Medical Travel Today

THIS WEEK IN MEDICAL TRAVEL TODAY
Volume 3, Issue 12
by Amanda Haar, Editor

From the "Father of Health Savings Accounts" to CNN, medical travel is a priority topic.

Read the perspectives of John Goodman, National Center for Policy Analysis, and his thoughts on how to solve a number of U.S. health policy problems. We've also included links to a thought-leader piece on risk management related to medical travel—authored by David Boucher of Companion Global Healthcare on behalf of the International Medical Travel Association (www.intlmta.org) and an op-ed piece from this week’s The New York Times. Plus, we've got a whole host of other noteworthy stories covering everything from podcasts, the CyberKnife®, stem cells, and more.

Editor's Note: Steve McAdams, M.D., CEO of SenditCertified™, a secure communication system for sending, receiving, and storing sensitive information worldwide, was poised to debut his company's offerings at the 2009 Latin America Medical Tourism and Health Tourism Congress this past April. Even though the conference was cancelled due to concerns related to the swine flu, the company has gained the attention of the medical travel community.

Simply put, SenditCertified offers an ultra secure means to send sensitive information anywhere in the world. Using secure gateway cryptology, TDES (triple data encryption standard) and its patent-pending biometric authentication “on the cloud” technology, SenditCertified enables patients, physicians, facilitators, and insurance professionals to send text, images (including MRIs), audio, and video without the fear of hackers or other security compromises. The system is simple and secure.

Medical Travel Today recently spoke with Dr. McAdams about the system and its applications for the medical travel industry.

Medical Travel Today (MTT): I'm sure it was a disappointment not to present at the April conference. Do you have plans to present elsewhere?

Dr. Steve McAdams (SM): Yes, we'll be attending the World Medical Tourism Global Congress in October. We'll be participating in a panel on the use of technology in healthcare as well as hosting a booth. We're very excited about the opportunity.

MTT: Even in the absence of the conference, your name has been hitting the wires pretty hard. What has the response or interest level been so far and have you secured any business relationships with medical travel organizations?

SM: We first dipped our toe in the medical travel pool just a few months ago and immediately received a number of notable inquiries. We're still in discussions with many of the “first movers”, but what we've discovered is that the sales cycle for medical travel versus, say, a domestic medical practice, is considerably longer and more labor intensive.

The difference is that medical practices have been working at and looking for ways to improve patient-physician communications for literally years. And even though patients have been asking for more e-mail-type communications, physicians and institutions were reluctant to use it due to the security issues involved in that type of transmission.
The truth of the matter is that you can track a traditional e-mail from one address to another. One e-mail can go through 17 other servers before it reaches the recipient. Several of those servers are usually 'store and forward' servers where your e-mail is copied and stored before moving on. Those types of servers are prime targets for hackers. You can understand their hesitancy.

SenditCertified uses a secure technology that has never been compromised. We use the same security used for banking transactions.

For example, when you log on to pay a bill through your bank or PayPal you use a secure communications link called an https. There are different levels of encryption for https.
Our technology uses the highest level of encryption called an SGC, or “secure gateway cryptology.”

So when I send you an e-package, which can include text, up to a 20-minute voice message, and images including x-rays or even an 850MB MRI, it's all triple encrypted before it even reaches the secure vault.

Another important point is that our server is located in a server farm called The Planet in Dallas, Texas. The Planet is a SAS 70 rated secure facility. There's simply no higher level of security available.

Then we add to that the requirement of authentication for receipt. The recipient must either enter the appropriate password or use the fingerprint recognition technology to receive the e-package. To the best of our knowledge no other communication system currently employs biometric authentication over the Internet for e-mail.

This means the physician, patient, medical travel facilitator, and receiving point of care institution can all feel completely confident that the files or data they're exchanging are secure.

MTT: Does all that encryption and other security measures slow down the transmission?

