Medical Travel Today

The theme of this week's issue seems to be new partnerships and new associations. Under INDUSTRY NEWS we have reports from around the globe of new partnerships intended to increase development of medical tourism and increase patient access. Plus, we received word of two new professional associations designed to facilitate the growth of the industry in their respective home regions. Announcements from both organizations are included under INDUSTRY NEWS.

In our MEDICAL SPOTLIGHT we continue our three-part coverage of CyberKnife, looking specifically at applications for lung treatments.

Responding to the story “Overseas, Under the Knife,” by Arnold Milstein, Mark D. Smith, and Jerome P. Kassirer that appeared in the Op-Ed section of the June 10 New York Times, a number of readers including consumers, physicians, and healthcare executives felt compelled to respond. Comments on medical tourism ran the gamut of positive, cautious, and decidedly negative.

The International Medical Travel Association (IMTA) and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) sign MOU to Promote Healthcare Travel

Bangkok, Thailand – June 15, 2009 – The IMTA and PATA recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote healthcare travel in the Pacific Asia region. Working together, the two organizations hope to stimulate development of this high value sector and drive more integration between the travel and healthcare industries.

Under the MOU, PATA and the IMTA will focus on two main areas. The first is helping the health and travel industries identify commercial opportunities in healthcare travel. The second is assisting governments and tourism authorities develop strategies to promote this sector.

Already known for its world class spas and hospitals, Asia is home to many leading spa and medical tourism brands like Six Senses, Chiva-Som, Bumrungrad, and Parkway. Medical travel and spas have been hit hard by the global economic downturn, but both are considered high-value niche markets with excellent growth potential.

According to Ruben Toral, president of the IMTA and former Group Marketing director for Bumrungrad International, medical tourists are precisely the kind of high value, long stay visitors that countries should be courting. His argument is simple. “They spend more, stay longer, and are more likely to return.”

Asia is the dominant player in the medical travel industry with countries like Thailand, Singapore, and India taking the lead. Mr. Toral believes that Asia should be aggressively developing a leadership position in healthcare travel – a term that incorporates health, wellness, and medical treatment – because Asia has all the right ingredients.

Gregory Duffell, PATA CEO, agrees. He sees healthcare travel as a new product category to stimulate the travel to Asia. “The travel industry wants to engage,” he says, “but just doesn’t know how. Our job is to help them find the way.” PATA recently hosted a webinar for members on healthcare travel, and both organizations will be participating in the Healthcare Travel Conference in Singapore later this month.

Later this year, PATA and IMTA plan to organize a roundtable meeting on healthcare travel that brings together representatives from healthcare, hospitality, travel, and government.

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 is a not-for-profit association. For more information, please visit www.intlmta.org.

About PATA
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a membership association acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry. In partnership with private and public sector members PATA enhances the sustainable growth, value, and quality of travel and tourism to, from, and within the region. PATA provides leadership and counsel on an individual and collective basis to nearly 100 government, state, and city tourism bodies; international airlines, airports, and cruise lines as well as many hundreds of travel industry companies across the Asia Pacific region and beyond. Thousands of travel professionals belong to nearly 40 PATA chapters worldwide and participate in a wide range of PATA and industry events. PATA’s Strategic Intelligence Centre (SIC) offers unrivalled data and insights including Asia Pacific inbound and outbound statistics, analyses, and forecasts as well as in-depth reports on strategic tourism markets.

PATA is a not-for-profit organization. For more information, please visit www.pata.org.

Bumrungrad International the first private hospital to be awarded Thailand Quality Class (TQC) for organizational excellence

Bumrungrad International, Southeast Asia's largest private hospital and one of the world's top medical travel destinations, has been recognized for its world class organizational excellence by being awarded the Thailand Quality Class (TQC) award for 2008.

Bangkok, Thailand (PRWEB) June 18, 2009 -- Bumrungrad International, Southeast Asia's largest private hospital and one of the world's top medical travel destinations, has been recognized for its world class organizational excellence by being awarded the Thailand Quality Class (TQC) award for 2008.

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu presented this prestigious award at the recent 2008 Thailand Quality Awards (TQA). The honor, based on the famous Malcolm Baldrige Award in America, recognizes an organization's strategic, management, and operational quality. Since TQA began in 2002, Bumrungrad International is the first private hospital to qualify for TQC.

Following the standard set by The Baldrige Award, TQC honors businesses --manufacturing and service, small and large -- along with education, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations that are judged to be outstanding in seven areas: leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement, analysis, and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and results.

