THIS WEEK IN MEDICAL TRAVEL TODAY
Volume 3, Issue 22

by Amanda Haar, Editor

Greetings,

We open this week’s issue with the “big story” in the industry as reported by Reuters. The piece takes a critical look at the leadership of the Medical Tourism Association and provides opinions on the organization from both sides of the fence. We’re grateful to Reuters for the opportunity to print the story in its entirety as well as their thorough reporting.

Also making headlines in the industry this week is the latest report from Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. While acknowledging a recent slowdown in the industry, the "Medical Tourism: Update and Implications" report highlights a number of bright spots on the horizon, including the fact that "…economic recovery may help spur a sustainable 35 percent annual growth rate for the medical tourism industry by 2010…" For more on the report, see INDUSTRY NEWS below.

Another individual taking a look at the future of medical travel is Jeff Bauer, a health care futurist and medical economist. Featured in this week's SPOTLIGHT, Bauer shares with us what often-overlooked factors he thinks could have a great impact on the growth (or slow down) of the industry.

Finally, with this issue we introduce a new section on "voluntourism." Written by award-winning editor and writer Melanie Nayer, this exclusive series will highlight how medical professionals are donating their time and energy to spread good health across the globe.

As always, we welcome your comments, story ideas, and press releases.

Amanda Haar, Editor
ahaar@cpronline.com

Controversial Couple Dominates U.S. Medical Tourism

By Brendan Borrell, Copyright Reuters Health

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - These are heady days for the medical tourism industry. With U.S. healthcare prices spiraling upward, more and more insurers and individuals are looking abroad for treatment. By some estimates, 650,000 Americans will check into foreign hospitals from Mexico to Thailand this year.

The boom has created rich opportunities for entrepreneurs catering to first-time medical travelers, start-up businesses and eager hospital managers in developing countries.
Enter lawyer couple Jonathan Edelheit and Renée-Marie Stephano.

Edelheit and Stephano, both 37, are the founders of the Medical Tourism Association (MTA), a non-profit association they created to further "quality of care, transparency, communication and education" in the industry. They are also the organizers of the industry's annual top conference, under way this week in Los Angeles.

In many ways, Edelheit and Stephano have become the face of medical tourism. That has caused admiration, envy and unhappiness in the tight-knit industry.

Former MTA board members and industry colleagues have stories of how their collaborations with the couple have become marred by a sense of disillusionment and legal threats since the organization was founded in 2007. Their concerns center on three issues:
- Edelheit has been accused of selling unauthorized insurance in Washington and Montana. The first probe has been settled. Edelheit dismisses the allegations and says the second investigation will be settled in his favor.

- Edelheit and Stephano have threatened several critics with legal action and have filed one lawsuit against a competing non-profit. Edelheit calls it legal diligence to protect themselves and the MTA's members.

- The couple set up a thriving annual conference, but critics say the profits go into their private corporation rather than the industry association. Edelheit says the arrangement benefits the MTA.

Rudy Rupak of medical tourism facilitator Planet Hospital captured the feelings of many industry players in December when one slide of his Powerpoint presentation said: "The biggest threat to our industry is the MTA."

ALLEGATIONS OF "BOGUS HEALTH PLANS"
Edelheit's foray into health insurance started in 2001 after he left the Villanova University School of Law and moved to Florida to join his father's company, United Group Programs.
As vice president of sales for the company's OptiMed Health Plans, Edelheit says he became the first to sell self-funded employee health plans that included medical travel in 2005. OptiMed's Web site lists companies like Dunkin' Donuts and Chrysler as clients.
The Washington State Insurance Commissioner alleged in 2007 that Edelheit and others had sold or managed "bogus health plans" to 4,000 residents and made "false, deceptive, and misleading representations" to customers between 2003 and 2007. Edelheit, United Group and OptiMed Health were also named in a Montana investigation.

"I have never been so screwed over in my life," one consumer, Judy Bergin, told an investigator with the Washington State Insurance Commissioner. Bergin had found a plan on the Internet later linked to the United Group, made an initial payment of $275 and paid $228 a month thereafter. She said her doctor never got paid, leaving her to foot about $3,000 in medical bills.

Edelheit and his father bought insurance from underwriters, and were responsible for paying claims filed by customers, according to the investigator's report obtained by Reuters Health. The policies were not authorized in Washington and the Edelheits did not always pay the underwriters' premiums on time, the report said.

The Edelheits have since settled with Washington, agreeing to no longer sell insurance there. Edelheit brushes off suggestions that he was doing anything wrong, and says he is confident that a pending cease-and-desist order in Montana will be dismissed. Stephano calls the Washington investigation a "witch hunt."

FROM INSURANCE TO MEDICAL TOURISM
The couple set up the non-profit Medical Tourism Association in May 2007, persuading the industry's big names to join their advisory board. But former board members say they had little power, and were just part of what one calls "the Jonathan and Renée show."

