Robin Smith, M.D., M.B.A.

When the 2008 World Stem Cell Summit agenda was published in advance of its September conference, it included a topic never before formally discussed at the event: Medical Tourism and Stem Cells. The opening speaker on the panel was Dr. Robin Smith, chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of NeoStem, Inc. Medical Travel Today recently caught up with Smith to talk about her role at the conference and what she sees for the future of stem cell therapies and medical tourism.

Medical Travel Today (MTT): I understand you recently presented on the subject of medical travel at the World Stem Cell Summit. Can you tell specifically what you covered and, given this was a new topic to the audience, how it was received?

Robin Smith (RS): It was a very hot topic… standing-room-only. I actually served as the opening speaker on a panel discussing the topic of medical tourism in general. Several of the panel members chose to focus on quality measurement of stem cell therapies abroad: How do we know it’s really working? What are the objective measurements being used to evaluate the treatment? How do people know they will receive the same treatment as the person before them? And, how do we measure the real outcomes of such therapies to help people make an informed decision regarding their treatment options?

These are important topics as an estimated 750,000 Americans last year left the United States for healthcare abroad. While one of the major drivers was cost, many are going because they also have exhausted the treatment options in the United States. They’ve had the recommended surgery or drug regimen, and they’re still having symptoms or living with their debilitating condition.

People who have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's, spinal cord injuries, and end-stage cancers are going abroad for what they hope will be that magical cure. And they can do it because there are no pre-certification hassles, no in-network physician challenges, or denials due to drugs not being on the formulary. Whatever the reason, they’re going.

Before we send these folks abroad for stem cell therapies, we need to know that they’re going to get quality treatments. And, I think, the only way we’ll know that is to have exams before and after treatments so we can really assess and measure outcomes and improvements. We need to know if the treatments are effective. We need to know they will not harm people. We also need to make sure there is consistency and reliability in the protocols.

At the conference we heard from an individual in the audience about some really powerful changes in patients who have gone abroad for stem cell therapy. You can’t just go on anecdotal accounts. The process needs to be formalized. It’s clear that medical tourism is here to stay for many reasons. The more we can do to ensure patient safety and quality the better we can feel about the options available to patients.

MTT: Is there currently an accrediting body in the area of stem cell therapies?

RS: The Joint Commission International (JCI) is one regulatory body launched in 1997 after a growing demand for a resource to effectively evaluate quality and safety. They have already accredited 120 hospitals worldwide according to the Deloitte 2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers. Other credentialing bodies focused on ensuring that medical tourism facilities provide high quality clinical care include the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQUA), the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the European Society for Quality in Healthcare (ESQH). There’s also the International Society for Stem Cell Research. But as of now, there are no standards for treatment along the lines of what’s provided by the JCI for other types of medical care.

MTT: What’s the current trend for patients coming to the United States for treatments versus other locations?

RS: It’s interesting. It used to be that 40 percent of all people who went abroad for medical treatments used to come to the United States. That’s still the case for some, particularly those in Canada and Britain, who travel because of the wait times in their own countries.

In the stem cell arena, we have more than 2,100 clinical trials currently taking place in the United States. That number changes every week. But there are trials going on in the areas of cardiac, multiple sclerosis, lupus, spinal injuries, emphysema, and diabetes --to name a few. We’re really looking at how we can change the way we treat disease and other conditions using adult stem cell-based therapies.

Right now people feel comfortable with the care they’re getting in the United States, but we’re going to start to see some of them going abroad because they can’t wait for therapies to be approved here.

I do want to note, though, that there are currently a number of insurance products beginning to evolve and revolve around medical tourism options. Those could be very important to how and where people go for stem cell therapies.

MTT: I understand you see medical travel outside the United States as an opportunity. Can you tell me how you intend to add it to your future business strategy?

RS: Right now some of our clients want to get treatments that aren’t mainstream in the United States. Those clients are requesting to take their cells abroad, and get treatments that utilize autologous stem cells. This ensures their body won’t reject the cells, and the risk of contracting infectious disease is minimal. They are the property of the patient.

In any case, we confirm that the physician requesting them is licensed and that their use is a proper one. We don’t manage care, but we want to do things in the patient’s best interest.

Right now, any care provided in the United States must be done under an approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) at a hospital or, if the cells are expanded or manipulated, under the Food and Drug Administration’s Investigational New Drug (IND) process. That’s not true abroad.