SM: No. It's the same as receiving an e-mail in terms of speed. What's different is that I'll receive an alert on my cell phone or computer that tells me I have a package waiting. I then need to access it using the password or fingerprint technology I mentioned in order to authenticate who I am in order to receive it.

Another added advantage of SenditCertified is the proof of delivery component of the system. Associated with every transmission, there's a proof of transmission or global chain of custody. There's a record of who sent what, when they sent it, when it was received, and by whom. That log is kept indefinitely.

That type of track-ability is critical in healthcare as well as in legal, financial services, and government and private security applications.

MTT: Do you feel there are certain countries or markets more in need of your service than others?

SM: Honestly, I think all markets are equally well-served by what we have to offer, but some markets, by virtue of a history of participating in medical travel or the size of the market, would be better served. For example, because of the large number of individuals traveling from Great Britain to other countries to receive medical care, SenditCertified will continue to target medical facilitators there. Mexico is another “hot bed” of medical travel activity due to the proximity to the United States and the number of U.S. hospitals currently building facilities in the country. We’re also keeping a close eye on Singapore. They have a very sophisticated health system. The state system provides 85 percent of care and surgery for the country. That represents a tremendous volume of records that need to be moved around. Doing it securely and in a timely manner is clearly important. We provide a component of interoperability between existing information technology solutions.

We're currently working to finalize an agreement with a large dental clinic in Europe. They perform 7,000 dental procedures a month at facilities in 13 different countries around the world. They do a lot of record sharing and our technology is perfect for their needs.

MTT: So how would a medical travel facilitator, and for that matter, a prospective patient use SenditCertified?

SM: A medical travel facilitator would set up a SenditCertified link or portal on their Website. This gives a prospective patient instant access to a means to securely send their medical records to the facilitator. The facilitator can then forward the records to potential doctors or facilities. Or, the patient can open an account and receive medical records and images from multiple providers, and forward them to their treatment destination of choice. And again, that's all 100 percent secure.

The doctor and patient can then communicate directly with each other via the secure platform. SenditCertified offers a simple, streamlined communication channel for medical professionals to assess the level of care, provide after-care instructions, and send hospital records to the referring physician abroad.

Another added benefit: we very favorably compare price-wise with traditional forms of express mail delivery. We have contracts with different terms and volume discounts depending on the number of users and degrees of requested product branding and customization.

MTT: Which sector of the industry do you anticipate adopting the technology first?

SM: I think it will cascade from facilitators to institutions and, at some point it will include the insurance companies. Direct patient sign up will also quickly increase as we begin to market our services directly to consumers. Any records to verify procedures, ajudicate claims, or make payment can be done securely with SenditCertified. Right now a lot of that's done through e-faxes that go to computers. As we talked about before, that's not secure. It's merely e-mail by another name.

But again, I think facilitators will be the earliest adopters. The technology allows them to provide their prospective clients with a level of assurance that's above and beyond what other technologies offer. I believe it will be critical to their success, while simultaneously offering the travel facilitator a market “differentiator” in their space.

Dr. McAdams is the CEO of both SenditCertified, and a large cardiology practice in the southeast. He is board certified in both internal medicine and pulmonary disease. He can be contacted at steve.mcadams@senditcertified.com or by phone at 704-541-9238.

"I have glimpsed the future of U.S. health care and I am pleasantly surprised."

So begins the June 1 issue of John Goodman's Health Policy Blog. But what at first seems like a pro-domestic healthcare opinion from the “Father of Health Savings Accounts" takes a sharp detour south to espouse the virtues of healthcare delivered in Guatemala. Click the link above to read the entire piece.

CNN.com ran a story at the beginning of the month entitled U.S Patients Try Stem Cell Therapies Abroad. The story chronicles one family's decision to take their child to China for stem cell therapy not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The story also explores the conflicting opinions on the value and validity of stem cell therapies from the perspective of physicians, hospitals, and several associations. To view the story click here.