By the end of 2008, Karen Timmons of Joint Commission International, Laura Carabello of CPR Communications, John Bridges of Johns Hopkins University and Ruben Toral of Medeguide had all resigned. Uwe Klein of Germany's Health Care Strategy International resigned this year, saying that the organization sought to dominate the conversation on medical tourism.

"The world has more countries than Florida," Klein says. At least a few were upset after the couple announced an accreditation program for foreign hospitals and agents who book medical trips. They complained the program was not transparent and did not link its stamp of approval to an operator's quality of care.

Edelheit and Stephano have since backpedaled. A facilitator "certification" program is in pilot phase. Applicants pay $2,500 and answer an extensive questionnaire.
Bethany Van Boxtel of Guam-based Veiovis, who is undergoing the process, says the MTA is filling a gap: "We were looking for some kind of accreditation or certification to give validity to travel facilitators."

Experts agree patients need to check out operators.

"Most facilitators are operating from a basement and a BlackBerry," says Maria Todd of the Council on the Global Integration of Healthcare.

But the industry's biggest names have expressed little interest in MTA's certification program.

"I don't know that they are qualified to certify," says Victor Lazzaro, CEO of BridgeHealth. "No one has asked us if we are certified, and we have a million lives under contract."

SEE YOU IN COURT
Edelheit has threatened critics with legal action.

Keith Pollard, whose company runs medical tourism web sites, says Edelheit told him he was on the verge of "defamation, slander and libel" and that he reserved "the right to proceed with a legal action" in an e-mail late last year.

Edelheit also put Dana Taormina at CPR Communications and Planet Hospital's Rupak on notice -- but did not always get the desired results. 

"So I get one of those famous Cease and Desist mails from our BFFs (best friends forever) at the MTA," Rupak wrote in an email to colleagues in August. "The first thing I did was fax them a letter that read: F**K YOU!"

Edelheit says that he sent the emails to protect the reputation of the MTA, after Pollard and Rupak "distributed false statements about the MTA in writing and in person to advisory board members and (regular MTA) members."

Edelheit also filed suit against the International Medical Travel Association for trade name infringement and unfair business practices in September.

"MTA has the right and is indeed required to protect the interest in its brand against intentional confusion which has been developed through the efforts of its membership," Edelheit says.

The suit was triggered when the Singapore-based non-profit registered its U.S. arm in Florida in January. Toral, who heads the group, says the lawsuit is baseless but that he may not have money to fight it.

A spoof press release now circulating in medical travel circles says that the MTA has sued New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, also known as the MTA.
"There are so many people to sue in the world," reads a quote attributed to "Edelheit-Stephano" in the phony press release. "Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, I just don't know where to begin."

LUCRATIVE CONFERENCES
Annual industry conferences are the couple's biggest coup.

"Don't be fooled by the other medical tourism conferences in the industry," their advertising materials say.

The MTA conference website says it does not "promote the interests of any private corporate or governmental interests."

Less than a year after the MTA was formed, Stephano set up a for-profit business, WMT & GHC, which runs the "Official Conference of the Medical Tourism Association." The company operates from the same address as the MTA and collects all registration and sponsorship fees.

The fees are substantial: The first conference in San Francisco in September 2008 had 850 attendees paying between $500 and $2500 each, or between $425,000 and $2.1 million.
Sponsors and exhibitors add to the tally. This year, the Council for Korea Medicine Overseas Promotion paid $100,000 to be the diamond sponsor, according to rate sheets. Malaysia Healthcare paid $75,000 to be a platinum sponsor, and three other organizations paid $40,000 each as gold sponsors. USAID was one of 13 silver sponsors, who paid $15,000 each.

While it is not unusual for a non-profit organization to have agreements with for-profit corporations, the WMT & GHC is not directly paying the MTA for rights to run the conference nor for advertisements on its website.

Edelheit says WMT & GHC provides benefits to the MTA by paying for shipping the organization's magazine, for DVDs, for promotional materials and for staff travel. It also provides a mailing list and fronts $600,000 to run the conference, Edelheit says.

The MTA received outside bids for the annual conference but "none (could) provide MTA all content and speakers, and cover the costs," Edelheit says, declining to name bidders. He did not respond to a request for an estimate of WMT & GHC's revenues.

"It sounds like the non-profit is acting like the marketing arm of the for-profit companies," says Lloyd Mayer, an expert in non-profit tax law at Notre Dame University. "If that's true, then it exists primarily to generate a profit for the companies and not primarily to promote the industry."

If they are getting rich, the couple is not showing it: They bought a single family home on 5 acres of land in West Palm Beach, Florida, for about $445,000 in 2004, property records show.

Edelheit and Stephano also own Free Health, which runs the conferences of two other healthcare non-profit associations they lead. Those conferences are taking place this week alongside the MTA at the Los Angeles Hyatt Regency Century Plaza.

