global Dental previously affiliated with Prisma Dental Clinic and Meza Dental Care, also located in San Jose, as the first clinics in its overseas network.  Companion Global Dental provides a single launch point for appointments, information, travel arrangements and round-trip customer service, and connects patients with tourism opportunities such as rainforests, volcanoes, beaches, waterfalls and more through Tropical Expeditions of Costa Rica.

“We will continue to expand our global offerings to meet consumer demand,” said Phil Midden, Companion Global Dental’s manager of business development. “Our goal is to help clients seek the services they want at competitive prices. I personally met with Dr. Garita and his staff, and they have extensive experience in serving American patients.”

“We are delighted to participate in the Companion Global Dental network,” Dr. Garita said. “Companion is working hard to help patients receive the important dental care they need.”

Companion Global Dental, a division of Companion Global Healthcare Inc., is headquartered in Columbia, S.C. The company serves individuals, as well as employers and insurance companies that have included the Companion Global Dental network in their benefit plans. All BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and BlueChoice® HealthPlan of South Carolina members have access to Companion Global Dental’s services.

Companion Global Healthcare is a separate company that does not offer BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina or BlueChoice HealthPlan products. Companion Global Healthcare is solely responsible.

BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina Inc., both headquartered in Columbia, S.C., are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

1855MedicalTourismMexico.Com Is Devoted To Bringing To Patients Reliable And Accredited Medical Facilities In Mexico

1855medicaltourismmexico.com has been launched to bring online the best options for medical care in Mexico, promoting affordable medical tourism. The Web site is a platform for patients, medical tourism organizers, hospitals, and Mexico-based medical care facilities.

“Those in need of medical care can choose from a range of options and make arrangements through medical tourism organizers based in the United States,” says a 1855medicaltourismmexico.com team member. “The medical facilities are located conveniently and provide healthcare of high standards at a fraction of the cost in the United States.”

1855medicaltourismmexico.com hosts articles and guides for educating medical tourism travelers and unbiased reviews of medical facilities in Mexico. The aim is to provide high standards in treatment at low costs making treatments affordable. Patients can choose from a range of facilities both English speaking and Spanish ones.

1855medicaltourismmexico.com has put in place partnerships with top-of-line hospitals like Hospital Angeles, Star Medica, Hospital Almater, and others that are accredited and have nursing staff and doctors that have U.S. experience and high qualifications.

People can browse the website to weigh their options and speak with the customer service people to clear any doubts/questions.

1855medicaltourismmexico.com provides comprehensive information on insurance, costs, travel, and more. 1855medicaltourismmexico.com has an advanced search engine that will provide at least three quotes for a range of treatments: dentistry, cosmetic treatments, surgery, non-surgical treatments, and more -- offering complete healthcare at affordable costs.

1855medicaltourismmexico.com aims to be the most preferred choice for medical tourism in Mexico.

For more information log on to: http://www.1855medicaltourismmexico.com

John C. Lincoln Signs Agreement with Vietnamese Hospital

Phoenix Business Journal – by Angela Gonzales

A delegation from Envita Asia Hospital Corp. signed a joint venture with John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital in Phoenix on Monday.

This was the first international agreement for either hospital.

The joint venture will provide the Vietnamese hospital’s most seriously ill and injured patients access to American health care expertise and technology. An estimated 60 percent of the population in Vietnam has no access to medical treatment.

Le Thanh Cat Van, chairman and president of Envita Asia Hospital, spoke with the Phoenix Business Journal through interpreter Dr. Tam Spat, a respiratory educator with John C. Lincoln (JCL) North Mountain Hospital. Le said he had been looking to partner with an American hospital for some time, and finally found a hospital receptive to the idea.

“They are willing to exchange medical education and expertise training with physicians in Vietnam,” Le said.

Envita will pay for the travel expenses involved.

Cathy Lindstrom, vice president of clinical and support services for JCL, said this joint venture fits with JCL’s community-service mission. The Valley hospital has received recognition for its food bank, clinic, and other community services.

Spat said JCL physicians will be able to train doctors in Vietnam to handle that country’s medical crisis. Ho Chi Minh City has about 3,800 physicians and 8 million residents.
In 2003, the Vietnamese government gave the nod to allow the private sector to offer medical services.

