Medical Travel Today

THIS WEEK IN MEDICAL TRAVEL TODAY
Volume 3, Issue 10
by Amanda Haar, Editor

This week we're taking a look at everything from how to respond to the threat of swine flu to a new approach to medical travel in which the patient and physician both travel abroad to receive and administer care.

We've also got news of expanding care options from Malaysia to Poland, and details on conferences and gatherings taking place around the globe.

If you've got news to share or are interested in being featured in our DESTINATIONS section, please drop us a line.

How the travel and tourism industry should respond to swine flu threat
By Dr. Peter E. Tarlow

This piece first appeared on tourismandmore.com

The recent arrival of swine flu has once again proven the validity of Talcott Parson’s famous statement that “Society is an integrated system of social structures and functions.” Tourism professionals have once again had to deal with an issue that while outside of their industry may greatly impact their industry. The swine flu has added a new wrinkle in the world of tourism.

Already plagued by an economic downturn, difficult travel rules, and business travel cutbacks, the tourism industry must now face the threat of a possible global pandemic, if not now then possibly in the future. The classical statement that “perceptions are true in their consequences” could not be more accurate when it comes to tourism. We often forget that no one needs to travel, thus the traveling public can easily be frightened. The best antidote to false perceptions is to know the facts and to respond to these facts in a responsible and accurate way.

To add to tourism’s many woes, government officials and tourism industry representatives have not always been on the same page. For example, the traveling and vacationing public has received multiple mixed messages. On one hand tourism officials have told travel professionals and the traveling public that there is no need to panic or to overreact, and on the other hand, people such as U.S. Vice President Joe Biden have suggested that the public stay home or at least not use major forms of public transportation. These mixed messages have added to a sense of confusion and the public’s lack of trust. While it is too early to determine what the illness’ collateral damage vis-à-vis the tourism industry will be, nevertheless, there are already a great many lessons that tourism professionals can learn from this event.

Do not think in terms of a single cause. In other words, the world of travel is a lot more complex than any one factor. When people decide to travel or not to travel, remember that there are a number of factors that enter into their decision making. It’s easy to blame one single factor for a downturn in sales, but the reality is different. Tourism sales depend on a bouquet of factors that range from a traveler’s personal economic and sociological needs to a locale’s reputation, from the quality of your customer service to the level of security that a locale may provide.

Obtain and provide the most accurate information possible. While tourism professionals are not expected to be public health professionals, they should consult with their local medical professionals to provide the public with the most accurate information regarding their specific area. That means do not either exaggerate a medical emergency or down play it. Make sure that people know the information you are providing is good as of a specific date. Make your information prudent, accurate, and timely.

Be well aware that the media may use forms of hyperbole when reporting on illnesses. For example, in a recent CNN article online the following was written: “If there’s a blessing in the current swine flu epidemic, it’s how benign the illness seems to be outside the central disease cluster in Mexico. But history offers a dark warning to anyone ready to write off the 2009 H1N1 virus.” CNN’s message is that things will get worse not better. Of course there is no way of knowing how accurate these reports will become.

Remember that “History is not predictive science.” While historical data can be very helpful, it is essential to remember that no two historical situations are alike. We have learned a great deal from what worked and did not work in the past. In the case of pandemics, modern science has come a long way in finding solutions, and information can be transmitted from one place to another almost instantaneously. It’s dangerous to draw false historical comparisons. Think through what lessons history teaches us and what is different about the current situation.

Do not fall into the trap of believing that pandemics are one-time events. Pandemics often have a life of their own. A pandemic may burn out or may repeat itself. Vigilance is essential. When it appears that the pandemic has subsided, use lessons learned in order to prepare for the next crisis down the road. It’s essential that tourism offices and professionals think clearly about how they will be able to provide safe and secure travel not only in the present but also in the future.

Develop a “safe tourism board.” This board should meet regularly and chat about potential problems before they happen. Include people from all walks of life -- representatives of law enforcement, public administrators, medical service providers, and local hospital and media representatives need to work together.

Act rather than react. Make sure the health department carefully inspects restaurants, provides courses for tourism employees on the importance of frequently washing hands for both their safety and that of the traveling public’s, and emphasizes the importance of sick workers staying home. As many tourism employees fear losing a day’s pay, develop a system that allows sick employees to stay home without loss of pay while assuring employers that their workers are not taking advantage of the situation.

Use this current situation to review all medical and other risk management procedures. Make sure that your guests are well informed about available medical services, costs, and where services are located. All too often we forget that our guests may be unfamiliar with local medical facilities and practices. Assure visitors that you will be able to provide them with a list of doctors who are multi-lingual and provide health and safety information that is clear and precise. Do not focus so much on one factor -- such as the swine flu – to the extent that other problems are ignored. Expect a whole range of medical problems to occur, from dental problems to lost medicines. Think about other types of risks and make sure that you have a plan to deal with them. The least expensive way to manage crisis is, first, to avoid it and, second, to prepare for it.

In down markets, market! This is not the time to shy away from marketing, rather develop a clear and cohesive message and then market that message. Tourism and hospitality are all about caring, so use your marketing tools to show people how you care and what you are doing to provide them with a safe and secure travel experience.

Develop guarantees. In an interconnected world in which it is often difficult to cancel a trip, more people have come to see travel and tourism as a form of “gamble.” To encourage people to travel develop a marketing plan that indicates that your locale or tourism business will do everything possible, in cases of emergencies, to protect the traveling public from economic loss. These protection plans may include refunding of deposits, ending cancellation fees, permitting rescheduling, or developing a voucher system for travel at a later date.

About Dr. Peter E. Tarlow
Dr. Peter E. Tarlow is the president of T&M, a founder of the Texas chapter of TTRA, and a popular author and speaker on tourism. He can be reached via the email address tourism@bihs.net

Earlier this year Medical Surgery International (MSI) treated its first patient for prostate cancer. On the surface this may not sound like big news , but the premise and the logistics of how the case was managed are actually quite noteworthy.

Headed by Arnon Krongrad, M.D., MSI flew both the patient and surgical team to a selected facility in Trinidad for the procedure. Funded by the patient, this approach allowed the patient to receive the specific surgical procedure he needed from a well-respected surgeon in a facility pre-approved by the surgeon -- all at a cost the patient could afford.

"Recent years have seen the development of a 'medical tourism' trend in which patients travel to overseas medical centers for certain types of surgical procedures at low cost," states Dr. Krongrad. "However, we believe that this particular operation in Trinidad may represent the beginning of a new trend -- in which patient and surgeon agree to 'meet' at a mutually acceptable location for cost effective, high quality surgical procedures."