Organizers expected 2,000 attendees for the MTA conference alone. Rupak is boycotting the event -- but says he rented three suites at the hotel.

"I've told everyone if they happen to be in Los Angeles, come to my party," he says.
(Editing by Ivan Oransky, Jack Reerink and Martin Langfield)

SPOTLIGHT:Jeff Bauer

Jeff Bauer, partner, Management Consulting Futures Practice, ACS Healthcare

Editor's Note: I recently read a piece in Healthcare Financial Management by Jeff Bauer entitled "Medical Tourism: Wave of the Future in a World of Hurt?" In the piece Bauer, who is a health care futurist and medical economist with Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. (ACS), assesses the future of medical tourism with a slightly different eye than others who ventured to do so in the past. In this interview we talk with him about what significant factors he feels other analyses may have missed and what their impact could mean to the industry's future.

Medical Travel Today (MTT): In your recent piece in Healthcare Financial Management, you stated that the time has come for "a multidimensional, future-focused analysis of medical tourism from the perspectives of medical economics and health futurism. What have the previous analyses of the industry missed that you believe this approach would reveal or explore?

Jeff Bauer (JB): As a health care futurist and medical economist at ACS, I talk about leading trends that are reshaping the health care industry. I've had medical tourism on my radar for the past five years. I've always felt this was a serious competitive issue that American providers need to address.

As for other things that have been written, it's not that there are bad articles out there. It's just that the ones I've seen in the past five years have tended to be pretty uni-dimensional.  
A typical 500- to 800-word piece tends to deal with cost differences or the "grass is greener" aspects of medical travel—the "tack a trip to the Taj Mahal on to your visit!" type of thing.

The other thing that concerns me is the extrapolation of historical growth trends.
Most articles look at the few years of available data and extrapolate them into the future. They don't consider other factors that are changing actual growth.
 
So in writing the piece, I felt like I was putting bits and pieces together that others hadn't considered.

Because I do a lot of international travel, one issue that was obvious to me and, as far as I know had not really been raised, is the simple question about the safety of air travel. I'm referring specifically to the healthfulness of air on airplanes. Even since writing the article, and certainly more than five years ago, I see a significant number of people who fly with masks on. Airborne disease and problems with cabin air quality are and will continue to be a threat.

The simple fact that the number one health care financial management magazine solicited an article from me on the subject tells you that different players are looking at the industry from different perspectives. I just think it's time we try to bring all the perspectives and factors together.

MTT: What key findings do you think this type of analysis will reveal that haven't yet been considered?

JB: One of the things I wanted to address for sure was the uni-dimensional debate on quality perceptions.  When I read articles aimed at hospital leaders, medical staff, and administrators the focus is often on the idea that quality is lost or that patients lose the right to sue by traveling abroad for care.  I wanted to show how many of the highly competitive medical marketplaces outside the United States are actually certified by U.S. organizations or managed by respected U.S. health care providers. In fact, I've lost count of how many foreign hospitals are now accredited by the Joint Commission.

I also wanted to point out how many management contracts — especially those for foreign facilities being built specifically for medical travel— are being handled by the likes of the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, and other top-quality American providers.

To go back to my point, many hospitals, medical groups, manufacturers, and drug companies want to minimize the threat of competition from abroad. I was trying to point out that they can't keep arguing that quality will keep Americans from going abroad for health care. There's absolutely no reason that care received abroad can't be just as good as domestic care, and there's no reason to think it isn't as good right now in many foreign centers that treat American patients.  Further, patients going abroad can receive respected scientific treatments not available here. Other countries are going great guns with stem cell research and other new treatments and even printing their studies in our respected medical journals. But we haven’t been able to offer the same advanced care here. 
Even with the evidence, it's too easy for the American health care system to discount foreign competition but, in my opinion, you're just burying your head in the sand if you think all Americans are going to believe foreign care is inferior or behind-the-times.
I also wanted to raise some issues I didn't see in the trade press.  There was the terrorist attack in Mumbai, and the serious government disruption in Thailand— these are problems that might deter a few Americans from medical tourism, as might air health as I mentioned earlier.

But to be fair, we're all very well aware that U.S. hospitals are also dangerous places to be. Infection rates, medical errors…a consumer has to weigh all the risks associated with all options.

MTT: In the same article you also spoke to what American providers need to do to effectively compete for foreign business. One idea you proposed was the notion of selling consumer-directed health plans in selected foreign markets. Can you elaborate on how this might work?

JB:Let me give that idea a bit of context by way of background on myself. I'm not only an economist.  I'm also a creative thinker. In my free time I'm a musician and artist. I always approach the realm of possibility with the "what if" and throw out a few new ideas. Not all of them stick, but I love the creative process.  It’s served me well over 40 years in health care.