President of International Medical Travel Association featured in Modern Healthcare

Ruben Toral, president of the International Medical Travel Association and consultant to international hospitals, U.S. Insurers and government agencies, was featured in the May 25 issue of Modern Healthcare. Toral’s piece, Quality, liability, aftercare, addressed the specific reasons more employers and payers have not adopted medical travel as a solution to lower healthcare costs.

To view the piece, click here. Registration required.

Entrepreneur Magazine Selects Satori World Medical Among 100 Brilliant Companies to Watch in 2009

Satori World Medical, a global healthcare company specializing in the emerging multi-million dollar medical tourism industry, announced that it was selected by Entrepreneur Magazine, as one of 100 Brilliant Companies to Watch in 2009 and as the leading company on this prestigious list within the health care category. As a result, Satori World Medical and its President & CEO Steven Lash were prominently featured on the cover story of Entrepreneur’s June issue.

“I am extremely honored that Satori World Medical has been selected by Entrepreneur Magazine among its 100 Brilliant Companies to Watch in 2009,” said Lash. “The vetting process required for our selection demonstrates that Satori World Medical has created a business model that is poised for tremendous growth and profitability over the next several years, despite today’s challenging economic climate.”

Stated Amy Cosper, VP/Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, in a recent press release issued by the publication about its selection of 100 Brilliant Companies to Watch, "Even amid the toughest economic challenges, entrepreneurs have prevailed with their unstoppable determination, brilliance and timing.”

About Entrepreneur Media Inc.
Entrepreneur Media Inc. is the premier content provider for and about entrepreneurs. Its products engage and inspire every day with the advice, solutions and resources that fuel the bold and independent way entrepreneurs think.

After 32 years, nobody reaches more growing businesses. As the original magazine for the small and midsize business community, Entrepreneur Magazine continues to be the definitive guide to all the diverse challenges of business ownership. Entrepreneur.com is the most widely used Web site by entrepreneurs and emerging businesses worldwide. Entrepreneur Press publishes the books that turn entrepreneurial skills into business success. To learn more, visit www.entrepreneur.com.

About Satori World Medical
Satori World Medical is the world's first global healthcare network and service company specifically designed to deliver high quality healthcare services, share the tremendous cost savings with plan sponsors and their employees and coordinate all medical and travel services for individuals who need care. For more information about Satori World Medical, please call +1 (619) 704-2000 or visit the company's Web site at http://www.satoriworldmedical.com.

Wockhardt Hospitals denies stake sell news

Wockhardt Hospitals Ltd. has announced that media reports of its founders selling their stake to Fortis Healthcare Ltd. are baseless and not supported by facts.

Fortis Healthcare has also clarified that at this stage, it has not entered into any definitive agreement for acquisition of Wockhardt Hospitals. As such, the news report appearing on a financial portal is speculative in nature. "As a strategy, the company is continuously evaluating acquisition opportunities to expand its network of hospitals," Fortis said in a statement to exchanges yesterday.

Wockhardt Hospitals is looking to sell three or four key hospitals, including its hospital in Mumbai and two hospitals in Bangalore, for around Rs 8bn, to rival Fortis, reports a financial newspaper. Earlier, the company was looking at selling a 40-45% stake for which it was offered around Rs 6bn, the pink paper adds.

These three hospitals accounted for around 71% of total income of Wockhardt Hospitals in the fiscal year ended March 2007, according to the IPO prospectus filed by the company in 2008. These hospitals collectively comprised around 35% of the company’s total bed capacity, according to the prospectus.

Wockhardt Hospitals scrapped its IPO plan in early 2008 as investors shunned the issue amid a global financial meltdown and partly also due to the steep price. The company tried to push the IPO through by cutting the IPO price band and even extending the time period. Still, it could not garner enough applications and eventually aborted it.

Wockhardt Ltd., the flagship company of the Khorakiwala Group, does not own any stake in Wockhardt Hospitals. According to the company's draft IPO prospectus filed with SEBI, the promoter of Wockhardt Hospitals is DHPL (Dartmour Holdings) with 76.71% equity.