Medical Travel Today recently spoke to Dr. Krongrad to learn how this new approach evolved and about the advantages it offers patients, payers, and physicians.

Medical Travel Today (MTT): Tell me a bit about what inspired you to launch Mobile Surgery International?
Arnon Krongrad (AK): All my life I have been surrounded by healthcare. My father was a doctor and my mother was a nurse. One of my earliest memories is of going with my father on a house call to treat a man with chest pain. Later, while in med school, I worked in a clinic in Kenya. While I was there I saw dentists flying in to provide care. And really, that was just another kind of house call.

In part, the inspiration for Mobile Surgery International (MSI) stems from those memories and the spirit of the house call. MSI strives to provide that same level of service: the treatment choice the patient needs in the location that makes the most sense for the procedure being performed.

Of course the needs of patients today are different from when my father was practicing. It's no longer about just addressing a medical issue. Today the focus is largely on cost and quality.

By taking patients abroad for care and traveling with them, the patient has the assurance – and comfort – of getting a doctor they are familiar with and the knowledge that the doctor is operating in a facility that, without question, has the technology that's needed to perform the procedure. They know this because the surgeon has selected the facility, rather than the facility having been selected by a travel coordinator who may or may not know about the proper equipment for the given procedure. In that sense, Mobile Surgery International offers surgeon-driven health travel.

Let me also add that at The Krongrad Institute in Florida, we've been treating patients from abroad for the past 10 years. We see patients from Japan, Chile … really from all over. So the whole idea of medical travel was not new to us. What MSI brings to the equation is the idea of seeking out specific facilities or hospitals for specific procedures. Honestly, a doctor doesn't care if a facility is on a tropical island or on the moon. What they care about is that it has the right equipment and standards of care for the patient. That's where we put our focus. We're prepared to consider every permutation that will provide choice, quality, and cost containment.

MTT: How did you come to develop a working relationship with U.S. Risk Underwriters?
AK: When we were preparing to launch MSI we looked for insurance products that help limit risk. We looked at a number of products including health travel products. One product didn't strike us as credible and another was from a well-known company but it excluded cancer surgery. That presented a problem for the type of patients we treat. Then we found U.S. Risk Underwriters. They have a product that they sell directly to patients that covers their risks and cancer.

Obviously there's a wonderful synergy between what each of us provides. But let me be clear: we have no financial relationship with U.S. Risk Underwriters, Inc. There's no benefit to us if a patient chooses their policy. But, as with all products or services we think might be useful to our clients, we certainly tell them about it.

The truth is, when someone is dealing with a medical issue, especially one like cancer, they've got enough of a burden to deal with. So if we can recommend insurance coverage, accommodation, or other services that alleviate some of the burden, we do it.

MTT: How did you decide to choose Trinidad as a medical destination?
AK:We didn't select Trinidad. We selected an operating room. In medical travel there's this general notion that you select a location, but to a doctor the tourist attractions are immaterial. We select by specific equipment we need for the procedure. In this case we selected the high definition flat panel video monitor. We complemented it with such preferred and portable gizmos as a 24 French grooved urethral sound and a voice-controlled robot.

I spent and continue to spend a lot of time visiting hospitals. In the same way that the Joint Commission will visit a facility and look at infection rates and the cleanliness of the lobby, a surgeon visits a facility but looks at different things. In my visits I'm looking to see specific equipment. By introducing surgical subject authority into medical travel you introduce a different perspective on what's important. Again, if you want quality surgery, you don't care where it is. You care about who is performing it and in what operating setting. And to be honest, if you want to get serious about cost containment in healthcare, you need to involve surgeons -- not administrators -- in these choices.

While the hospital we selected has the right stuff, one of its most appealing aspects is that an anesthesiologist runs it. For a surgeon, having a conversation with people who have been to an operating room just makes the whole discussion very efficient and productive. You're both coming at the topic from the same vantage point, and it's extremely helpful in surgical program development. The people at our Trinidad facility understand the issues and needs and can address them precisely without adding on unnecessary items or expenses.

MTT: Are you operating in other locations or looking to do so?
AK: The short answer is yes. The long answer is that there are all kinds of considerations that have to be addressed before you can access the advantages of flexible surgery options. For example, there's the fact that people from Jamaica would in some cases prefer to go to Miami than to Trinidad for surgery. Some of what makes a location work or not work is personal and cultural preference.

MSI is certainly looking at other host facilities to address this issue and to help patients and regional payers better work with us. Our priority is a host hospital in a Latin country. We have recently gotten feelers from the Ukraine and from Israel. I’m not surprised. For the hospitals, here and abroad, Mobile Surgery International represents elimination of the learning curve, reduction in capital expenditure, and acceleration of time to market.

MTT: Thus far the procedures you've performed abroad have been related to prostate cancer. Do you intend to provide other types of procedures?
AK: Obviously prostate surgery is my area of personal practice expertise so that's been the initial focus. (Editor's Note: Dr. Krongrad pioneered the use of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in the United States.)

However, MSI is now in the process of developing a network of highly specialized surgeons. Among others, we're looking at adding surgeons with cardiac, colorectal, and orthopedic expertise, as quickly as possible.

The model works so well for prostate surgery that the idea of opening up to other areas isn't intimidating to me. It's also important to note that most Americans aren't going abroad for cancer surgery. Plastic surgery and orthopedics are still the biggest draws. But I believe that by bringing in specialists you alleviate the fear and notion that you can't get quality care abroad. It also works for the host hospitals, as they are now able to add an area of expertise to their roster that they didn't have before.

MTT: How has the recruiting effort been going? Are doctors interested?
AK: Yes, the doctors are interested. The doctors like being doctors. They like taking care of people and they like operating. And they get how this model makes sense. It's largely physician driven. Just as the doctors get it, the payers are starting to get it, too.

MTT: How has your decision to travel abroad to perform procedures affected your working relationships with hospitals here in the United States.?
AR: Mobile Surgery International aims to preserve choice and quality for the patient. In the case of this specific patient, the only way to preserve choice was to go to Trinidad. Why? Because he was uninsured, had little money, and he could not find an affordable choice at home. Given our aims, we went to Trinidad. However, in most cases we bring patients to the United States, including from Trinidad.

The model MSI is developing offers domestic hospitals and hospital chains the same benefits as it provided for the hospital in Trinidad: flattening of learning curves, reduction in cost, and acceleration of time to market. This means that our model can help many domestic hospitals get the same quality and choice with cost containment.