To me, the idea of a consumer-directed health plan for foreign markets seems like a logical possibility. There's nothing in the capital markets that would prevent a foreign national from buying a high-deductible health plan from an American insurer.

ACS works with everybody – hospitals, insurance companies, data companies, electronic health record companies, and so on. In any given month I might deal with insurance companies for several days straight. Insurance executives are looking for new markets. I can guarantee you the payer community is aware of the international economy.

They are also receptive to new ideas. I thought they would be interested in selling customized insurance products to new markets outside the United States. 

We have to realize that the United States is not the only country going through a health care crisis. France, Brazil, England…everyone's up in arms about health care. They're all looking for new mechanisms to pay for care. In the countries where we might assume everyone's happy with their health care, there are actually large groups of disenchanted citizens.

Now, I have not explored regulatory issues that would be associated with such a product.  But the idea is why not give people from other countries the chance to have a back-up U.S. health care policy? It could be the health care equivalent of a Swiss back account.

Look at Canada, for example. Most Canadians don't come to the United States for treatment, but many come here for diagnostics. That's because in Canada you can't get treated until it’s proven that you have a medical problem. Once that's done, Canadians can get in line for treatment in Canada. So if they're willing to pay out-of-pocket for an MRI or other test in the United States, why wouldn't some be willing to pay a high deductible for immediate care in the United States versus getting in line for treatment at home?

MTT: How do you envision medical travel operating in five or even ten years?

JB:I really think it represents a potential growth market in all directions. Because of the current global economic problems and instability, the immediate future, one to two years out, is absolutely unpredictable. Those who extrapolate from historical growth are potentially making a big mistake because major factors are changing.

I think certain pressures will increase the growth and some will restrict the growth.
Folks need to look at all those factors when considering the future. There are a lot of reasons medical travel could take off and grow even more, but there are a couple of qualifications that could cause it to go the other way. U.S. health reform is definitely one of them.

Really, there are too many unpredictable elements to say where it s going for sure. I don't mean to be gloomy. There are many reasons it could blossom.  As a medical economist and health futurist, I see exciting possibilities at least as much as I see downside risks.
Let me end by saying that if I could buy stock in medical travel, I probably would. It makes sense to me.  Progressive leaders in the medical tourism industry have great opportunities to promote the good trends and counter the threatening ones.

About Jeff Bauer
Jeff Bauer, Ph.D., is a nationally recognized health futurist and medical economist. As a Chicago-based management consulting partner with ACS, he assists client health care provider organizations with leadership education, strategic planning, technology assessment and service line transformation. Prior to joining ACS, Dr. Bauer was a Senior Fellow at the Center for the New West in Denver. He previously managed his own consulting firm, which specialized in consumer-focused strategic planning for health care organizations. He also served as a medical school professor for 17 years and was health policy advisor to the governor of Colorado. Dr. Bauer received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Colorado and B.A. in economics from Colorado College. He was a Ford Foundation Independent Scholar, a Fulbright Scholar, and a Kellogg Foundation National Fellow. He has published more than 170 articles, books, Web pages, and videos on health care issues. He can be reached at jeff.bauer@acs-inc.com.

DESTINATION: Guatemala Part 3 - Specialty Clinics

Editor's Note: This is the third and final installment in Dana Taormina's series on Gautemala. This week’s focus is on the specialty clinics Taormina and publisher Laura Carabello visited during the 2009 Service Summit. 

Hospital Multimedica

Also the home of Centro Dental, Hospital Multimedica features many surgery and ambulatory surgeries in various medical specialties all in one location.

Multimedica is home to TecniScan Centro De Diagnostico, which is a diagnosis center with advanced laboratory and check-up services. Services include: computerized laboratory, magnetic resonance, computerized helical tomography, X-rays, ultrasound with Doppler, high-resolution mammography, and echocarography – to name a few.

CT machine from TecniScan

Multimedica also has Clinica Santa Maria, a human reproductive medicine clinic with 11 years experience treating infertility patients. Treatments vary from in vitro fertilization (IVF) to frozen embryo transfer or donor egg cycle. Clinica Santa Maria also offers intra cytoplasmic sperm injections (ICSI), freezing of embryos, and infertility surgery. The comfortable setting offers a serene experience for patients undergoing treatment and is a highly dependable facility. They gave 100 IVF cycles per year with an overall 40 to 50 percent pregnancy rate on Assisted Reproductive Technics. Specific packages (Platinum, Silver, Diamond and Gold) are designed and recommended for patients of different ages to ensure their health is a priority.

Novaesthetics is a premier provider of aesthetic and reconstructive surgeries located in Multimedica. The multiple procedures are performed in a comfortable and serene environment with modern operating rooms and equipment. The experienced staff can ensure quality treatment and fine care is provided constantly, which allows patients who have travelled long distances to feel safe and well taken care of. In addition to quality treatment, the prices are appealing as well. Lift surgeries include face, face/brow, thigh, and arm. Other surgeries include tummy tuck breast augmentation, liposuction, thermage, and botox. To feel the at-home feeling abroad, Novaesthetics is ideal and offers some of the most advanced techniques in this field of medicine.