Wockhardt chairman Habil Khorakiwala has a 8.5% stake in Wockhardt Hospitals. DHPL is believed to be a closely-held company owned by the Khorakiwala family.

New York Times Op-Ed Piece Highlights Medical Travel

The June 9 issue of The New York Times featured an Op-ed piece co-authored by Arnold Milstein, Mark D. Smith and Jerome P. Kassier. The well-written piece looks at the pro’s and con’s of medical travel, the drivers, and offers ways in which Medicare might evaluate care, both domestic and abroad, and provide physicians and consumers with a meaningful way of evaluating their options.

Click here to view the piece.

The number of patients seeking medical and surgical care overseas has grown in recent years, prompting the American College of Surgeons (ACS) to study the issue and to develop an official “Statement on Medical and Surgical Tourism.” The ACS statement was developed with the patient’s interests in mind, and also offers guidelines for employers, agencies and insurers.

Doctor James Unti of the ACS Nora Institute for Surgical Patient Safety says, “It is important that individuals considering health care services outside the US become informed of the potential risks and complications as well as the medical, social, cultural, and legal implications of receiving such care.”

For those who chose to seek surgical care abroad, the ACS encourages patients to:

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons with more than 74,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.

Medical Tourism News 09 June 2009

HealthLeaders Media features “Risk Management for Medical Travel”
The June 2 issue of HealthLeaders Media ran an interesting piece by David Boucher of Companion Global Healthcare, a subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina. The piece, entitled “Risk Management for Medical Travel,” looks at insurance options for employees and employers. This is the first in a three-part series developed by the International Medical Travel Association (www.intlmta.org). In the next few weeks, articles authored by IMTA leaders Sharon Kleefield and Joseph Barcie, M.D. will be published in Health Leaders.

Companion Global Healthcare Inc. Offers Additional Hospital Choices to Employers, Individuals Looking to Save on Fully Credentialed Health Care

COLUMBIA, S.C., June 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Medical travel facilitator Companion Global Healthcare Inc. has added two internationally accredited hospitals to its overseas network, creating more options for its employer groups and individual clients seeking health care at prices far lower than those in the United States.

The addition of Kent Hospital in Izmir, Turkey, and Klinikum Chemnitz in Chemnitz, Germany, means Companion Global Healthcare will provide case management and medical travel concierge services to its clients who choose those facilities for surgery or other treatment.

Companion Global Healthcare's network now includes 18 hospitals and three dental clinics around the world. All network hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI) and offer rates to individuals and employers that are up to 90 percent less than those at U.S. hospitals.

Kent Hospital, in the port city of Izmir, Turkey, offers world-class medical treatment and state-of-the-art facilities. English-speaking staff and internationally experienced medical professionals, in addition to easy access via direct flights from the East Coast of the United States, will ease the travel burden for patients and the medical expense outlay for employers.

Located in scenic Chemnitz, Germany, Klinikum Chemnitz was accredited by the JCI in 2000, becoming the first hospital in Germany to earn that distinction. With 1,820 beds, Klinikum Chemnitz is the largest hospital in the Companion Global Healthcare network.

"The addition of these two capable hospitals signals a continued intercontinental expansion of Companion Global Healthcare's network of JCI-accredited hospitals," said David Boucher, president of Companion Global Healthcare. "These facilities, as well as our other network hospitals, offer our employers and individual clients many affordable medical procedures."

About Companion Global Healthcare
Companion Global Healthcare Inc. provides assistance to clients who travel to its network hospitals and dental clinics, serving as a single launch point for appointments, travel arrangements, case management, medical travel insurance, follow-up care in the United States, and help with claims filing.

The company serves uninsured and underinsured individuals, as well as employers and insurance companies that have included the Companion Global Healthcare network in their benefit plans. Employer groups interested in restructuring their benefit plans to include Companion Global Healthcare's network and services should call 800-906-7065.