More specifically, MSI’s visibility has been very good for the domestic hospital at which we are headquartered. Why? Because it has resulted in new inquiries from domestic and foreign payers. For example, this morning we finalized agreements with an Israeli payer that wants to send new patients to us in Miami and an American third party administrator that wants access to our Aventura and Trinidad options. These payers approached us because of MSI’s special subject expertise and its emphasis on quality. They approached us now because our work in the field exposed them to what we do.

We have always brought in patients from abroad. Since setting up MSI, our American base has been referring patients from such new and varied sources as Ukraine, Curacao, and New Zealand. Why? Because patients and payers alike appreciate choice and quality. They seek it in Trinidad and they seek it in Miami. Using surgical subject expertise, MSI is developing an operational model and a culture of service that will enable them to receive choice and quality with cost containment whenever applicable.

About Arnon Krongrad, M.D.
Dr. Krongrad is the CEO and medical director of Mobile Surgery International, based in Aventura, Fla. He received his B.A. in chemistry from Columbia College and his M.D. from the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Columbia University. He trained in general surgery at the University of Hawaii and in urology at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. He then received the prestigious Dornier Scholarship of the American Foundation for Urologic Disease and did basic research at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

In the 1990s Dr. Krongrad was chief of urology at the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where he developed an interdisciplinary clinic for men with prostate cancer. His team published in some of the most prestigious medical journals.
In 1999, Dr. Krongrad co-authored Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy and established the Krongrad Institute as America’s pioneering program for laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

Dr. Krongrad is Board Certified in urology and belongs to a number of professional societies. Dr. Krongrad has worked with the World Health Organization and American Cancer Society. He is also author of “Behind the Mask,” a regular editorial series of the Miami Herald, chairman of the not-for-profit Prostate Cancer Mission, and a co-founder of a second not-for-profit – Prostate Cancer International.

The IMTA is Back on the Move
The International Medical Travel Association (IMTA) has seen a resurgence of interest in membership and in its initiatives around quality, liability, and continuity of care. New members include TravelSavers, an international travel marketing organization with more than 3,000 independent travel agencies in 14 countries around the world; Pacific Healthcare Holdings, an integrated healthcare provider based in Singapore; and Operations Worldwide.
A team of industry veterans, including David Boucher, Joseph Barcie, M.D., Sharon Kleefield, M.D., and Kevin Ryan -- have contributed pieces addressing the opportunities and challenges surrounding quality, liability, and continuity of care. The IMTA wants to be the industry’s thought and action leader on these key issues, and this is the first step toward that goal.

The IMTA will be holding this year’s first strategy meeting at the Healthcare Travel Conference in Singapore on Sunday, June 28 from 5:30 – 7:00 pm at the Fairmont Hotel. The meeting is for IMTA members only and will develop concrete action plans to address key issues facing the industry and the association.

Ori Karev, CEO of United Health International, and Melissa Tzourakis with Ingenix will kick off the Healthcare Travel Conference in Singapore. Engaging U.S. payers and creating bridges that help connect international payers and U.S. payers will be key topics addressed at the meeting in June, which is shaping up to be one of the industry’s best shows ever.
As always, the IMTA welcomes your participation and support.

Medical Travel Today Announces Approval of Its Trademark Design: “MEDICAL TRAVEL TODAY THE AUTHORITATIVE NEWSLETTER FOR MEDICAL TOURISM”

N.Y./N.J. Metro – May 2009 – Medical Travel Today (MTT; www.medicaltraveltoday.com), now in its second year serving worldwide business-to-business leaders in medical tourism, is pleased to announce that its trademark application for the mark MEDICAL TRAVEL TODAY THE AUTHORITATIVE NEWSLETTER FOR MEDICAL TOURISM and Design (the "Mark") has survived the opposition period without incident.

“As our publication continues to grow, achieving this significant goal takes us yet another step forward in our efforts to spot and analyze key industry trends that impact the global phenomenon of medical travel,” says MTT publisher Laura Carabello of CPR Communications.

Recently, MTT forecasted such trends as:

“It’s an exciting time for medical travel as the economy and the Obama administration continues to accelerate trends in this multibillion-dollar industry,” says Carabello. “MTT is there to provide to every stakeholder the news, information, and insight they need for navigating healthcare choices worldwide.”

Carabello urges patients to do their research, work with reputable medical travel coordinators, and speak with other patients who have traveled for medical care.

Following the widespread global receptivity to MTT, the publishers launched Your Medical Travel (www.yourmedicaltravel.com), a sister newsletter directed at consumers.

Subscriptions and sponsorship opportunities for both newsletters are available at www.medicaltraveltoday.com or pr@cpronline.com.

About Medical Travel Today and Your Medical Travel
Published by CPR Strategic Marketing Communications (CPR) www.cpronline.com, Medical Travel Today and Your Medical Travel are the leading online newsletters serving stakeholders in the medical tourism industry.

Mobile Surgery International Partners with OCA Hospital
to Develop First Latin American Center of Excellence with Global Convenience™

AVENTURA, FLORIDA and MONTERREY, MEXICO, May 12, 2009 – Mobile Surgery International (MSI) and OCA Hospital have reached agreement for the hospital to host MSI-coordinated surgical teams at its facilities in Monterrey, Mexico. This agreement expands MSI’s ability to offer patients surgical choice in high quality facilities close to the United States, and it increases OCA Hospital’s capabilities as a center of excellence for certain types of treatment. The agreement also gives MSI a base of operations at a non-US institution in a Spanish speaking country that is certified by Joint Commission International.

“We decided to conclude this agreement with OCA Hospital first and foremost because the hospital offers the surgical capabilities and facilities we wanted,” said Arnon Krongrad, MD, “However, we also liked its location in a Latin American country, its proximity to the US, and the bilingual capabilities of key personnel at the institution. These features add cultural and geographical convenience and quality for patients. We have also been able to collaborate with OCA Hospital’s administration to eliminate unnecessary overheads and other costs, which will bring our clients economic convenience.” Dr. Krongrad is Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director of Mobile Surgery International.

“Very few hospitals can have resident physicians capable of offering all necessary forms of medical and surgical care at the highest level of quality,” acknowledged Dan Levinson, Chief Executive Officer of OCA Hospital. “OCA is Mexico’s largest private hospital, and oncology is one of our priority areas of focus. This agreement with Mobile Surgery International has brought us immediate access to an advanced cancer surgical program: no learning curve and no time to market. We had certification by JCI; now we have endorsement by MSI!”

In March, 2009 Mobile Surgery International first demonstrated the ability of a mobile surgical model to simultaneously deliver choice, quality, and cost containment to patients. It sent an uninsured American and his American surgical team to Trinidad. In so doing, MSI delivered the treatment the patient chose and cut his cost by more than 50%. MSI’s Trinidad-based Center of Excellence with Global Convenience™ offers services to individual patients and commercial payers primarily from the English Caribbean and eastern United States. MSI’s Monterrey-based center at OCA Hospital offers services to individual patients and commercial payers primarily from Latin America and the central and western United States.