Le said medical insurance recently was introduced to the country, but he said it doesn’t pay very much and physicians are not really embracing the concept.

Le is building a 70-bed hospital he hopes to open in February with four physicians and 15 nurses. He is financing the construction, which he said will cost between $16 million and $20 million. His goal is to have 250 beds by 2011.

Meanwhile, patients from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia will travel to JCL to receive treatment and an undisclosed discount on their medical bills.

“The patients who come over here will pay for their care as any patient would pay for care,” Lindstrom said.

---

DESTINATION

Robin Elsham is busy preparing for a trip to East Asia. We look forward to his upcoming first-hand reports from Korea and Taiwan. In the meantime, you may access previous stories at the following links.

• Guatemala
• New Zealand
• Monterrey
• Panama
• Philippines
• Malaysia
• Changes in air travel certain to cause major changes in medical tourism industry
• Inflation's Threat to Medical Tourism
• Adopting a Global Perspective

---

MEDICAL SPOTLIGHT: LASIK

According to The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), more than 700,000 patients have LASIK surgery in the United States every year, with more than 16.3 million patients having had LASIK worldwide to date. Today, LASIK is the world’s most popular and most-studied medical procedure available. A worldwide average patient satisfaction rate of 95.4 percent clearly contributes to its popularity.

LASIK, an acronym for Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis, uses a computer-guided laser to reshape the surface of the cornea so that it correctly focuses light on the retina. LASIK corrects a range of vision issues including shortsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism. Recovery time is short, often with results noticeable a day after the surgery.

First published more than 10 years ago, LASIK surgery has improved through technological advances. There are a number of procedures, such as PRK, Wavefront LASIK, IntraLase, Epi Lasik, and PresbyLasik, which fall under the umbrella of LASIK surgery. The determination of which procedure is best for a patient is made by their doctor based on measurements of the eye, the specific vision challenge to be corrected, and other factors.

While patients may have several choices regarding the type of procedure they can have, they have even more choices when deciding where to have the procedure performed. As LASIK is generally considered an elective procedure, and thus not covered by insurance, pricing tends to be a major consideration for prospective patients.

Because LASIK surgery does not require a long recovery and rehabilitation period, many people are willing to travel abroad for lower prices (see price comparison chart below). In response to this outmigration of patients, some domestic surgery centers offer a variety of financing options to attract customers.

Average Costs of LASIK (per eye)
Country	In USD
USA / UK	$2,100
Mexico	$600
Turkey	$513

Source: visitandcare.com

According to Robin Elsham, the managing director of Patients With Passports Corp., "We find by far the most success in promoting Lasik as an add-on procedure.  Not as the primary objective of traveling abroad, but as treatment of additional interest to a client already traveling abroad for another procedure, or for a traveling companion.

"We also find interest among people who view medical tourism as a way to help defray the cost of a foreign vacation. Such people already plan to head abroad and want to have LASIK surgery while there.  For these people, there’s no travel-cost penalty with the foreign treatment option; they’ve already decided to pay to travel somewhere for other reasons. Copping a price discount on LASIK surgery while abroad simply helps defray the overall cost of the trip."

---

UPCOMING EVENTS

2008 Harvard Business School Health Industry Alumni Conference

The Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School

Thursday, November 6
Friday, November 7
Saturday, November 8

The HBS Health Industry Alumni Conference of the HBS Health Industry Alumni Association is open to all Harvard Business School alumni and spouses, current HBS students, and faculty. We have also extended registration on a first-come first-served basis to alumni and current students of Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government. The conference is not open to any other individuals.

The Saturday session features the following presentation:
Medical Tourism and Telemedicine: International Outsourcing: A Solution for Health Care Access and Cost Problems?

Medical travel is no longer for cosmetic surgery and spas. An estimated half-million Americans seek medical care each year abroad. This is a thriving $60 billion global business, with a growth rate of 20 percent according to Lancet. US insurers can save considerably by reimbursing much lower expenses for elective procedures overseas.

To learn more and to register for the conference, click here.

---

Developers Symposium on Cell Phone Use in Healthcare Planned for
November 2008

November 25-26, 2008
The Ambassador Hotel, New Delhi, India
The Center for Cell Phone Applications in Healthcare (C-PAHC), a division of Medical Records Institute, will hold a two-day symposium on phone applications in healthcare on November 25-26, 2008, at the Ambassador Hotel in New Delhi, India.