CONTACT: Billy Quarles, +1-803-264-5779, for Companion Global Healthcare Inc.

BridgeHealth Medical Announces Its U.S. Domestic Network for Medical Travel: Employers, Health Plans Access High Quality, Cost Effective Hospitals and Providers

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Responding to the growing demand among employers, health plans, and other stakeholders for a comprehensive, network of U.S.-based healthcare centers of excellence for medical travel, BridgeHealth Medical (BridgeHealth; http://www.BridgeHealthMedical.com) today unveiled its initial U.S. system of providers comprised of over twenty superior hospitals and hundreds of health professionals in over a dozen states across the United States (www.BridgeHealthNational.com).

With a focus on serving businesses and individuals for the delivery of exceptional U.S. medical care, BridgeHealth unveiled its World-Class Provider Network™ to expand upon its existing international footprint (www.BridgeHealthInternational.com), offering an extensive range of high demand medical procedures, a wide choice of top hospitals, and options for accessing expert providers at significant savings.

“BridgeHealth selects only top rated hospitals for its domestic network,” says Victor Lazzaro, Jr., CEO of BridgeHealth, explaining that at minimum, each hospital must be in the top decile in terms of overall quality as rated by The Delta Group (http://www.TheDeltaGroup.com) as well as score highly with other ratings agencies. “By partnering with high quality providers and tracking their outcomes, we can best optimize the utilization of a medical travel program. This focus relies upon the use of both external and internal quality criteria in selecting provider partners for our network.”
BridgeHealth has established stringent evaluation criteria including the review of major areas such as hospital accreditation, patient flow, nurse-to-patient ratios, Quality Improvement programs, staffing, and other performance-related activities. It also encompasses benchmarks for travel coordination, including transfers, hotels, and other concierge services.

The BridgeHealth World-Class Provider Network™ represents the widest range of choices now available for domestic medical travel, offering patients a vast array of surgical options including:

“BridgeHealth is an established industry leader in medical travel, and now brings to market a nationwide network that delivers high quality care and treatments to Americans traveling within the country as well as for international patients seeking care in the United States,” says Lazzaro. “We have built a quality domestic network that offers greater transparency and greater consumer choice while providing significant savings for healthcare stakeholders. This network mirrors our rigorous international standards, with Joint Commission-accredited hospitals here in the United States and JCI-accredited institutions throughout the world.”

Patients will benefit from experienced care support through world-class concierge services assisting throughout the HIPAA-compliant process, from the gathering of an individual’s medical history to scheduling procedures, arranging travel and lodging, and coordinating post-surgical, follow-up care. Employers can share in significant healthcare savings and often-increased provider quality over what they may currently have.
In qualifying hospitals and facilities for participation, BridgeHealth utilizes criteria that include:

“These centers of excellence give employers, health plans, and consumers another option for accessing quality care.” continues Lazzaro. “BridgeHealth’s domestic network delivers the same cost savings stakeholders have come to value in international medical travel, with the added benefit of being able to remain within the United States.”

About BridgeHealth Medical
BridgeHealth Medical (BridgeHealth) is the premier service provider in the burgeoning medical travel industry, founded with a vision “to create a trusted bridge to the world of medical care.” BridgeHealth offers both U.S. domestic and international networks and serves health plans, insurance carriers, employers, third party administrators, individuals accessing benefits via voluntary benefits plans, health and affinity card programs or Consumer Directed Health Care Plans (CDHP), and individual consumers seeking medical travel options. Visit www.BridgeHealthMedical.com

CLAYMONT, Del., June 02, 2009 - CIGNA International released a podcast on medical tourism today, along with podcasts on several other topics to help employers stay on top of global health trends and select an international coverage program for expatriate employees. The podcast library is available on CIGNA International's secure Website and can be accessed anywhere, anytime from a computer or downloaded to an MP3 player.