Operating Room

Another specialty clinic of Multimedica is Clinica de Cirugia Nasal, which specializes in rhinoplasty. Being one of the most popular surgical procedures among medical tourists, rhinoplasty also involves some of the most complex and advanced techniques, as this procedure deals with the physical look as well as normal functions of the nose and face. For quality and specialized treatment, Clinica de Cirugia Nasal offers patients aesthetic as well as functional aspects of this procedure. With the various types of rhinoplasty, such as rhinoplasty for traumatic deformity, collapsed nose due to septum, or skin cancer excision, Luis Pedro Fortuny, M.D., uses top of the line technological equipment to exceed patients’ needs. Also, this clinic offers additional treatments, including external rhinoplasty, turbinoplasty, and septoplasty. This facility is well trusted and has a prestigious reputation among medical tourists.

Cardio Care
The range of excellent and affordable services offered by Cardio Care deal with everything from cardiac surgeries, to diagnostic centers and health check-ups. Providing the only audiology services as well, the highly trained professionals at this facility include the patients’ health and welfare as their top priority. Cardio care, with its convenient location and outpatient services, is remarkably dependable and can be intriguing to tourists traveling for these particular treatments. The competitive pricing and quality treatment also make this facility appealing.

Exam room at Cardio Care

Hope International
With close proximity to Guatemala’s international airport, La Aurora, and short distance to hotels, tourist hot spots, and other medical facilities, Hope International is a pleasant and welcoming environment for patients to receive radiotherapy treatments. The director of the Medical Center, Luis A. Linares, M.D., received thorough training in London and New York and has over two decades of experience in treating cancer. As for the rest of the staff at Hope International, they too are highly qualified with ample knowledge and experience in the accuracy of treatments offered. Considering about half of all people suffering from cancer are treated with radiation therapy, it is comforting to know Hope International delivers various types of optimal radiation therapies to ensure quality control. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (MRT), a rather new technology, is one of the treatment options and is only offered in few other centers throughout Latin America. Among other therapies and, including three dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) and RapidArc, the equipment and technology used at Hope International is to be praised. Eclipse is used for therapy planning  because of its comprehensive treatment planning system.. The very efficient patient information management system (ARIA) allows the patient data to be structurally organized. Also, rarely featured in other facilities throughout Latin America, Hope International offers state-of-the-art equipment to determine specific dosages. With the truly remarkable care this facility offers, patients traveling from all over the world can put their best hopes in the expert treatment and qualified staff.

Hope International Building

Linear Accelerator CLINAC IX VARIAN at Hope International

Vision Integral
For one of the best eye care options in all of Guatemala, Vision Integral employs a caring team of professionals who will utilize the newest technology to provide quality and personalized surgical treatment. The services initially begin with an evaluation and consultation, and then the patient may receive any of the various treatments or surgeries, a few ranging from Cataract surgery to Penetrating Corneal Implants or Pediatric Ophthalmology. Vision Integral’s reputation sets them apart from other facilities because their major asset is to give priority to a patient’s health, which they have been doing for over 22 years.

Vision Integral Exam Room

Renova Centro Integral de Cirugia Plastica
Renova, being one of the only hospitals in Guatemala that specializes in aesthetic, plastic, and reconstructive surgeries, is a modern medical facility with a secure atmosphere and a committed team of professionals. Among the highly integrated staff, there are three specialists who have been well trained in this field and perform varieties of plastic surgeries. The facial rejuvenation surgeries include facelifts, brow lifts, baldness correction, eyelids, ears, chin augmentation, and nose reshaping. Along with this, there are five different breast surgeries offered, including surgeries of the corporal contour and ancillary procedures. In addition to surgeries, patients have the option to indulge in calming and improving treatments provided by the medical spa. The solutions promote healthier skin, help reduce and eliminate cellulite and wrinkles, remove hair, promote collagen production, even skin tones, and combat aging. Renova exceeds the patient’s expectations and allows them to leave feeling confident with their new look.

Recovery Room at Renova

Cedaf
The Center for Hearing and Phonetic Training was established in 1991 and has built a reputation for professional excellence in providing care for people with difficulties with hearing. Patricia Castellanos De Muñoz, M.D, is the only audiologist in the country of Guatemala receiving her Doctorate in Audiology (AuD) at the University of Florida, Gainesville. Cedaf is a private institution that is internationally recognized for excellence and quality. To promote the development and care of audiology, they provide hearing tests, balance disorders, hearing aid devices, cochlear implants, other speech and language therapies, and hearing conversation programs. Cedaf participates with other organizations in order to find concrete solutions and conclusions to hearing and communication difficulties. With very reasonable prices, Cedaf employs a professional staff, each with multiple achievements, certificates, and awards.