Since 1999, when Bumrungrad became the first Asian hospital accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), the international arm of the organization that reviews and accredits hospitals in the United States, the hospital has continued to seek third-party review in its continued effort to be benchmarked against a world standard for quality and care.

The award adds to a list of honors recently achieved by Bumrungrad, including "Thailand's Most Innovative Company" by Chulalongkorn University's School of Business; top medical tourism destination (Tourism Authority of Thailand); top Thai company for quality of products and services (Asian Wall Street Journal); and excellence in information technology (Assoc. of Medical Directors of Information Systems).

Bumrungrad CEO Mack Banner notes, "We have been fortunate to receive many awards, particularly over this last year, but the TQA competition is special for us because it focuses on the overall quality and results of the organization. The difference with the TQC vs. other awards we have received is that the focus of the TQC is on a company's commitment to quality, the quality processes within the organization, and also the results of those processes. Because it is such an extensive evaluation, we are extremely honored to be recognized for our efforts."

About Bumrungrad International
Bumrungrad International is an internationally accredited, multi-specialty hospital located in the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. Founded in 1980, today it is the largest private hospital in Southeast Asia, with 554 beds and over 30 specialty centers. Bumrungrad offers state-or-the-art diagnostic, therapeutic, and intensive care facilities in a one-stop medical center.

International Medical Travel Association Thought Leader Articles Featured on HealthLeaders Media Website: Risk Management, Cost, Quality, Safety

David Boucher, M.P.H., FACHE, Sharon Kleefield, M.A., Ph.D., and Joseph Barcie M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., offer credible guidance for medical travel

Washington, D.C. – June 17, 2009 – Three prominent healthcare leaders have authored articles addressing critical issues related to medical travel on behalf of the International Medical Travel Association (IMTA; www.intlmta.org): access HealthLeaders Media at www.healthleadersmedia.com, a leading multi-platform media company dedicated to meeting the business information needs of healthcare executives and professionals.

David Boucher, M.P.H., FACHE, president and chief operating officer, Companion Global Healthcare, Sharon Kleefield, M.A., Ph.D., faculty member at Harvard Medical School, and Joseph Barcie, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., president, Centralized Services International Hospital Corporation, have each tackled specific areas: Risk Management for Medical Travel (Boucher); Globalization and Medical Travel: Emerging Challenges of Quality and Safety (Kleefield); Continuity of Care and the International Patient (Dr. Barcie).

“These recognized experts bring fresh and illuminating insight into the issues of the worldwide phenomenon of medical travel,” says Ruben Toral, president of the IMTA and former group marketing director for Bumrungrad International. “Their perspectives shine a much needed light on the challenges as well as the opportunities, and provide credible guidance for all stakeholders.”

The authors not only define the issues, but also offer strategies, appraise options, and provide solutions for decision-makers in what a recent study by McKinsey & Co. and Deloitte Consulting called a growth industry, as consumers and employers look globally for better value.

“During economic uncertainty, medical travel continues to generate interest across the country and raise questions, in particular about risk management, continuity of care, and quality and safety,” Toral adds. “As healthcare costs rise, U.S. employers and insurers are adopting a more global view on healthcare and exploring the lower cost, high quality options that medical travel offers.”

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 which promote and advance medical quality, safety, and transparency for the international patient, and that preserve and protect the doctor-patient relationship.

IMTA is a not-for-profit association. For more information, please visit www.intlmta.org.

Indian Hospitals, Wellness, and Medical Tourism Players Join Forces to Make India the Global Healthcare Destination

Leading Indian hospitals, healthcare providers (both modern medicine and traditional Indian medicine), travel and medical tourism industry providers have come together to form an industry association: Indian Medical Travel Association (IMTA), which aims to work together to make India the leading global healthcare destination.

The phenomenon now popularly known as medical tourism is often cited as the next big opportunity for India -- after information technology (IT) outsourcing -- to earn billions of dollars and create jobs in the healthcare sector. So far only a select group of Indian hospitals have been making valiant attempts to market their services in international arena. More than a million overseas patients already treated at top Indian corporate hospitals like Apollo, Fortis, Wockhardt, Max, Manipal, and many others have already proved to the world that the clinical quality, technology, and cost proposition offered by India is unmatched. The capacity in super specialty segment Indian hospitals is expanding fast, and there is no waiting period for local or overseas patients.