About Mobile Surgery International
Mobile Surgery International offers patients and payers from anywhere in the world surgical choice and quality with cost containment through its Centers of Excellence with Global Convenience™. To do this, MSI is cutting overhead, recruiting outstanding surgical talent, and identifying host surgical facilities. It provides differentiating surgical programs and develops custom solutions to administrative needs with minimal regard to geography. Whether the patient comes to the surgeon, the surgeon goes to the patient, or patient and surgeon meet at a mutually convenient location, MSI coordinates all necessary arrangements at a cost agreeable to the patient and/or the payer. MSI is an operational unit of the Krongrad Institute. For more information about Mobile Surgery International, see http://emeseye.com

About OCA Hospital
OCA Hospital is the largest and most up-to-date private hospital in Mexico. Based in Monterrey, about 200 miles west of Brownsville, Texas, OCA Hospital is an internationally recognized medical institution with more than 30 years of experience. In recent years it has made major investments in technology and infrastructure as well as in its medical and surgical capabilities. OCA Hospital is one of the few hospitals in the world that is certified according to ISO 9001-2000 standards. It has also won a Quality Award from Nuevo Leon state. OCA Hospital is certified by Joint Commission International.

CIGNA International Expands Network of Health Care Professionals in Malaysia

CLAYMONT, Del., May 04, 2009 - CIGNA (CI) International Expatriate Benefits (CIEB) has expanded its network in Malaysia to include 70 new doctors and hospitals, growing its already extensive network. CIEB offers access to a network of more than 90,000 global health care professionals, delivering unprecedented access to care worldwide.

The network in Malaysia is part of CIGNALinks®, CIEB’s specialized solution to health care coverage for expatriates living and working in countries where government regulations or tax implications may affect benefit and health care offerings. CIGNALinks® provides individuals with access to healthcare and the added benefit of cost savings through alliances with local insurers.

To further assist people, the Malaysian network offers a direct pay option, providing the convenience of cashless settlements of claims. Health care professionals are strategically located in areas with a high concentration of expatriates, such as the capital city, Kuala Lumpur, to further facilitate access to healthcare. Plans are currently underway to expand the network to at least 100 additional Malaysian clinics.

“As a carrier with one of the broadest international networks, CIEB’s ongoing strategy is to continuously expand the access to care and offer a growing selection of direct pay health care professionals, delivering value to the more than 300,000 individuals currently covered by CIEB,” says Sonny Patel, vice president of CIGNA's Global Health Solutions.

About CIGNA International Expatriate Benefits
For more than 30 years, CIEB has been the industry leader for providing benefits to global workers. As an organization dedicated to the needs of international employers and their globally mobile workforce, all of CIEB’s activities are motivated by the same objectives: enhancing the expatriate experience and keeping employees healthy and on assignment. CIEB believes all expatriate employees deserve access to quality healthcare no matter where they work in the world. CIEB offers a full line of expatriate coverage.

About CIGNA
CIGNA (NYSE:CI), a global health service company, is dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being, and security. CIGNA Corporation's operating subsidiaries provide an integrated suite of medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and vision care benefits, as well as group life, accident, and disability insurance, to approximately 47 million people throughout the United States and around the world. To learn more about CIGNA, visit www.cigna.com. To sign up for email alerts or an RSS feed of company news, log on to http://newsroom.cigna.com/section_display.cfm?section_id=18.

Affordable Medical Services: Global Opportunities

PlacidWay is announcing a new relationship with medical facilitators in Poland and expanding services and agreements with world-famous Angels Abroad, a Guatemalan-based medical service provider.

4/30/09 (Denver, CO) - PlacidWay, one of the fastest-growing medical tourism information and resource Websites on the Internet, is announcing a combination of efforts between medical providers from Poland and Guatemala to increase exposure of affordable medical treatments in foreign destinations. By partnering with such facilities as Medical Poland and Angels Abroad, PlacidWay continues to offer international travelers information and resources regarding accredited medical services, highly skilled medical personnel, and, most importantly, affordable medical care throughout Eastern Europe and Central America. Steadily increasing health care costs in the United States prevents many Americans from seeking necessary and often life-saving healthcare. Partnerships between PlacidWay and international medical providers such as that with Hugo Guzman, CEO of Angels Abroad, and Adrian Gularek of Medical Poland continue to offer choices and options for Americans looking for quality yet affordable healthcare.

Technologically advanced facilities are cropping up throughout Poland, especially in major cities. Physicians, staff, and facilities are accredited by reputable international medical accrediting organizations, and offer beneficial savings in treatment costs found for similar surgeries and procedures throughout Western Europe and the United States. Cities such as Bydgoszcz, Szczecin, Warsaw, Krakow, and Wroclaw have become popular destinations for medical travelers from around the globe seeking affordable medical treatments.

Medical Poland is a very specialized medical tourism facilitator to enter the European Union market. Offering complex surgeries in neurology, cardiology, orthopedics, cosmetic surgeries, and dental procedures, Medical Poland offers world-class and affordable medical tourism options. “Affordable medical treatment in Poland is founded on the principles of safety, professionalism, and patient satisfaction. Partnering with PlacidWay provides us with access to a global audience looking for such services,” says Adrian Gularek of Medical Poland.

Pramod Goel, founder and CEO of PlacidWay, adds, “Nurturing relationships with medical tourism facilitators like Medical Poland in Europe and Angels Abroad in Central America, PlacidWay continues to offer international medical travelers the best health care options. Both provide full-service medical tourism solutions with handpicked hospitals and doctors in respective countries that make affordable surgeries stress-free.”

Angels Abroad is one of the most well-known and active members of the Medical Tourism Association. Located in Guatemala, Angels Abroad provides services in the fields of spinal surgery, plastic surgery, obesity surgeries, orthopedics, ophthalmology, cardiac, fertility, and gynecological procedures. High standards of care, training, experience, and expertise await medical travelers to this little known but globally developing country in Central America.

“Partnership between PlacidWay and Angels Abroad will benefit our patients, as they will have readily available information about our surgeons and facilities. Our joint efforts are focused to instill confidence among our patients and ensure that they will receive high quality and affordable medical treatments in Guatemala. A lot of people just know about Guatemala's tourist attractions, but they don't know about our high quality hospitals and clinics and American-educated surgeons. They will know now,” says Hugo Guzman, CEO of Angels Abroad.