Cedaf Lobby

Centro de Reproduccion Humana (CER)
With a team of highly educated and supportive professionals, including an obstetrician, gynecologist, endocrinologist, nutritionist, psychologist, and urologist, this facility is capable of providing a new approach to infertility treatment. Innovative techniques with assisted fertilization have assisted over 5,000 couples achieve pregnancy. In fact, this facility was the first clinic to fully succeed in having the first in vitro fertilization (IVF) child born in Central America. The various forms of treatment range from IVF, intracytoplasmic sperm injections (ICSI), microsurgical sperm aspiration (MESA), testical biopsies, cryopreservation, and assisted hatching. Patients can feel confident in Centro de Reproduccion Humana as the success rates are appealing. Also, infertility issues can be a frustrating challenge; the staff caters to the patients’ health and well-being and engages in their desired procedure in order to gain confidence and produce results. Accredited by the REDLARA, CER lives up to the high standards that have been set. With an easy location, this clinic is in an exclusive hotel, which is within close distance to the international airport, downtown, and the financial district. Patients can expect top-of-the-line care and treatment at this facility, as they are backed by over 25 years of experience and have an outstanding reputation.

Procedure room at CER

Specialty Clinics Contact Information

INDUSTRY NEWS

Recession Slows Growth of Medical Tourism from 2007-2009: Deloitte Center for Health Solutions Report

Economic Recovery Likely to Result in 35 Percent Annual Growth Rate for
Medical Tourism by 2010

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 26, 2009 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- While the economic
recession has eroded the growth rate for medical tourism by approximately 13.6 percent from 2007 to 2009, the economic recovery may help spur a sustainable 35 percent annual growth rate for the medical tourism industry by 2010, according to a new report released today by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions (www.deloitte.com/us/medicaltourism) at the World Medical Tourism and Global Health Congress in Los Angeles, Calif.

"Barring any tempering factors, such as supply constraints, resistance from health plans, increased domestic competition, or government policies, we project that outbound medical tourism could reach upwards of 1.6 million patients by 2012," said Paul Keckley, Ph.D. and executive director, Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, based in Washington, D.C.  "Medical tourism has transitioned from a cottage industry to an acceptable alternative for elective care that, despite the setbacks of the economic downturn, may begin to recover in 2010, as quality is better defined, new business models emerge, insurers, legislators, and employers explore pilots and programs, health care providers
become increasingly involved in coordinating care, and consumers continue to test it out to explore savings."

According to the Deloitte Center report, "Medical Tourism: Update and Implications," in 2007, more than 750,000 Americans traveled abroad for outbound medical care.  Since 2007, medical tourism has experienced a slow-down driven by the economic recession and consumers putting off elective medical procedures over the past two years with an estimated 540,000 Americans traveling abroad for medical care in 2008 (a 20 percent decrease) and a projected 648,000 in 2009 (a 10 percent decrease).

"The prolonged U.S. recession has had a significant impact on patients' ability to afford medical care, and by extension their use of medical tourism," added Keckley.  "Pent-up consumer demand for elective procedures, especially outpatient dental and cosmetic procedures, will help fuel increased demand for medical tourism again.  Health reform efforts in the near term will also likely contribute to medical tourism's growth, though in the long run it is difficult to assess given uncertainty about the public option, employer, and individual mandates."

Among the additional key findings highlighted in the report:

• Inbound medical tourism, or foreigners visiting the United States to receive medical care, will see relatively slow growth to report up to 561,000 travelers by 2017.
• Eight percent of respondents sought health care services outside of their immediate community; more than 40 percent said they would travel outside of their immediate area for care if their physician recommended it or for a 50 percent cost savings; 1 percent reported using an offshore health care provider; 9 percent said they'd be likely to do so; and 69 percent said they'd be unlikely to do so.
• The American Medical Association (AMA) has developed a set of nine guidelines for medical tourism for employers, insurance companies, and other entities that facilitate medical care outside of the United States.
• Several health insurers have launched medical tourism pilots as part of health benefit plans.  An overview of these programs and affiliations with foreign medical sites is included, and it is yet to be determined if these pilots will be adopted on a broad scale and whether employers or patients will receive the benefits of cost savings via reduced premiums, co-payments, or deductibles.
• West Virginia and Colorado have attempted to pass legislation that would either require or incentivize insurers to incorporate medical tourism within their health benefits plans. Although both bills did not pass, they demonstrate that state legislators are paying more attention to the value of medical tourism.
• The Joint Commission International (JCI) has increased the number of approved foreign medical sites from 76 in 2005 to more than 220 in 2008.
• India's medical tourism sector is expected to grow 30 percent annually from 2009 to 2015. Health care reform will likely propel growth in the elective outpatient market, particularly if flex account expenditures are limited to $2,000 or less, and elective cosmetic and dental procedures are not considered "basic benefits."