“CIGNA launched the podcast series to make it easier for employers to learn at their convenience about global health trends like medical tourism and pandemics, as well as to hear about CIGNA’s capabilities to meet the health needs of their workforce,” says Glenn Maykish, a senior director of sales and client management.
In addition to medical tourism, podcasts are available on the following topics:

Mobile Surgery and The Krongrad Institute Collaborate on Multilingual Website

Mobile Surgery International aims to preserve quality and choice as it works with payers to contain cost. To do this we rely upon Centers of Excellence with Global Convenience™ in Trinidad, Mexico, Florida, and Kansas. We rely also on appropriate patient selection, which includes informed decision making by the patient. The materials that we produce are designed to help patients make informed decisions and more smoothly communicate with us and their insurance company.

Editor's Note: In this week's MEDICAL SPOTLIGHT we're offering a broad overview of the CyberKnife® System from Accuray. In our next two issues we'll focus on the two most popular treatment applications: lung and prostate.

The CyberKnife System is the world’s first and only robotic radiosurgery system designed to treat tumors, both cancerous and non-cancerous, throughout the body non-invasively. Through its nonsurgical technology, the System targets, reduces, or eliminates certain lesions and tumors that were once considered inoperable. The System has also been proven very effective at treating arterial-venous malformations, typically in the brain.

The CyberKnife System offers a number of significant advantages over traditional surgery including:

Pain- and incision-free procedures. Because the procedure is a nonsurgical approach, there is no need to create an incision or administer anesthesia. The absence of an incision means recovery time is shorter and the risk of post-operative infection at the incision site is zero.

No overnight stay. CyberKnife treatments are typically performed as outpatient procedures keeping costs and recovery time down.

No patient stabilization. The CyberKnife system uses the body's bony structures or implanted markers to target tumors or lesions so that patients do not need to be stabilized with a head or body frame.

Greater accuracy. CyberKnife's robot uses a crossfire technique to deliver as many as 1,400 highly targeted and concentrated beams of radiation from all angles at a tumor. The device's pinpoint accuracy largely avoids normal tissue -- meaning unintended harm to nearby healthy tissues or organs is largely avoided.

According to Accuray, the leading developer and distributor of the CyberKnife System, more than 60,000 patients worldwide have been treated to date using CyberKnife radiosurgery.

The company currently has 164 Systems installed worldwide including 107 in the Americas, 15 in Europe, 21 in Asia Pacific, and two in Japan.
While the System can be used to treat tumors anywhere in the body, including the brain, spine, liver, pancreas, and kidney, Accuray notes that lung and prostate indications have seen significant growth over the past year.

Lung tumors are currently the leading extracranial indication in calendar year 2008. In fact, the number of lung cancer patients treated with CyberKnife radiosurgery in the United States grew 52 percent from calendar year 2007 to 2008 and 43 percent worldwide. Currently more than 90 percent of CyberKnife centers around the world are treating lung cancer with more than 6,300 lung patients having been treated to date using CyberKnife radiosurgery.

The number of prostate cancer patients treated grew approximately 95 percent worldwide during Accuray’s 2008 fiscal year with more than half the patients ever treated for prostate cancer treated during that fiscal year. To date, more than 3,000 prostate patients have been treated to date using CyberKnife radiosurgery.

According to Terry White, managing director, Signum US Healthcare, his organization is currently looking to install several Sytems in China, the first of which will operate in Guangzhou.

When asked if China has the potential to become an epicenter for the technology, White responds, "I wouldn’t say that...There are only two operational sites in the country and their population is about 20 percent of the whole planet. In a country with an emerging economy of the magnitude of China, there is growing demand for high quality healthcare technology. Many people are able to afford the treatment, when the need is present."
He adds, "Often, the financial and regulatory environment plays a role in whether this type of technology is deployed. For example, to date, there are no centers in Latin America and few in Europe and only one in India. The potential caseload is certainly there."

In our next issue we'll look at the specific applications of CyberKnife for lung tumors.