High standards of care, skill, and accreditations and certifications from the Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists continue to ensure the maintenance and development of high standards of patient care. Multiple facilities in the heart of Europe as well as Latin American destinations have sought and received Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditations and in many situations and locations have generated partnerships with American health insurance companies.

The benefits of affordable surgery and medical care abroad continues to entice consumers to choose foreign destinations for medical treatments to reduce wait times, costs, and enjoy the benefits of accredited and highly trained doctors and surgeon’s expertise in a wide range of medical fields. For more information visit www.placidway.com.

Looking for Tourists Who Need Doctors

The Niagara Falls Review: Come for the view, stay for the hip replacement.

Medical tourism, where people travel to a different country for elective surgeries, is becoming a multibillion dollar industry. Some say the corridor that includes Buffalo, Niagara, Hamilton, and Toronto has the goods to become the next hot destination.

"Medical tourism can revitalize a region," says Tom O'Hara, president of Surgical Trip, a U. S. tour planner for patients who want to travel to other destinations for their medical needs.
Click here to read the rest of the story.

NeoStem Makes Headway in Stem Cell Industry
SOURCE: Seekingalpha.com

NeoStem, Inc. (NBS) in-licensed worldwide rights to Primcel, a mesenchymal (bone marrow) stem cell product that, in early clinical studies, shows promise of accelerating the healing of chronic wounds. NeoStem has opened adult stem cell collection sites in the United States and has invested in regenerative medicine companies in China. When NeoStem received new capital from Asian investors in April 2009, the company declared its intention to enter the medical tourism business.

Primcel was developed by Vincent Falanga, M.D., chairman of Dermatology and Skin Surgery at Roger Williams Medical Center, Providence, R.I., and a past president of the Wound Healing Society. Primcel is expected to be a pre-packaged product, ready for physician use, consisting of three applications for a 12-week period.

Robin Smith, M.D., CEO of NeoStem, says the U.S. Department of Defense appropriated $800,000 last year for NeoStem to evaluate the use of adult stem cells to treat wounds. The net amount of the grant, which must be distributed to NeoStem by October 2010, will be $681,000.

In addition to accident victims, Primcel may also help the chronic wounds of diabetics, who face amputation from unhealed wounds.

NeoStem is also investigating another of its licensed technologies for wound healing. VSELs (very small embryonic-like stem cells) have exhibited several physical characteristics generally found in embryonic stem cells, and NeoStem is testing this technology as a wound-healing treatment as well.

Reducing Costs, Not Care: Medical Travel To New Zealand Can Help Alleviate Rising U.S. Healthcare Expenses for Insurers and Self-Funded Employers.

Medtral New Zealand Offers Complete Medical Travel Packages For North American Patients Seeking A Viable, Safe Alternative To Expensive Healthcare Treatment

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – May 1, 2009 -- With U.S. health costs expected to rise 5.5 percent and reach a staggering 2.5 trillion this year, health insurers, self-insured employers, groups, and individuals are more than ever seeking to reduce expenses without sacrificing viable care or access to services.

Part of the solution to controlling escalating health costs in the United States could lie with the growing trend of medical travel. By the end of last year, more than 750,000 Americans had traveled for medical treatment, and the global recession is expected to generate even more interest in the practice this year.

Medtral New Zealand (www.medtral.com) provides a complete medical travel package for North American patients -- including airfare, hospital stay, treatment, staff, accommodations, aftercare, and a contingency insurance policy to cover the small risk of an adverse event -- all at a fraction of what it would cost in the United States for the equivalent procedure. Medtral New Zealand offers top-notch medical care and world-class non-acute surgical treatment in an English speaking, first world country. The hospitals employed by Medtral are all internationally accredited and adhere to stringent quality standards equivalent to those in the United States.

“We are able to offer equivalent services at substantially lower costs than the United States because our overheads are much lower and the cost structures in our medical system are very different to those in the United States,” says Edward Watson, M.D., Medtral's executive chairman and founder.

Watson adds that they have been in discussions with large insurance companies that are seeking to reduce costs. In the past year, Medtral has signed partnership deals with Pinnacle Health, a Boston-area preferred provider organization providing healthcare services to self-funded employers, and California-based Global Medical Conexions, a leader in the self-funded group health field.

The potential financial savings medical travel offers large health insurers and self-insured health funds are enormous when considering the striking cost differences in health procedure costs between the United States and New Zealand. For example, a mitral heart valve replacement that can cost up to $140,000 if done in the United States, costs $24,500 in New Zealand. Other costs for common procedures Medtral provides include: hip replacement for $11,500 inclusive of high-quality implants (U.S. price: $75,000-$100,000), robotic prostatectomy for $20,000 (U.S. price: more than $100,000), a radical hysterectomy for $8,500 (U.S. price: $60,000), and coronary artery bypass for $22,500 (U.S. price: $125,000).

Even after adding airfares and accommodation costs to these procedure expenses, the total travel and treatment package costs provided by Medtral New Zealand often come out at around 30 to 40 percent of the equivalent procedure cost alone in the United States. Additionally, with the recent currency exchange rate for New Zealand, medical procedures cost 15 to 20 percent less than they did several months ago.

Our price includes everything -- not just the procedure,” says Watson. “Other medical travel organizations operating in a first-world environment would be hard pressed to match our overall package.”

New Zealand is certain to be a leader in medical travel destinations for Americans. This is hardly surprising with health costs expected to top $8,000 per person this year, according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The New York-based Commonwealth Fund has identified New Zealand as having one of the best healthcare systems in the world. Furthermore, Watson stresses that the environment New Zealand offers medical travelers is underscored by some intriguing facts in the areas of crime and safety. These include:

In the recent Global Peace Index, New Zealand finished among the most peaceful countries at No. 4. The U.S. is ranked 97. According to the Seventh United Nations Survey of Crime Trends, New Zealand has a murder rate among the lowest in the world, ranking the 10th lowest out of 62 countries. The U.S. ranks 24th.
New Zealand also has low rates for the superbugs MRSA and VRE as well as HIV. Its blood supply is considered among the safest in the world.

“New Zealand is sophisticated, diverse, and multicultural, but it is the friendliness, honesty, and openness of our people that will stay with you,” adds Watson. “We offer a clean, attractive, green, safe, peaceful, and politically stable environment that promotes healing and offers excellent tourism opportunities.”

Medtral New Zealand’s services include joint replacement, hip resurfacing, cardiac surgery, robotic prostatectomy, and more. Medtral was the first medical travel company to offer contingency insurance to cover the risk of major surgical complications.