McKinsey's study first reported on medical tourism as the billion-dollar opportunity for India back in 2002, and the steady growth in overseas patient arrivals has validated this potential. With a large number of new private super specialty hospitals and integrated health cities coming up in India's top ten cities, India has the potential to become the global leader in the medical travel/ outsourcing industry. Indian doctors and professionals are world renowned for their skills and the country boasts talented young workforce, a local, high quality manufacturing base for pharmaceuticals, technology hardware and software that makes the Indian costs for high-end surgical procedures so attractive. The challenge really is on the non-medical side, primarily in marketing and in creating infrastructure and services to support the growth of medical tourism.

Indian Medical Travel Association (IMTA) - a non-profit body and a unified voice of the Indian healthcare and travel industry is aimed at preparing India for facing the challenges of global competition and actualizing the tremendous opportunity for India to become a leading global healthcare destination. Modern medicine, as well as India's 5,000 year old traditional therapies like Ayurveda, Siddha, and Yoga, can offer the world an unbeatable healing package.

IMTA would strive to help its members reach out in a cost effective manner to millions of our potential global consumers who reside on the other side of the globe in a different time and cultural zone and make them aware of the tremendous value that Indian healthcare offers. The fact is that prior to choosing a hospital, the international patients first decide on the country or the destination. “Therefore we all must join hands to aggressively promote India as a preferred global healthcare destination,” says Pradeep Thukral, executive director at IMTA.

The Government of India and its various arms are actively supporting the growth of medical tourism to India. Two years ago the Government of India introduced a special category of Visa called M Visa for foreigners who wanted to come to India for medical treatment. India's Ministry of Tourism has achieved phenomenal success in the last five years with its much acclaimed Incredible India campaign that has multiplied the arrival of foreign tourists to India. The current year 2009 is being promoted by Indian Ministry of Tourism as Visit India's year and the ministry is keen to promote medical tourism. It has recently notified the Market Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme to eligible medical tourism players, which enables them to get financial support for participation in overseas promotional events.

About the Indian Medical Travel Association
A nonprofit body aimed at preparing India for facing the challenges of global competition in medical tourism space and actualizing the tremendous opportunity for India to become a leading global healthcare destination. IMTA's membership has a diverse base of India's leading JCI, NABH-accredited hospitals, Indian System of Medicine and Wellness service providers, travel industry, insurance, assistance and medical tourism facilitation companies.

MedTrava Announces Partnership with Hospital Clinica Biblica to Expand Affordable Medical Tourism Options for Americans

Austin-San Marcos, Texas (1888PressRelease) June 14, 2009 - The MedTrava Group announced a strategic partnership designed to give Americans more choices for low-cost medical tourism destinations and greater access to premier Costa Rican medical care.

The MedTrava Group, a leading medical tourism facilitator, is a trusted source for patients seeking high quality, affordable treatment overseas. MedTrava offers all-inclusive medical, cosmetic, and dental packages at savings of 50 to 80 percent over the skyrocketing costs of healthcare in the United States. Based in the United States, the company has assembled a network of rigorously pre-screened, internationally accredited healthcare providers around the globe.

Commenting on the partnership, Poonam Dhawan, founder and CEO of MedTrava, says, “At MedTrava we’ve long been dedicated to providing our clients affordable healthcare at an extensive network of highly qualified doctors and world-class facilities in various global destinations.

“We are continually growing our network with providers that have the solid understanding and infrastructure to serve foreign patients and enable us to offer a greater selection of healthcare options of top quality medical care at substantially lower costs – a welcome reprieve for our uninsured, underinsured, and even insured clients. Adding Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited Clinica Biblica to our network gives our patients another wonderful near-shore option that lives up to the high quality control standards. Given its proximity to the United States and Canada and its tourist charm, Costa Rica is an attractive medical tourism destination.”

Providing a comprehensive set of door-to-door services, MedTrava organizes every aspect of the patient’s medical journey overseas, from connecting them with qualified providers, arranging the travel details, and even ensuring a personal patient care manager to assist the patient at the medical destination.

Brad Cook, Hospital Clinica Biblica’s International Department director says, “Our hospital offers patients a wide variety of affordable, leading-edge medical procedures and treatments, yet is located just two and a half hours from Miami. We are very excited about partnering with MedTrava, and allowing more patients to experience the quality of care available at Hospital Clinica Biblica.”

Clinica Biblica is an internationally accredited hospital based in San Jose, Costa Rica. Widely considered one of the premier hospitals in Central America, the hospital boasts Central America’s only integrated surgical theater, offering high-definition imaging during surgery and enabling simultaneous interaction with other operating rooms or areas. This technology brings tremendous benefit to both the patient and surgeon because it allows the use of minimally invasive surgical techniques, resulting in surgeries with fewer anesthetics, less bleeding, and quicker recovery times.