We’re currently looking for strategic partners, possibly an acquisition, which could potentially be a vehicle for us to become more involved in medical tourism. We may also look to take our protocols abroad so people can get the entire procedure outside of the United States. With any work that we may become involved with abroad, we will undertake to ensure that stringent quality control standards are being met.

For the patient, it’s really all about making an informed decision which is a critical part of investigational drug development in the United States. It is important that individuals understand that this is not standard care, it’s investigational in nature. People need to become educated as to how this works, how many treatments have been conducted, what were the outcomes. It’s really critical that people be part of the decision-making process with healthcare. We assist patients in making sure that their expectations are realistic. We need to set them for the patient. From where I sit, this is a huge industry with lots of potential. We believe that enhanced therapeutics and advances will come in many different forms, and we’re looking forward to being a part of it.

About Robin L. Smith, M.D., M.B.A

Dr. Smith is chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of NeoStem, Inc. (AMEX:NBS), an adult stem cell collection processing and long-term storage company. She is also a managing director of the Madelin Fund. Prior to this position, Dr. Smith has acted as a senior advisor and investor to both private and publicly traded companies where she has played a significant role in restructuring and/or growing the companies. Additionally, she assisted multiple investment banks where she evaluated companies in healthcare, media, and emerging technologies. Dr. Smith also serves on the board of trustees of the New York University (NYU) Medical Center Board and is chairman of the board of directors for the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, where she heads up new development efforts and board member recruitment. She also served on the Chemotherapy Foundation Board of Trustees, The New York Theatre Ballet Board of Directors, the Choose Living Board of Directors, and the Talon Air Board of Directors.

Note: This material contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect management’s current expectations, as of the date of this press release, and involve certain risks and uncertainties. The company’s actual results, including any participation it may have in the medical tourism industry and the success of any such participation, could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Factors that could cause future results to materially differ from the recent results or those projected in forward-looking statements include the "Risk Factors" described in the NeoStem, Inc. periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company’s further development is highly dependent on future medical and research developments and market acceptance, which is outside its control.

---

PERSPECTIVES:

Crisis - The Tipping Point for Medical Tourism

Ruben Toral is a recognized leader in medical tourism and health care globalization. Formerly group marketing director for Bumrungrad International, Toral is widely recognized as one of the driving forces behind medical tourism and Bumrungrad’s position as the world’s premier medical tourism destination. Now owner and operator of a health care marketing company, Mednet Asia Ltd., Toral has extensive health care experience.

Toral shares his perspectives on the growing industry with Medical Travel Today on a monthly basis.

In 1996, I started a medical services business in Asia along with three other business partners. We had a unique product, sound financial backing and within eight months of startup we were operating in three markets and moving quickly into the fourth. We were on a roll in a region that was growing in excess of seven percent annually. And then, in the blink of an eye, the bottom fell out.

The devaluation of the Thai Baht in 1997 triggered a regional economic crisis that put our business and many, many others on the brink of collapse. One day the baht was a 25 to the dollar and the next it was 50. One day we were running into expansion, and the next day we were running away from recession.  I would have jumped out the window, but we occupied the first floor of the building.  When it rains it pours.

Another local business that was in the same financial headlock at that time was Bumrungrad Hospital. The hospital had just opened its brand new, state-of-the-art replacement facility at a cost of U.S. $90 million to meet the growing demand for private healthcare in Bangkok. One month after opening the new facility, the crisis hit and effectively doubled Bumrungrad’s debt and halved its patient volume and revenue. One day Bumrungrad was the star in the Bangkok private hospital market, the next day it was struggling for survival. As we say here in Bangkok – “same, same but different."

Devastating as it was in the short term, the 1997 Asian economic crisis was actually a catalyst for growth and expansion that led me and my business to Mexico and Panama, in search of new markets, and Bumrungrad to Vietnam, Cambodia and Bangladesh, in search of new patients. As fate would have it, I returned to Bangkok after two years in Latin America, not with my company (I sold it), but as the international marketing director for Bumrungrad Hospital. Like two shipwrecked survivors, we had both survived the storm and were stronger for it.

One could argue, and I certainly do, that the 1997 Asian crisis actually spawned medical tourism and made Bumrungrad the renowned medical center it is today. The hospital, under the leadership of Curtis Schroeder, was quick to rethink, restructure and reposition its way out of the crisis and in doing so established its leadership position in the newly emerging medical tourism industry. It was a classic judo move – redirecting an opposing force to establish a position of dominance and strength.