About Medtral New Zealand

Medtral New Zealand is the leading provider of medical travel in New Zealand for North American patients, providing world-class, non-acute care and treatment in some of the country’s finest private hospitals. Headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, Medtral New Zealand (www.medtral.com) can be reached at 1866-206-3582, or info@medtral.com

First Ever Medical Tourism Patent on its Way

Dubai, UAE, April 15, 2009 (PressReleasePoint) -- “We did not invent medical tourism. We did not invent health insurance. But we did invent Offsurance - The technology that solemnizes the marriage of the two healthcare giants” - Reads the www.Offsurance.com website slogan. With the grant of April 14, 2009 as the priority date by the United States Patent Office (USPTO), Offsurance (Application No. 61169131) becomes the first and the only patent pending technology that integrates medical tourism with the mainstream health insurance industry.

Born out of the humongously high cost of healthcare in the United States, medical tourism has seen a phenomenal growth in the recent years, projected by experts to become a $100 billion industry by 2010. It is estimated that 17 million Americans will travel overseas for treatment by 2017. However, at the present time such overseas treatments are available only to the patients who are willing to travel, take risks and pay for the costs. On account of the unprecedented complexities involved in underwriting claims that are serviced by a non-affiliate foreign caregiver, medical tourism has remained outside the reach of America’s Trillion Dollar health insurance industry.

“There is a huge unmet need to bring down the costs that US employers are paying to provide health insurance cover to their employees. With an average annual per employee health insurance cost of $12,700, the US businesses are struggling to remain globally competitive. 50% of all bankruptcies and 1.5 million home foreclosures in the US are attributed to the catastrophically high medical costs.” Says Dr Fazal Raheman, CEO, MRI Limited, the company developing Offsurance. “The Offsurance technology platform was developed to meet that urgent need. It is a path breaking technology that can potentially reduce the US healthcare expense by over 50%.”

Dr. Kenneth Arrow, the Nobel Laureate in a recent article states, “the coverage, cost and quality problems of the US health care system are evident.” Offsurance scores high on all the three fronts. “There is absolutely no intellectual property precedence in this exponentially growing segment of healthcare. Because Offsurance is the first and the only pending patent, we target the grant of the patent within the next 6-9 months under the USPTO’s new accelerated examination program,” informs Dr Fazal. “With the speed with which we have developed the technology so far we are quite confident of achieving our targets not only of the timely grant of the US patent, but closing strategic alliance deals with corporate partners and investors, for the product launch.” Offsurance deploys a path breaking approach in resolving the unprecedented geographical, organizational and logistic complexities involved in integrating medical tourism with health insurance.

Potential investors and corporate partners can now review the Offsurance pending patent and other documents under a non-disclosure agreement by visiting the Offsurance website www.offsurance.com.

About Offsurance.com
Offsurance.com is a venture of MRI Limited, a British Corp. and MRI FZE, a Dubai, UAE, based technology development and consulting outfit with expertise widely ranging from inventing new therapeutics and disease management approaches to developing intangible life sciences and technology knowledge assets into commercially quantifiable intellectual properties. MRI conducts contract research for clients as well as in-house research for developing its own portfolio of intellectual properties.

UPCOMING EVENTS

International Medical Travel Association’s Contribution to “Healthcare Travel Congress” Provides Platform for Global Network and Robust Alliances

June 29-30, 2009, Fairmont Hotel, Singapore -- www.healthcaretravel-singapore.com

Washington, D.C./Singapore – April 15, 2009 – The International Medical Travel Association (IMTA; www.intlmta.org), a leading not-for-profit industry association for medical travel and healthcare globalization, has partnered with Informa Life Sciences in order to hold an opening strategy meeting for IMTA members as part of the “Healthcare Travel Congress” (www.healthcaretravel-singapore.com), June 29-30, 2009, Fairmont Hotel, Singapore. This event provides a global business platform for providers, medical travel professionals, and other stakeholders to network and establish new partnerships with key decision makers from around the world.

“This is a robust opportunity for all stakeholders to expand their networks, take a true leadership position in the globalization of healthcare, and drive credibility for the industry,” says Ruben Toral, president of IMTA and CEO of Mednet Asia Ltd. “By working together on a global basis, this association will be able to address key core issues – liability, continuity of care, and quality. We expect to impact worldwide medical travel and drive further adoption.”

The Congress features more than 30 speakers from leading hospitals, clinics, government, accreditation bodies, and healthcare facilitators, plus more than 10 leading healthcare travel case studies. Interactive panel discussions between key players in the healthcare travel value chain, dedicated streams on healthcare marketing and patient care, interactive workshops on legal liabilities and healthcare marketing, and a dedicated healthcare travel exhibition are designed to inform and entertain attendees.The Congress features more than 30 CEOs and industry luminaries, including:

Tan Ser Kiat, Group CEO, Singhealth, Singapore
Tyrone Goh, M.D., executive director, National Healthcare Group, Singapore
Brent Phillips, international administrator, Mayo Clinic, United States
Kamaljeet Singh Gill, chief marketing officer, Corporate Marketing (Global) Parkway Group Healthcare, Pte Ltd, Singapore
Ayesha Abdullah, M.D., CEO, Dubai Healthcare City, United Arab Emirates
Surapong Ambhanwong, M.D., chief medical and international business officer, Phyathai Hospitals Group, Thailand
Vishal Bali, CEO, Wockhardt Hospitals Group, India
Jorge Cortes, M.D., Rodriguez medical director, Hospital Clinica Biblica, Costa Rica
Anil Maini, president, Corporate Strategy, Apollo Hospitals Group, India
Josef Woodman, author, Patients Without Borders, United States
Jason Yap, M.D., director of Marketing, Raffles Medical Group, Singapore
Wu Ming Yen, CEO, Taiwan Task Force for Medical Travel, Taiwan
Nellie Yeo, consultant, Joint Commission International and chief quality officer, National Healthcare Group, Singapore
Claudia Mika, M.D., president, Telemedicine for the Mobile Society (TEMOS), Germany
Ming-Keng Toh, M.D., head of Medical Services, Asia Medical Protection Society, United Kingdom
Steve Green, M.D., director, Trent Acceditation, United Kingdom
Ruben Toral, president, International Medical Travel Association, Thailand, and founder, Mednet Asia
Zahid Hamid, managing director, Euromedical Tours, United Kingdom
John Linss, CEO, Medicaview International, United States
Wouter Hoeberechts, CEO, Worldmed Assist, United States
Philipe Barrault, M.D., group managing director, Asia International SOS, Singapore
Sanjiv Malik, secretary, Health Media Centre, India

The Congress will also feature:

Travel Day -- June 29, 2009: An introduction to healthcare travel designed specifically for travel agents, hotels, and medical spas Health Insurance Conference -- June 29-30, 2009 Consumer Healthcare Summit -- June 28, 2009
Healthcare Travel Exhibition -- June 28-30, 2009, featuring Patrick Marsek, managing director of Med Retreat (U.S.), and Kenneth Mays, director of marketing, Bumrungrad International (Thailand).