"Cell phone applications are the next big wave in healthcare," says C-PAHC executive director C. Peter Waegemann. "Hundreds of systems are already available and more are under development - this field is about to explode onto the international healthcare scene. This symposium will describe the range of applications and their hurdles and impact."

Programming will highlight the applications currently available for healthcare and discuss their potential to improve efficiency and quality of healthcare in the international marketplace. Discussion topics will include specific mobile phone applications for patients, doctors, and other healthcare professionals, and how to integrate already successful cell phone applications into existing health information technology (HIT) systems.

Hosted by C-PAHC (Center for Cell Phone Applications in Healthcare)
For more information visit www.C-PAHC.com

---

Consumer Health World 2008: Leading National/International Platform to Identify Post-Election Healthcare Solutions for Employers, Providers, & Health Plans

Arlington, VA - October 2008 Consumer Health World 2008 (www.consumerhealthworld.com) is the major post-election conference to evaluate the impact of a new presidential administration and set strategies for short and long-term healthcare solutions. The Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel sets the stage for healthcare change on December 7-10, 2008; in Arlington, Va. This is the not-to-be-missed networking and best return-on-your-investment opportunity of the year.
Employers, payers, providers, and the international hospital and healthcare community will tackle issues related to the current financial crisis and its implications for healthcare delivery, consumer access to care, and technological advances that promote convenience and cost savings for all stakeholders

Free media registration:  
http://cors.transmarx.com/Accounts/Register.aspx

Consumer Health World focuses on the three key areas that drive transformation in healthcare: enlightened consumerism, globalization, and innovative technologies. Conference programming is organized around three corresponding events, which are co-located with shared keynotes and expo floor booths: The National Conference on Health Care Consumerism, The Health Care Globalization Summit, The Health 3.0 Summit.

For Employers: Sessions will discuss how value-based health design and employee health must be viewed as an investment that companies make rather than an expense. By connecting innovative plan design and funding options with wellness and prevention strategies, employers can lower their health benefit costs while also improving productivity.

For Payers and Providers: The latest wave of healthcare industry innovation, dubbed "Health 3.0", has arrived. This track incorporates value-based design in healthcare delivery and insurance platforms, combined with social networking technologies and heightened consumer engagement, are providing real solution options for patients, payers, and providers.

For International Providers: U.S. employers and consumers are evaluating opportunities to lower healthcare costs at accredited medical facilities outside the United States that are offering affordable, high-quality healthcare alternatives for patients. This event will feature dedicated time for the international community to share educational sessions and networking opportunities with other key U.S. stakeholder groups, including employers, payers, and providers.
“Given our current economic crisis, now is the time for employers, investors, providers, and consumers to wrestle healthcare costs head on,” says Skip Brickley, CEO of Transmarx, the nation’s leader in coordinating premiere healthcare conferences. “Consumer Health World taps the leading thinkers in the industry who are providing much needed guidance in tackling today's most pressing issues. Attendees will come away with go-forward strategies and practical solutions that can be readily implemented in the workplace.”

Keynote Speakers and Headliners for Consumer Health World include: 
Karen Bell, M.D., MMS, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
Clement Bezold, Ph.D., Chairman, Institute for Alternative Futures.
Troy Brennan, M. D., Chief Medical Officer, Aetna.
Grad Conn, Senior Director of Product Marketing, Microsoft Health Solutions Group. 
Dave Hom, Co-Founder, Chairman, Center for Health Value Innovation. 
Khawar Mann, Partner, Apax Partners.
Mark McClellan, M.D., Director, Engelberg Center for Healthcare Reform.
William Novelli, Chief Executive Officer, AARP.
David Judge, M.D., Medical Director, Ambulatory Practice for the Future. 
M. Mitchell Latinik, Vice President, Global Business Development, The University of Texas M. D.  Anderson Cancer Center.
Sangita Reddy, Executive Director, Apollo Hospital. 
Reed V.  Tuckson, M. D., Executive Vice President, Chief of Medical Affairs, United Health Group.
Steve Tucker, M. D., President, International Medical Travel Association.
Jeff Gruen, M. D.,MBA, Chair Director, PRTM 
Joseph Woodman, Chair President, Healthy Travel Company.  Author, Patients Beyond Borders. 
Paul Keckley, PhD., Executive Director, Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. 