The 2008 global economic crisis will undoubtedly affect medical tourism as Joe the Plumber and others like him cut spending to all but the bare essentials. Joe may need a hip replacement, but he has neither the cash nor the credit to travel to India, Thailand or Singapore despite the cost savings. The U.S. consumer has gone into hiding and businesses that rely heavily on that market will need to rethink, restructure, and reposition in order to survive. That said, it would be a mistake to write off either medical tourism or the U.S. market.

To my mind, the crisis is creating a unique opportunity for companies, like Companion Global Healthcare, that are developing new medical off-shoring products for corporate clients desperate for more affordable healthcare options. U.S. Insurers have a new window of opportunity to develop plans and products that use a global provider network while business has a unique opportunity to introduce these new global plans and products to their employees. Crisis, it seems, has provided everyone with a convenient excuse to at least try medical off-shoring, and may be the catalyst that moves medical tourism from a B-C business to a B-B business.

Under Curt Schroeder’s tutelage, I learned the importance of innovation and strategy, particularly in times of crisis. There is a common tendency to toss these tools out the window in times of crisis in lieu of more ‘practical’ measures, like cutting costs, because it’s easy but usually comes at a cost measured in lost opportunity.

The Asian crisis changed my life and my career. It took me to new places, taught me new skills, and eventually put me at the center of an industry that I believe will change healthcare. At a recent conference in Malaysia, I told the audience that I feel poorer, more anxious, and less secure than ever before as a result of the current economic meltdown. They felt sorry for me…they didn’t know my story.

Ruben Toral
November 3, 2008
Bangkok, Thailand

---

INDUSTRY NEWS

Medical Tourism Causes Complications
By Christina L. Madden

Forty-five million Americans are currently uninsured and health expenditures in the United States are rising faster than wages and inflation. Despite spending more on healthcare than any other industrialized nation, in 2000 the United States ranked 37th in the World Health Organization's evaluation of health care systems around the globe. Reforming domestic healthcare has been a big issue in the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, yet a growing number of Americans and insurance providers are turning to international solutions.

Approximately 750,000 Americans traveled overseas for medical treatment in 2007, and the number of so-called medical tourists could increase to more than 15 million in 2017. In previous decades, the medical tourism industry was dominated by cosmetic and dental procedures. Today everything from knee replacements to major heart surgery can be obtained in developing countries where internationally accredited health centers provide high-quality treatment with lower costs and shorter waiting periods than in the United States.

A heart-valve replacement priced at $200,000 or more in an American hospital can cost $10,000 in India, according to the University of Delaware, including airfare and a post-operative vacation package. Average savings in Thailand are about 70 percent compared with the United States, and between 50 and 75 percent in Latin America.

Thailand's Bumrungrad Hospital treated 400,000 international patients in 2007, including 65,000 Americans. Thanks to an increase in foreign patients, the hospital's total revenue for 2008 is predicted to rise to $618 million.

Overall the effects of medical tourism are mixed. On the one hand, the industry can boost a developing country's gross domestic product and investment in health facilities. Upgrades in a country's hospitals also tend to decrease external brain drain, as top physicians find local jobs instead of leaving for employment in developed nations.

A study by the Confederation of Indian Industry predicts that by 2012 the medical tourism industry could add up to $2.3 billion to the country's annual gross domestic product. The head of India's Wockhardt hospitals, which cater to foreigners, reported two dozen Indian doctors returning from the United States and Britain to work in his facilities.

In many cases, however, medical tourism threatens to exacerbate unequal access to quality healthcare in developing countries. Although relatively cheap by most Western standards, the private hospitals that treat foreigners are out of reach for the majority of people, and the revenue they bring in rarely makes its way to the public sector. According to a 2006 report by the World Health Organization, less than 4 percent of India's total government spending in recent years has gone toward health.

External brain drain is often replaced by internal brain drain, as doctors leave public health care centers to work in private hospitals. Last year National Public Radio reported on a shortage of Thai doctors in the capital's public hospital because of the higher pay offered at Bumrungrad.

Some doctors, however, split their time between public and private facilities to balance serving the public sector with earning enough income to support their families. An editorial in The Nation, a Bangkok business newspaper, cites the promotion of medical tourism as a factor in the country's failure to meet its goal of providing one doctor per 1,800 citizens.