Additionally, the Congress will host the first 2009 International Medical Travel Association Strategy Meeting. Membership in the organization is required for attendance which can be arranged at www.intlmta.org.“With consumers, employers, health plans, and other payers looking beyond their own borders for better value, medical travel is a growth industry,” Toral adds. “Not only is medical travel a cost effective option, but in many cases it is also a better one, especially for the uninsured and the underinsured living in the United States.”

About the IMTA
The International Medical Travel Association is a global organization of stakeholders in the international medical travel industry, representing leading healthcare providers, medical travel facilitators and related industry service providers worldwide. 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.

Informa Life Sciences
The Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress in Singapore is part of a global series organized by Informa Life Sciences, the world’s leader in providing quality exhibitions, conferences and publications for the life science and healthcare industry. The Healthcare Travel Exhibition and Congress is recognized as the global business platform for medical travel professionals to network and establish new partnerships and is held annually in Asia and the Middle East.

Informa Life Sciences lead the market in providing quality, expert-led conferences; delivering the expert knowledge our clients need to excel in their professional roles and guaranteeing a competitive advantage for their organizations. Our diverse portfolio includes Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices and Diagnostics and internationally renowned events include Healthcare Travel, Arab Health, Hospital Build and Aesthetics Asia.

Costa Rican Medical Care Announces Health Care Seminar
"More than 100,000 medical tourists, most of them Americans, are expected to travel to Costa Rica over the next five years solely for the benefit of less expensive medical services," says the Costa Rican Ministry of Tourism. Lake Geneva, Wis. (PRWEB) March 15, 2009 -- Costa Rican Medical Care (CRMC), a division of HSA Clearing Corp, will be sponsoring a health care seminar in San Jose, Costa Rica, May 12 and 13, 2009.

Health care costs in the United States have exploded in the past few years, but the same procedures are very affordable in Costa Rica. Many people and/or employers who have to pay out of pocket don't realize they have other options that can keep them healthy and save money at the same time. Working with the finest private hospitals and physicians in Costa Rica, CRMC will help people save hundreds if not thousands of dollars on certain medical care procedures.

"The propose of this seminar is for insurance company executives, employee benefit mangers, health insurance agents, third-party administrators, and other interested parties to experience first-hand the hospitals and physicians and meet some of their staff. Once people see the quality of the healthcare Costa Rica has to offer, they will be comfortable working with us and recommending our services to their clients," says Tim Morales, president of HSA Clearing Corp. "The only way to bring down health care costs in this country is to show people what prices are elsewhere and let them compare."

A Costa Rican Ministry of Tourism representative adds, "More than 100,000 medical tourists, most of them Americans, are expected to travel to Costa Rica over the next five years solely for the benefit of less expensive medical services."

Seminar Price
Only $899.00 and includes:
Four nights at the Best Western Irazu Hotel and Casino. Check in Monday, May 11, 2009. Check out Friday, May 15, 2009. Breakfast included daily. Air fare not included.

First 50 people to sign up receive a $100 discount - pay only $799. Bring a spouse, friend, or co-worker to share your room for an additional $125 added to the four-night price.

Who Should Attend?
Employee Benefit Advisors
HR Managers
Insurance Executives
Health Agents
TPAs
HSA Providers
Self Insured Firms

For more information on attending this event, visit www.costaricanmedicalcare.com or call HSA Clearing Corp at 262-348-1300.

Patients Beyond Borders Author Josef Woodman to Deliver Plenary Session at CISTM 2009Chapel Hill, N.C. (PRWEB) March 23, 2009 -- Josef Woodman, president and CEO of Healthy Travel Media, has been selected to be a featured expert panelist at the 11th Conference of the International Society of Travel Medicine (CISTM). The conference, which historically attracts up to 2,000 delegates from 50 countries, will be held in Budapest, Hungary, May 24-28, 2009. Plenary sessions throughout the 4-day event will highlight issues of global healthcare and medical tourism, with noted speakers and industry leaders from around the world.

Woodman's plenary session, entitled "Globalized Healthcare and Medical Tourism: Definition, Scope, Impact, and Players" is slated for Monday, May 25, 9:00-10:30 a.m. Woodman will address new trends in medical tourism vis-à-vis globalized healthcare, including emergent issues related to insurers and employers, liability/malpractice, quality-assurance metrics, continuity of care, and telemedicine.

As the author of Patients Beyond Borders, Woodman spent more than three years touring 100 medical facilities in 14 countries, researching contemporary medical tourism. The co-founder of MyDailyHealth and Ventana Communications, with a pioneering background in health, wellness, and Web technology, Woodman has compiled a wealth of information about global health travel, telemedicine, and new developments in consumer and institutional medical care. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Global Healthcare Summit, and as program co-chairman of the Global Healthcare Congress 2009. He has lectured at Harvard Medical School and the UCLA School of Public Health. Woodman has emerged as an outspoken advocate of global consumer healthcare and medical travel.

About International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM)
Founded in 1991, the mission of the ISTM is the promotion of healthy and safe medical travel. The organization advocates and facilitates education, service, and research activities in the field of travel medicine. Its current roster of more than 2,300 members in 75 countries includes physicians, nurses, and other health professionals from academia, government, and the private sector. For more information about ISTM, please visit: http://www.istm.org.The society's 11th Annual Conference will bring together 2,000 members and special delegates to cover a range of topics from "Globalized Health Care and Medical Tourism" to "The Risks and Rewards of Travel Medicine" and "Aviation Emergencies in the Air." Additional information on the conference can be found at http://www.abstractserver.com/cistm11/welcome.htm.

Date Set for Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress: June 28-30, 2009

Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress 2008 is a groundbreaking platform bringing together macro level decision makers on healthcare policy with payees of medical travel, specialized medical suppliers, travel providers, medical facilities and representatives from major medical tourism destinations all under one roof making this exhibition and congress truly representative of the total international medical travel industry.

Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress 2008, under the guiding theme of “the Globalisation of Healthcare”, brings together the entire cluster involved in medical travel at one specific event that is dedicated to the development of this growing sector. Medical Travel professionals to interact on a variety of business platforms:

A world-class conference streaming across multiple sectorsExclusive networking opportunities made possible through innovative corporate match making
Global exhibition, showcasing all segments of this exciting industry

For more information please visit: http://healthcaretravel-singapore.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 Web site. 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 $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

The Malta Medical Tourism Summit
July 13-14, 2009 Hilton Hotel, St Julian’s, Malta

As part of our growing portfolio of strategic business events, The Europe Business Assembly is proud to present The Malta Medical Tourism Summit, which will be held at the Hilton Hotel, Malta on the 13th and 14th July 2009. Medical Tourism Worldwide medical tourism has grown over recent years beyond all expectations and is entering a new phase where key issues and questions are being raised not only by the travelling patients but also by government health ministries, public and private hospitals, facilitators, medical organizations, international corporations, and insurance companies all over the world.

A Forum for Learning and Debate At the Malta Medical Tourism Summit over 130 senior level delegates will listen to an international panel of expert speakers who will be sharing their thoughts and experiences on topics such as:

What are the structures and dynamics of the current medical tourism marketplace? How should medical tourism be marketed and what can be done to improve the image? Implementing cross border health care collaborations Who or what currently regulates medical tourism and what are the risks involved to patients, facilitators, and hospitals? Who bears the cost of malpractice or complications? The costs and processes of accreditation. How do accreditation companies differ?
What is the future for medical tourism in the current economic climate?

At the conference sessions and panel discussions, delegates are encouraged to participate in open debate and an exchange of ideas and viewpoints will be welcomed.

Networking and Collaboration The Summit will also provide an outstanding opportunity to network with representatives from within the industry including medical tourism facilitators and travel agencies, private and public hospitals, clinics, medical organizations and associations, tourism ministries and promotion boards, health and travel insurance providers, hotels and resorts with special health facilities, government health ministries, spas and aftercare facilities, and global corporations seeking advice on the implementation of company health schemes. The exhibition area will provide the networking and meeting point with all refreshment breaks and lunches taking place here.

What to do next View the conference agenda and our international panel of speakers For delegate registration or for more information please contact us directly on +44 (0) 1865 794 362 or by email at steve.hambrook@ebaoxford.co.uk

Further information can also be found on the Summit website.

We look forward to welcoming you to Malta!
Kindest regards,
Steve Hambrook

Conference Director
The Malta Medical Tourism Congress
Email address steve.hambrook@ebaoxford.co.uk
Tel +44 (0) 1865 794 362

Sponsors and Exhibitors A limited number of exhibition stands and sponsorship opportunities are still available. I will work with you to build a tailor-made package that gives maximum exposure and branding and suits your budget. Our packages can include exhibition stands, sponsorship and branding at the summit, private meetings with your choice of delegates, presentations on the conference agenda, and pre- and post-event marketing and branding through our Website and database.

Date Set for Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress in Dubai: October 27-29, 2009

With the healthcare travel industry poised to play an important part in Dubai's growth strategy, the Institute for International Research (IIR) Middle East, the organizers of the first medical tourism conference in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which concluded in Dubai, recently have reported high levels of interest from a potentially huge international market.

"Research unveiled at the event indicated a global market of around two million medical travelers a year and an industry constrained by hospital capacity and lack of consumer familiarity with medical travel," says Sietske Meerloo, marketing manager at IIR Middle East and organizer of Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress. IIR Middle East is also the organizer of the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress, the region's premier event for Middle East healthcare that takes place in Dubai 27-29, October, 2009.

“Large numbers of hospitals and clinics around the world are attempting to tailor their health services to cater to medical tourists," Meerloo added. "Several major insurance companies offer a travel component in their policies, and governments are looking closely at policies to take account of the trend."

The health care event was officially opened by Haidar Al Yousuf, M.D., transition director at the Dubai Health Authority, who highlighted the importance the Authority is placing on the future of medical tourism.

"As we look to develop our domestic health strategy, we also want to develop a joint strategy with our colleagues in the Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM), for the future of health tourism in Dubai," says Dr. Al Yousuf. "The health care sector in Dubai will become an increasingly attractive place for international health care investors, providers, services, facilities, and other health care professionals."

PlanetHospital, a California-based leader in medical tourism, used the event as a platform to announce the official opening of its Jeddah Saudi Arabia office to serve inbound and outbound medical tourists from the Arabian Gulf region.

"The Gulf has the potential to drive growth in medical tourism," says Mohammed Alarifi, managing director for the new operation. "It is not only a destination from where patients seek medical care abroad but is also becoming a medical tourism destination itself thanks to major hospital developments throughout the region."

The American Hospital Dubai also had high visibility at the event. There was "a lot of exchange of experience among colleagues from around the world," says Naser Saleh, director of marketing and sales. “On the conference side, the sessions were very informative."

Gary Miller, CEO of Health Travel TV, says the event had been important for them. "We have a unique product, and we’re the only broadcast media here dedicated to this area. I’m coming back to Arab Health in January."

Organized in association with the International Medical Travel Association, the Healthcare Travel Exhibition and Congress was supported by the UAE Ministry of Health and the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi. Platinum sponsors were Singapore Medicine. Gold sponsors were the American Hospital Dubai and Dubai Health Authority. For details about Arab Health events, please visit: www.arabhealthonline.com

SITUATIONS WANTED:

International Patient Development in your Country – Medical Tourism

With present economic down turn I would like to offer my skills and global experience to develop much needed healthcare business.
I am sure my experience in medical tourism will provide original strategy as I come from the other side of the world.

Now is the perfect time to participate in global healthcare which is the world's second largest industry.

I would like to know if I can bring my successful career to work for your organisation to develop international business.

For further information visit www.surgeryexpress.com or contact me at as@surgeryexpress.com

JOBS:

Director of Quality Improvement

As the Director of Quality Improvement, you will be responsible for the planning, developing and directing QI functions. Provide leadership, management and supervision of the QI Department operations and staff. Ensure quality of healthcare services rendered meets or exceed professionally recognized standards. Develop and implement measures and controls to achieve company's goals.

Requirements:
BSN/BS/BA Degree in Healthcare related field. Master's Degree in Healthcare a PLUS
QI experience – min. 5 years; Managed Healthcare – min. 5 years.
Knowledge of NCQA standards.
Medicaid experience – min. 2 years.
Management Experience – min. 5 years.
Knowledge of applicable state, federal and third party regulations with special emphasis on Medi-Cal Managed Care.
Excellent communication skills.
Proficiency with computer information systems and software.
Strong analytical and problem solving skills.

Salary is commensurate with experience.
Located in Jackson, MS, USA.

For consideration, please forward your CV w/salary requirements to vvanover@headwaycorp.com or apply at www.headwaycorp.com/jobs

EEO/AA/M/F/V/D

To submit your job posting or a description of your desired position to ahaar@cpronline.com. Please keep text to 100 words or less.