Given the short flight time between the United States and Costa Rica, patients can take advantage of low-cost, quality medicine that is just a few hours away. The partnership between Clinica Biblica and MedTrava offers patients the quality assurance of an internationally accredited hospital and the long history of patient satisfaction with of one of the nation’s leading medical travel facilitators.

About The MedTrava Group
Based in Austin, Texas, with offices in Hawaii and India, the MedTrava Group provides turnkey medical tourism services for low-cost, top-quality healthcare in India to American consumers and corporations burdened by burgeoning healthcare costs and restrictive healthcare plans. MedTrava’s healthcare provider partners meet the highest standards of care and are internationally acclaimed centers of excellence.

YourSurgeryAbroad.com launches today with a directory of over 1,200 providers of essential and non-essential surgery procedures making accessing international treatment centers easier for everyone. Aimed at the growing medical tourism industry, the site provides information on healthcare providers across 80 countries and 27 treatment areas, to form the most comprehensive collection of worldwide clinics on the web.

YourSurgeryAbroad.com lists specialists, clinics, and brokers for free on the Website, so you can be safe in the knowledge that legitimate providers are included, and not just those who have paid. Uniquely it will not charge clinics for user contact off the site and does not require users to pay or register to use the site. Clinics can be featured with advanced profiles allowing them to showcase their clinic with images, video content, prices, and surgeon info.

The Website is simple to use and enables patients to search for clinics by operation type or by country. The search filters are mutually dependent so users will never be taken to a frustrating empty results page. Instead they will only ever be shown the search options for countries that carry out the procedure they are looking for, or the available procedures if searching by destination.

Initially available in its Beta stage while additional search and listings functionality are added, the site is primarily aimed at patients from the United Kingdom and the United States -- two of the largest source markets. Although surgery accreditation differs in each country, where possible, all standards are clearly listed and all relevant clinics that are members of the Joint Commission International (JCI), the recognized benchmark accreditation for patient care and standards are included.

Medical tourism is a growing industry, according to a Deloitte report. Throughout 2007 over 1 million American, British, and Canadian patients were treated abroad and this figure is predicted to rise beyond 15 million by 2017. In addition, a recent survey by the Medical Tourism Association said 79 percent of patients initially research their medical treatment options online. With the National Health Service agreeing to pay patients for selective treatment abroad, and U.S. insurance companies offering cheap medical policies for those patients agreeing to go abroad, YourSurgeryAbroad.com has been launched to address this growing demand.

“YourSurgeryAbroad.com is the most comprehensive collection of hand-researched clinics to date, not by pure clinic numbers but by breadth of treatment areas and destinations covered,” explains Adam Nethersole, M.D. of YourSurgeryAbroad.com and an experienced medical tourist. “We understand that trusting your healthcare to an unknown clinic is the biggest worry for many patients, so wherever applicable we clearly indicate global and regional professional standards and accreditations.”

NeoStem, Inc. (NBS), a company built on the collection and storage of adult stem cells, signed an exclusive 10-year agreement with Enhance BioMedical Holdings Limited of Shanghai. Using NeoStem-developed techniques, Enhance will build a stem cell collection and treatment network. The facilities are targeted for Shanghai, Taiwan, and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Anhui, and Jiangxi.

Jackson Ling, the CEO of Enhance BioMedical Holdings’ parent company, put $5 million into NeoStem’s recent $11 million private placement. Enhance Holding Corporation is a multi-national conglomerate with interests that include healthcare.

In Taipei, Taiwan, Enhance BioMedical operates the Anti-Aging and Prevention Medical Center. It is focused on stem cell research and development and anti-aging therapies. Enhance expects to open a second center in Shanghai in the Spring of 2010, targeting high-net-worth individuals.

Through Enhance, NeoStem is making good on its medical tourism initiative. NeoStem wants to provide medical therapies, especially stem cell services, in China for people who cannot receive the services in their own countries.

In exchange for a six figure technical assistance fee, NeoStem will train Enhance BioMedical staff in its proprietary techniques. NeoStem will also receive a royalty on gross revenues and may receive other fees in connection with helping to launch the network. Specific details of the fee arrangement were not disclosed.

NeoStem's platform provides the infrastructure, methods, and systems that allow adults to have their stem cells collected and banked in a minimally invasive process.

In a statement, Jackson Ling, CEO of Enhance, positioned the centers as a service for China’s 100 million wealthy who seek anti-aging services, following the program of the already existing Taiwan center.