"With health care costs increasing at the rate of 6 percent per year for the next decade, and medical tourism offering savings of up to 70 percent after travel expenses, there is no question that it will remain an important option for consumers who need care, but increasingly lack adequate out-of-pocket funds to afford a procedure in the United States," added Keckley.  "As the industry continues to respond to the needs of this population, we expect to see an increase in medical tourism pilots and involvement by employers, insurers, and physicians to help create a backdrop for sustainable, healthy growth in this
sector."

International Medical Travel Journal hit by Denial of Service attack

Online medical tourism and medical travel publication, International Medical Travel Journal (www.imtjonline.com), has been targeted by a Denial of Service attack. (A Denial of Service attack is an attempt to make a Web site unavailable to Web users).
International Medical Travel Journal provides information for the medical tourism and medical travel industry and is managed by Intuition Communication, a U.K. Web publishing company.

Intuition Communication owns and operates 20 Web sites in the health care sector. The Denial of Service attack was targeted specifically at International Medical Travel Journal rather than the company’s hosted servers as a whole. It is the first concerted attack of this nature that the company has faced in its Web publishing history.

The company’s technical support team has identified the origin of the attack; servers using IP addresses in the Ivory Coast were used to launch the attack. However, they are unable to identify the sponsor of the attack at this stage. Additional security measures have been introduced to block any future attacks on the company’s Web sites.

Under U.K. law, it is an offense to launch a Denial of Service Attack; the offense is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

UPDATE: Access to the IMTJ site has been restored and an investigation is underway to determine the sponsor of the attack.

Patients Beyond Borders and Medeguide Develop a New Marketing Tool for International Hospitals
Produced by Patients Beyond Borders editors and marketed by Medeguide, FOCUS ON: is an easy-to-distribute digital publication with search capability, enabling hospitals to showcase their centers of excellence, signature services, facilities, doctors, leading-edge technology, and international patient resources.

Bangkok, Thailand (PRWEB) October 23, 2009 -- Healthy Travel Media, publisher of the Patients Beyond Borders series, and Medeguide, an online international doctor directory, announced today the joint launch of the Patients Beyond Borders FOCUS ON: series.

Produced by Patients Beyond Borders editors and marketed by Medeguide, FOCUS ON: is an easy-to-distribute digital publication with search capability, enabling hospitals to showcase their centers of excellence, signature services, facilities, doctors, leading-edge technology, and international patient resources.

FOCUS ON: also provides a direct connection to Medeguide's doctor and treatment-package search engine, allowing users to access hospitals directly to request appointments and information.

The Patients Beyond Borders team of independent editors will work closely with selected hospitals to highlight information important to medical travelers, including the hospitals' vital information and statistics, images of the facilities, patients' stories, noted specialties, international awards, and accreditation, along with destination-specific travel tips.

"FOCUS ON: gives medical travelers unique, concise insight into what makes a particular hospital special," says Josef Woodman, author and creator of the popular Patients Beyond Borders series. "Medical travelers typically use multiple sources of data before selecting a particular hospital or doctor, and FOCUS ON: consolidates all that information in one easy-to-read document that can be shared, emailed, and printed."

Medeguide founder, Ruben Toral, describes FOCUS ON: as a "Swiss army knife--one simple tool that does many things." A former international hospital marketing director, Toral continues, "Consumers want relevant information in a format that can be shared easily with family and friends." Through direct connections to Medeguide's online doctor directory, FOCUS ON: users can review and share profiles of doctors and packages with the click of a mouse.

FOCUS ON: is the newest offering in a suite of products and services developed by Patients Beyond Borders and Medeguide to support consumers and connect patients with leading international hospitals. The two companies currently collaborate in a content-sharing partnership on Medeguide.com. FOCUS ON: furthers the collaboration by integrating content around specific hospitals.

Woodman and Toral continue to look at new opportunities in the medical travel industry through an approach they describe as "destinations to doctors." By coordinating and combining information on destinations, hospitals, treatment packages, and doctors, they believe patients will have better tools to make informed health care decisions.
For more information, please download the FOCUS ON: brochure at http://syndacast.com/go/FocusOnBrochure.

About Patients Beyond Borders
Patients Beyond Borders (www.patientsbeyondborders.com) is the best selling consumer guide to medical tourism. Its imprint, Healthy Travel Media, based in Chapel Hill, N.C., publishes books, eBooks, and Web-based consumer reference information on medical and wellness travel.

About Medeguide
Medeguide (www.medeguide.com) is an online doctor directory featuring medical and surgical specialists from leading medical centers around the world. Using Medeguide, consumers can search, find, and connect with doctors and hospitals directly for appointments and information.

Argentina Launches “Medical Tourism” Plan

BUENOS AIRES – The Argentine government on Monday launched a plan to promote “medical tourism,” whereby it hopes to attract visitors who divide their stays between getting medical treatment or operations and sightseeing.
Click here for the complete story.