The situation in Cuba has been described as "medical apartheid." Top quality treatment that is available to foreigners and to the Cuban elite is off limits to most of the country's population who can't afford to pay for healthcare in dollars. Based on interviews with Cuban citizens, Canada's National Post reported that access to basic pharmaceuticals was severely limited, either priced in dollars or restricted to the black market.

Some countries are responding to this public health dilemma. Private hospitals in the Philippines have been asked to accommodate more local charity patients. India's Health Secretary Naresh Dayal has suggested that private hospitals should provide medical treatment to poor patients free of charge as revenues increase. Others have proposed that India tax the currently subsidized private hospitals to support public health initiatives.

So far, a set of best practices on balancing medical tourism with improvements in public health has yet to make its way into international agreements or hospital-accreditation processes.

Nonetheless, the major cost savings associated with medical tourism are attracting more patients and health insurance companies than ever before. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina now covers travel expenses from the United States to Thailand for patients who choose to be treated at Bumrungrad.

Legislation was introduced in West Virginia that would provide incentives to state employees who go abroad for medical treatment. According to Business Week, more and more insurers will be offering overseas options to their policyholders in the next five to ten years.

Medical tourism is not an alternative to significant reform of the U.S. health care industry. Aside from the negative effects on public health overseas—plus the environmental impact of long-distance air travel linked to the industry—medical tourism is not predicted to reduce the country's health spending by more than 1 to 2 percent. The overseas options will cost health care providers in the United States roughly $16 billion in 2008, according to the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions—a figure that may jump to $373 billion or more within a decade.

By introducing global competition to an industry that's long been considered immune to outsourcing, medical tourism may up the ante on reforming coverage, cost, and quality at home.

Source: Policy Innovations, Creative Common License

NeoStem, Inc. to Enter the Regenerative Medicine Market in Asia

NEW YORK, Nov 03, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- NeoStem, Inc., which is pioneering the pre-disease collection, processing, and long-term storage of adult stem cells for future medical need, announced today that it has agreed to acquire a Hong Kong corporation, whose wholly-owned subsidiary, Beijing HuaMeiTai Bio-technology Limited Liability Company, has a series of contracts with Shandong New Medicine Research Institute of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine LLC that establish control over Shandong's business, personnel, and finance as though it were a wholly-owned subsidiary.

Shandong New Medicine Research Institute currently administers a multitude of treatments and is a leading provider of regenerative medical therapies in China, which strategically fits into both NeoStem's existing business and intellectual property platform. Through the acquisition, NeoStem will align itself with Dr. Wang Taihua, founder of Shandong New Medicine Research Institute and a leading provider of regenerative therapies in China.

"We look forward to working with NeoStem in the support of both our efforts in providing new and innovative cell regenerative therapies and also bringing to China enhanced technologies of collection and cryopreservation of regenerative cells," said Dr. Wang Taihua. "We are also particularly excited at the prospect of collaborating with NeoStem to vet new technologies and bring VSEL (Very Small Embryoninc-like) technology to the large population base of China."

Robin Smith, M.D., CEO of NeoStem said, "NeoStem is very excited at the idea of bringing our expertise in cell extraction and preservation protocols, as well as advances in research and development and clinical trial know-how to roll out in China through Shandong New Medicine Research Institute, and believe the strong strategic fit of the two companies will result in an acceleration of the business model of both companies."

NeoStem also looks forward to assisting Dr. Wang in creating a destination site for individuals looking to receive care outside of their place of residency. The objectives of such individuals, according to The McKinsey Quarterly (May 2008), is to obtain advanced technologies, better medical care than they could find in their home country, quicker access to medically necessary procedures, lower costs for medically necessary procedures, and discretionary procedures. NeoStem believes it could benefit from medical tourism.

"We have already begun to see international interest," stated Dr. Smith, as reflected in the recent Deloitte 2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers, which indicates that medical tourism is set to explode in growth over the next 3 to 5 years for people going outside of the United States to seek medical care. According to Deloitte, whereas in 2007, 750,000 Americans traveled abroad for medical care, it is anticipated that by 2010 this number will grow to 6,000,000. Dr. Smith further commented, "NeoStem believes that individuals in increasing numbers will seek safe and effective regenerative medicine therapies abroad that are not yet approved in the United States, and many important clinical advances will be in hospitals and clinics outside the United States. We believe that we could gain value from this by including medical tourism in the company's future business strategy in collaboration with Dr Wang."