NeoStem has recently acquired Shandong New Medicine Research Institute, which provides regenerative medical therapies in China. NeoStem is also developing its VSEL (very small embryonic-like stem cells) technology, which was licensed from the University of Louisville.

Rim Asia was another major participant in NeoStem’s $11 million capital raise, contributing $5 million.

At a recent meeting in Phuket, Thailand, a new association was formed – the Asian Association of Medical Tourism (AAMT). It has been formed because of the rapidly growing medical tourism industry in the Asia Pacific region. With the emerging trend of more people entering into the medical tourism industry in the region, the founders, SOS medical tourism, felt it important that the Asia-Pacific must have its own medical tourism association.

Asian Medical Tourism Association (AAMT) was formed in mid 2009 as a non-profit trade body. At least for the first year, AAMT’s policy is to offer free membership for those involved in Asia-Pacific medical tourism.

AAMT will fully endorse and support the upcoming conference, The World Medical Health Tourism Conference to be held in Phuket in September 16-18, 2009. A 30 percent discount on the conference registration fee will be extended to certified members of the AAMT. All members are encouraged to attend the event, where the first ever meeting of members will take place to decide more detail on the future of the organization. While rival bodies cover Asia, there is a mood in Asia-Pacific that they concentrate too much on potential American business, when countries see most growth from Asia, Pacific, and Middle East regions.

A report on medical tourism by the Asian office of the Deloitte consulting group has had little attention. “Medical Tourism-the Asian chapter” was compiled at the end of 2008, before the worst effects of the recession were known. While most others were still trotting out figures of up to 40 percent annual growth for individual Asian countries, the report suggested a more sober 20 percent annually across Asia. It highlights that the main fuel is the growing affluence of the middle class in Asia, allowing patients to travel for better quality medical care than in their own countries. Even before we knew that fewer patients from Europe and the United States were travelling to Asia, it suggested that these areas were of much less importance to Asian medical tourism than many would like to admit.

Editor's Note: In our last MEDICAL SPOTLIGHT we took a look at the CyberKnife System including the advantages, applications, and trends in usage of this non-surgical technique for treating cancer, lesions, and tumors. In this issue we'll examine how the technology is being used to treat lung cancer and tumors.

More than 150,000 Americans will likely die of lung cancer this year. It's estimated that only 25 percent of lung cancer patients are good candidates for traditional surgery. In the past, removal of the surgery option was essentially a death sentence. But that's all changed thanks to the non-invasive, low stress treatments offered using CyberKnife.

The CyberKnife's accurate delivery of high dose radiation has caught the attention of many oncologists and thoracic surgeons.

According the system manufacturer, Accuray, 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.

This significant growth is due in part to the increased availability of lung cancer treatment offerings at CyberKnife centers of which there are now 164 worldwide. Many of the centers feature the Synchrony® Respiratory Tracking System, which continuously synchronizes radiation beam delivery with the motion of the tumor, and the Xsight® Lung Tracking System, which uses the body's internal anatomy to precisely track lung tumors non-invasively.

"In cancer care, the paradigm is shifting toward less invasive treatment alternatives that exhibit fewer risks, fewer side effects and decreased recovery times," says Euan S. Thomson, M.D., president and CEO of Accuray. "The rapid increase in lung cancer patients treated with our system proves that this is a reality. More and more patients are opting for CyberKnife radiosurgery as a non-invasive means of treating their cancer and maintaining their quality of life."

James G. Schwade, M.D., FACR, FACRO, FASTRO, executive director of the CyberKnife Centers of Miami and Palm Beach, notes that 30 to 40 percent of the patients seen in his Miami facility receive lung treatments.

"CyberKnife is very good for patients in which the cancer has metastasized or for those whom conventional radiation or surgery is not an option," says Schwade. "The greatest application is for lung cancers where it's resectable but inoperable."

"CyberKnife treatments are considerably easier to undergo from a patient perspective. It's totally non-invasive and in one-half to one-and-a-half hours, depending upon the condition and nature of treatment, the patient literally gets up and walks out. I don't think it could be easier."

Schwade also notes that currently 10 percent of the Center's patients come from abroad.

"We don't actively recruit patients from abroad," says Schwade, "but we maintain good relationships with physicians and insurance companies in the Caribbean and Central and South America. In fact the first insurance company that ever paid us when we opened was Blue Cross of Jamaica."

In our next issue we'll look at applications of the CyberKnife for prostate cancers.

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.

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.