Brickley adds, “ We are the place where innovation is connecting with legacy systems and companies to redefine healthcare creating unparalleled opportunities for business executives and their respective companies.”

About Consumer Health World
Consumer Health World management is one of the country's premier conference and trade show producers with vertical industry expertise in advertising, marketing, healthcare, media, travel, financial services, entertainment and sports. Consumer Health World management currently produces the following “Consumer Health World” events: The National Conference On Health Care Consumerism (www.nchconsumerism.com), The Health 3.0 Summit (www.health30summit.com), and The Health Care Globalization Summit (www.hcglobalsummit.com).

---

International Medical Travel Association Americas Conference Focuses Upon Medical Travel Opportunities in the U.S.

December 7, 2008, Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel, Arlington, VA

Arlington, VA - October 23, 2008– TheInternational Medical Travel Association (IMTA; www.intlmta.org), a global organization that represents leading healthcare providers and medical travel facilitators around the world, will present “IMTA Americas Conference: Medical Travel Opportunities in the U.S.” on December 7, 2008, at Consumer Health World 2008 (www.consumerhealthworld.com).  This major post-election conference will evaluate the impact of a new presidential administration and set strategies for short and long-term healthcare solutions. 
“This event promises IMTA members a full day of high level networking with executives from leading U.S. employers, health plans, and administrators and providers,” says Steven Tucker, M.D., president of the IMTA and a leading U.S. board-certified medical oncologist. “The IMTA Americas Conferencewill be a day of special programming focused on developing the U.S. market for medical travel.”
The conference comes at a critical time in the nation’s economy and will provide an unprecedented opportunity for employers, investors, providers, and consumers to tackle healthcare issues head on.
“Consumer Health World taps the leading thinkers in the industry such as the senior executives from the members of the IMTA, who are providing much needed guidance in addressing today's most pressing issues,” says Skip Brickley, CEO of Transmarx, the nation’s leader in coordinating premiere healthcare conferences. “Attendees will come away with go-forward strategies and practical solutions that can be readily implemented in the workplace.”
IMTA’s conference offers special prices for IMTA members and speakers: $195 for members; $295 for non-members. Contact Willie Moreno (804.266.7422 x 7414 or willie@transmarx.com) for discount code. 
 
To Download the Americas Conference brochure click here
 
To Register online click here 
 
About IMTA
The International Medical Travel Association is a global organization of stakeholders in the international medical travel industry, representing leading health care providers, medical travel facilitators and related industry service providers around the world. IMTA supports the development of international industry standards and best practices that promote and advance medical quality, safety, and transparency for the international patient, and that preserve and protect the doctor-patient relationship. IMTA, www.intlmta.org, is a not-for-profit association funded by membership dues and programs.
About Consumer Health World
Consumer Health World management is one of the country's premier conference and trade show producers with vertical industry expertise in advertising, marketing, healthcare, media, travel, financial services, entertainment and sports. Consumer Health World management currently produces the following “Consumer Health World” events: The National Conference On Health Care Consumerism (www.nchconsumerism.com), The Health 3.0 Summit (www.health30summit.com), and The Health Care Globalization Summit (www.hcglobalsummit.com).

---

Asia’s Biggest Landmark Healthcare Congress – Global Health Conference (GHC) 2009—Announces Its Agenda

Disease management will directly impact the future models of care. But what shape and form these models will take is of question. Will we see more of specialized hospitals? If so, where will they be located? How will innovative ‘disruptive’ technologies help the future healthcare cities and hospitals cater to and deal directly with new disease management?

The future of healthcare delivery lies mostly in disease-based intervention programs. The healthcare cities and hospitals of the future will greatly benefit from a clearer understanding of how to effectively integrate disease management into future facilities and core competencies to be built.

Another contributing factor that will shape future care models is the growing number of highly valued patients globally – many of whom are crossing international borders in search of quality care and access. How should hospitals convert their centers of excellence to cater to this growing sector? How can they adequately build capacity and expertise to ensure they are able to meet new and growing demands?