UPCOMING EVENTS

JCI's Chicago International Practicum Five Tools for Accreditation and Quality

June 15-19, 2009
The Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel
163 East Walton Place, Chicago, IL60611

The most successful healthcare organizations use a series of powerful quality improvement tools to drive their patient safety and accreditation processes. This year’s Chicago Practicum will train participants to use specific and practical tools to build more robust, patient-safe organizations. Join JCI’s expert faculty, as they lead small workshops, lectures, and discussions that will train you to use these tools in your organization. This year's Chicago Practicum will teach participants how to:

See Hidden Waste, Danger, and Inefficiency
Learn how Process Mapping will help you easily see the inefficiency, waste, and danger in any existing processes, as well as how a few small changes can make a profound impact.
Learn from your Patient’s Experience
Discover how to use JCI’s tracer methodology to assess compliance with accreditation standards, as well as to discover hidden threats to patient safety. A portion of this session will be taught within accredited U.S. healthcare facilities.
Discover the Most Efficient Way to Deploy Your Resources
Learn how to use a root cause analysis to efficiently target resources and mitigate existing patient safety risks.
Use Data Driven Decision Making
Learn how to select and collect clinical indicator data, which guides the data-driven decisions that you can use to train staff, create better policies and procedures, and ultimately impact patient-safe care.
Correct Threats and Failures Before They Happen
Explore how failure mode effects analysis can help uncover threats to patient safety before they occur.

In addition, this course will also discuss the most challenging JCI standards and presentations by JCI accredited organizations. Because of this program's workshop and small group format, enrollment will be strictly limited to 60 registrants.

Discounted Room Rates Available: To reserve your room at a special $229 USD per night rate, please contact the Knickerbocker through their website or by telephone (+1 312-751-8100), and mention that you are part of JCI’s International Practicum room block.

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.

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 sectors
Exclusive 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 traveling 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

Healthcare Abroad and Health Tourism 1st International TEMOS Conference
November 15-17, 2009 in Cologne / Germany

TEMOS is pleased to announce the 1st International TEMOS Conference on “HEALTHCARE ABROAD AND HEALTH TOURISM” in Cologne, Germany from November 15-17, 2009.

The main objective is to bring together the parties and markets of:

Health insurance companies and payers from Germany and Europe
Hospitals and medical facilities from all over the world
International facilitators, health tourism operators and telemedicine providers

to discuss about quality management, and the potential of health tourism & healthcare services abroad – from the stakeholders’ perspective.

To push these conference topics we have the pleasure to introduce several international experts as members of the TEMOS Conference Advisory Board, for example:

Health insurance: Dr. Franz Benstetter, Head of Operational Services Munich Health, Munich Reinsurance Company.

Medical facility: Dr. Kalyan S Sachdev, M.D., Chairman and founder of Privat Healthcare Group, member of the governing Board of Indian Spinal Injuries Center.

Telemedicine: Prof. Dr. Michael Nerlich, M.D., Head of the Department of Trauma at the University of Regensburg Academic Medical Center Surgery, President of the International Society for Telemedicine and eHealth (ISfTeH).

Science & Economics: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Goetzke, Director of gewi-Institute for health economics, Co-founder of the Fresenius University in Cologne, Coordinator of the regional initiative “Health Cologne” and “Health Region Cologne Bonn”.

Click here to find additional members of the Advisory Board.

Please also visit the Conference Website for registration and further information!

Register now via the Online Registration Form and benefit from the early bird rates!

Please contact info@temos-conference.com or the conference hotline +49–2203–601 3000
for any questions regarding the International TEMOS Conference.

Exhibitors can increase their profile by choosing between several attractive sponsoring options for this event. Please get in touch with us to learn more about your opportunities.

Please note: You can ideally combine the attendance of the TEMOS conference with a visit to MEDICA®, the world’s largest exhibition for medicine technology, which is held in the neighbouring city of Duesseldorf from November 18-21, 2009.

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.