The consideration to be paid by NeoStem to effect the acquisition is 5,000,000 shares of common stock. This acquisition is subject to the approval of the shareholders of NeoStem, Inc., regulatory approvals, as well as the satisfaction of other customary conditions, and is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2009. The acquisition will be more fully described in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within four business days of the signing of the definitive agreement.

Star Hospitals Launches Sophisticated Medical Tourism Web Site

TORONTO, Oct 31, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Star Hospitals (www.starhospitals.net), a North American medical tourism service, is helping millions worldwide gain access to high quality, timely, and affordable medical treatment overseas with the launch of its new Web site: www.starhospitals.net.

The Web site goes a step beyond the company's present call center, which is operated by doctors, physician assistants, paramedics, physiotherapists, and other medical professionals by creating a password protected folder feature that ensures absolute privacy.

Star hospitals.net provides an instant resource for concise and up-to-the-minute information related to medical travel that allows patients the opportunity to engage in a "live chat" with facility doctors, who will answer questions about traveling overseas for healthcare.

Additionally, because Star Hospitals understands the importance of a companion while traveling for medical treatment, they have dedicated a page on their site to feature their extensive companion programs.

"This new Web site is designed to help people make informed decisions about every aspect of medical travel," says Kumar Jagadeesan, vice president of Star Hospitals.net. "With the current state of the economy, more people than ever are looking at medical travel as a high quality, cost-effective medical option that offers a wide choice of procedures without the wait."

Star Hospitals.net is utilizing their new Web site to announce that the majority of their hospitals are accredited or working toward accreditation by the Joint Commission International (JCI), the National Accreditation Board of Hospitals (NABH), the International Standards Organization (ISO), and/or other facilities in India, Singapore, and Thailand. A link is provided so users can easily view pertinent details and navigate to the coordinating hospitals' respective Web site.

"Our goal is to offer a quick and educational way for people to learn more about medical procedures and surgeries abroad, some of which could save users 60 to 80 percent of the cost of a similar procedure in their native country," Jagadeesan adds.

About Star Hospitals.net

Star Hospitals is a North American health care service offering affordable and timely treatment abroad through a network of hospitals throughout India, Singapore, and Thailand. For more information please visit www.starhospitals.net or call 1-888-STAR-012

---

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: Hip Replacement and Resurfacing

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the number of total hip replacements performed in the United States in 2005 reached more than 234,000 and accounted for $9.2 billion in total hospitalization charges. The Academy expects the number of procedures to increase by 101 percent, to 572,000 procedures, by 2030.

While everyone agrees that an aging population, an increased incidence of arthritis among the general population, and better diagnosis all contribute to a rise in the number of procedures, not all agree on the type of action required.

Some orthopedic surgeons are strong advocates of total hip replacement, or total hip arthroplasty (THA), while others believe that hip resurfacing offers a more effective alternative.

In a total hip replacement, an orthopedic surgeon removes the head and neck of the femur and replaces them with a metal implant. In a resurfacing procedure, the head of the femur is reshaped and covered with a metal and plastic implant.

Proponents of hip resurfacing cite the following advantages to the procedure:

• it is a less invasive surgery
• it requires a shorter hospital stay and recovery time
• it offers a better range of motion after surgery
• the implant last longer than THA implants

On the other side of the debate, THA proponents make the following points:

• it is no more invasive than resurfacing
• it offers a similar healing time
• it stands to benefit more of the patient population

Cost Comparison of Hip Replacement Surgery:
Source: TreatmentAbroad.net

Country	Price in US dollars
UK	$14,000
Bulgaria	$4,872
Cyprus	$11,974
Estonia	$8,283
France	$11,783
Germany	$10,500
India	$6,190
Lithuania	$5,691
Panama	$10,766
Poland	$5,236
Slovakia	$16,706
Thailand	$9,244
Tunisia	$5,075
Turkey	$7,175
Venezuela	$9,868

Cost Comparison of Hip Resurfacing Procedures:
Source: TreatmentAbroad.net

Country	Price in US dollars
UK	$15,750
France	$13,563
India	$7,000
Slovakia	$15,314
Thailand	$11,421
Tunisia	$6,125

Determining which procedure is best for a patient depends on several factors, although both will often give great results.