Leaders in global healthcare will be tackling these issues head-on at Asia’s biggest landmark healthcare congress, Global Health Conference (GHC) 2009, which will feature two co-located events, “Healthcare Cities & Hospitals of the Future” and “Crossing International Borders” (February 23-26, 2009, Singapore).
For more information on the event, please visit www.magenta-global.com.sg/healthcare or kindly contact:

Attn: Ms Catherina Koh
Conference Director
Magenta Global Pte Ltd
DID: (65) 6391 2539
Email: catherina.koh@magenta-global.com.sg with subject code “GHC-MTT”

---

UAE Set to Attract Medical Tourism

DUBAI – The Ministry of Health in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is at the forefront of developing the necessary infrastructure to attract medical tourists. That’s according to Nasser Khalifa Al-Budoor, the assistant undersecretary for International Relations and Health Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Health.
“We have a department here establishing this,” he said. “We’ll be ready to start receiving patients coming here with their families, whether for plastic surgery, knee replacements, or cardiovascular. We have so many hospitals, with Johns Hopkins, Harvard, some of the biggest names in the world are here doing work.”
Al-Budoor acknowledged that in the past the Middle East would never have been considered a destination for medical tourists, but the situation for the UAE had changed completely.

“People would go to London for shopping with their families and receive a check-up or undergo a small operation. Now Dubai is ready for this,” he said. “We have so much to offer now, with certified hospitals from international agencies.”

Health tourism is a global phenomenon that is allegedly worth $50 billion annually depending on who you talk to. The actual size of the industry is up for discussion. This is but one of many issues in an area of medicine that is attracting a huge amount of attention.

These issues are set to be discussed at the Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress 2008 to be held at the Al BustanRotana Hotel in Dubai from November 2-4. SietskeMeerloo, marketing manager at Institute for International Research (IIR) Middle East, indicated that the event is expected to provoke some heated debate.

“There are so many issues relating to medical tourism, and because the area is developing so quickly it’s becoming essential that hospitals, insurers, and policy makers, to name a few, work together closely to streamline processes to cater to this market,” she said. “We’re expecting a great deal of debate at the event, and hopefully we’ll see some practical solutions adopted for many of these issues.”

Medical tourism is already proving to be highly competitive with developing nations offering cheap, quality healthcare. The Ministry of Health in the UAE believes it can find a niche in this market and has endorsed the Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress 2008 in which it’s participating.

“I’m really happy to see IIR [highlighting] medical tourism for the first time,” Al-Budoor said. “We have so many hospitals ready to receive patients from abroad.”

For further information please contact:

Peter Donnelly
Science Correspondent
Life Science Division
IIR Middle East
T: +971 4 407 2743
M: +971 50 429 7105
peter.donnelly@iirme.com

---

Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau to Sponsor the 2009 World Medical Health Tourism Conference in Phuket

Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is set to sponsor the World Medical Health Tourism Conference: A New Way Forward, which will be held in Phuket, Thailand, September 2009.

TCEB’s participation and sponsorship in this internationally diverse networking event will aim to promote Thailand on an international scale as a medical tourism destination and a preferred venue for international MICE events. The whole of Phuket Island is getting behind the conference, which will cater to more than 1,200 delegates. Local supporters range from local community groups, tourism operators, and many of the major hoteliers and resort owners, namely Woraburi Phuket Resort, Millennium Resort Patong, The Moevenpick Resort, Karon Beach Resort of Kata Group, Aquamarine Resort, Cape Panwa Hotel, and Andaman Seaview Hotel group.

Phuket, dubbed as the medical tourism hub in Asia, is the ideal location to hold the conference because of its infrastructure, capacity to host a massive number of international guests, and the availability of cutting-edge technology and internationally trained medical experts manning their world-class medical facilities. Sometime within the next month the floor plan or layout for exhibitors at the venue, Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa, will be published online, and application forms will be available for the exhibitors to download from the website.

Many pre-conference and post-conference activities had been planned for the conference, which early estimates expect to bring a windfall to Phuket of about U.S. $10 million over the two-week period.

Interested parties are advised to visit the conference website: www.sosmedicaltourism.com for more information.

Alternatively, for more information call + (66)76-289-800, to request a printable registration brochure by email sosmedical@sosmedicaltourism.com or sosmedical@ymail.com