Age, bone density, known allergies to metal, weakened immune system, being overweight, and lifestyle are among the factors considered in determining which procedure is most appropriate.

However, the simple desire for a given procedure may not be enough. Not all insurance companies will cover both options. Lack of coverage is often a driving factor in why patients choose to travel abroad and pay out-of-pocket.

For those who do travel abroad for treatment, they should be prepared for a longer hospital stay than traditionally provided in the United States.

According to Wouter Hoeberechts, CEO, WorldMed Assist, "The length of stay abroad is much longer than what a similar patient would find in the United States. During their stay abroad, WorldMed Assist patients receive intensive physical therapy, making them well educated to continue physical therapy after their return to the United States." He adds, "Most patients do not require the supervision of a physical therapist once back home. We follow up with our patients long after they have come back and facilitate the follow-up care process."

Hip surgery is among the top five procedures that WorldMed Assist currently arranges. However, Hoeberechts expects that the number of people traveling abroad for procedures may change in the future.

"Hip resurfacing will eventually become mainstream in the United States. The many patients that we have helped get this surgery abroad are enthusiastic advocates of the procedure and will spread the word, resulting in a grass roots effort to apply this procedure more and more in the United States. The advantages are manyfold compared to total hip replacement: a more anatomically correct joint, which leads to increased range of motion; overall activity levels; and quality of life. Furthermore, much more bone is preserved, leading to a much greater chance of a successful secondary surgery much later in life should the patient outlive the orthopedic device. WorldMed is very happy to be part of bringing these advantages to the U.S. patient and provider."

---

UPCOMING EVENTS

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 the 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 health care 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 health care 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

---

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 health care cities and hospitals cater to and deal directly with new disease management?

The future of health care delivery lies mostly in disease-based intervention programs. The health care 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

Middle East Medical Travel Industry Set to Grow

Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress to focus on international industry expected to top $40 billion by 2010

From Argentina to Thailand, countries have benefited from the growth in travel for medical procedures and the business is set to expand in the Middle East, according to leading industry observers.

"As global health care choices expand, patients are traveling across the world to seek medical treatment," said Ayana Everett, conference producer of the first Healthcare Travel & Exhibition Congress taking place at Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, Dubai, from 2-4 November, 2008. "Internationally, health care travel is expected to become a $40 billion industry by 2010."

"Going abroad for elective or necessary procedures is taking off and countries such as Jordan and Lebanon are already benefiting,” Everett added. “With a population predominantly made up of expatriates, the United Arab Emirates has always been a major market for the medical travel business. Now the UAE has embarked on ambitious plans to make the emirates a major inbound destination for medical travel."

The UAE and other countries are hoping to emulate the success of places such as Singapore. In 2006, some 410,000 patients traveled to Singapore for healthcare, and from 2012 hopes to attract one million medical travelers annually.

Based entirely around private businesses, global medical travel is a fiercely competitive market, and substantial sums of money have been invested throughout the world. Health care travel is not only a matter of individual patients. Employers, insurance companies, and governments are integral parts of the equation as well.

"The global economic downturn is expected to impact medical travel, as with all industries," Everett added. "The challenge is for providers, brokers, and insurance companies to help customers on budgets to ensure they remain well-covered internationally at a competitive price. Providers who can manage that balancing act will have a competitive edge."

The Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress 2008 – under the theme of Globalization of Healthcare - is an international event bringing together policy decision-makers with payees of medical travel, specialized medical suppliers, travel providers, medical facilities, and representatives of major destinations under one roof. The Congress is made up of four distinct conferences – the Healthcare Travel Congress, Global Healthcare Marketing, International Healthcare Operations, and Financing and Insurance of Healthcare Travel.

Participating countries at the exhibition and congress include: Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Cyprus, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, India, France, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United States, Canada, Turkey, and Pakistan.

Organized by IIR Middle East in association with the International Medical Travel Association, the Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress is supported by the UAE Ministry of Health, the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi. Platinum sponsors include Singapore Medicine. Gold sponsors include the American Hospital Dubai and Dubai Health Authority.

For full details about the exhibition and congress conferences, please visit: www.healthcare-travel.com

For media inquiries, please contact:

Nathalie Visele
Director
Shamal Marketing Communications
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel.: +9715 04576525
E-mail: nathalie@theshamalgroup.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 meeting, incentive, convention, and exhibition ( 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 have 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