Financial Advisory Firm Poised to Assist Medical Travel and Health Care Companies

Cerulean Advisors provides unbiased capital markets, financial, and strategic guidance to emerging small and mid-cap public and privately held healthcare companies. We offer senior management teams and their Boards of Directors recommendations, informed guidance, as well as introductions to firms involved in capital-raising transactions and independent research coverage, thus maximizing our clients’ equity market value. We closely align our interests with those of our clients in our business approach and compensation structure, ensuring that our advice is truly unbiased.

We assist our clients by providing the following services;

• Assess and enhance strategic direction and business plan, define working capital requirements to support growth,
• Define specific financing and strategic alternatives including M & A objectives,
• Evaluate alternative sources of growth capital and research coverage,
• Introduce investment banking/financial advisory firms,
• Introduce potential corporate partners and influential professionals,
• Refine company perception by astute positioning of business and future opportunities.

At Cerulean, advice is our only service. Rather than directing our energies toward consummating a particular transaction, we offer sound advice related to the transaction or on viable solutions to various financial/business issues executives need to address to ensure their business prospers.

We recommend courses of action after an evaluation of financial or strategic alternatives. In tandem, we provide guidance, direction, and insights related to the preferred course of action that senior management chooses to pursue and timely introductions to a number of corporate, investment banking/financial advisory firms, and influential professionals with whom your company may choose to associate with or engage.

Our principals and network of Advisory Board members are seasoned professionals with an in-depth knowledge of various sectors of health care as well as issues related to the capital markets. We offer clients a balanced depth of expertise that includes more than 75 years of combined experience in investment banking and financial advisory services, executive operations, and venture capital.

Andrew Sadosky is the founding principal of Cerulean Advisors. For more than two decades, he has been a leading investment banker to the health care industry. Sadosky developed his investment banking skills at Credit Suisse First Boston and established numerous industry relationships and transactional skills while at Punk Ziegel, Gruntal, and other midsized financial firms with a particular focus on the health care industry.

Andrew M. Sadosky
t: 917.733.4416
asadosky@ceruleanadvisors.com

Please refer to  http://ceruleanadvisors.com for further information.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cerulean Advisors

1. Why has Cerulean Advisors chosen to pursue a different business model of providing advisory services to emerging health care companies?
We believe that our clients’ and their shareholders’ interests, as well as those of other similar companies seeking capital markets and strategic guidance, are ultimately best served by providing truly unbiased advice. Furthermore, we believe that this can only be accomplished when an investment bank or other financial advisor is not put in a position of placing its own financial interests above those of its clients.’ In such manner, our interests are completely aligned with those of our clients.’

2. Why has Cerulean Advisors chosen to pursue this business model at this particular time?
Since the fall of 2008, the financial markets have undergone one of the most significant structural transformations in many years. With the accompanying financial abuses and reports of conflicts of interest receiving a heightened awareness, we believe that offering unbiased advice would be very well-received within this substantially altered and challenging capital markets landscape.

3. Have any other advisory firms pursued a business model similar to that of Cerulean Advisors?
We are unaware of any other advisory firm that employs our specific business model and form of primarily equity-linked compensation. There are a few other firms that claim to offer independent capital markets advice but appear to have a meaningful investor relations component to their business.

4. What is the ultimate test as to whether there is a conflict of interest between an investment bankering/financial advisory firm and its client?
Simply stated, if the investment banking firm is being paid a “transaction fee” or “success fee” upon consummation of a capital raising or M & A transaction, the potential for an inherent conflict of interest cannot be avoided.

5. How can our Company be assured that Cerulean Advisor’s advice will, in fact, be completely unbiased?
Since we are not being paid a “success fee,” we have no conflict of interest with our clients and absolutely no reason to be tainted in the capital markets advice that we provide. Furthermore, our firm is completely committed to providing the highest quality advice. After all, advice is our only service and our integrity will not be compromised.

6. If our Company retains Cerulean Advisors, does that mean that we will be paying unnecessary fees that we would not pay if we were to retain an investment banking firm or other financial advisory firm directly?
No, a traditional “success fee” will only be paid to the investment banking firm that your Company engages. We believe that our modest monthly cash retainer and equity compensation are a very fair price to ensure that your Company retains the most qualified and knowledgeable firm to meet your specific transaction or research coverage needs. In fact, we believe that we will be saving our clients substantial financial resources by ensuring that they will avoid future painful disruptions to their finances and operations that are the result of consummating ill-advised financial transactions.

7. What happens if our Company chooses not to follow your recommendations regarding which course of action we should pursue, firm we should engage in investment banking, independent research coverage, or other professional services?
The choice of which course of action or firm the Company chooses to retain is ultimately the sole decision of the management team and the Board of Directors. Cerulean Advisor’s responsibility is to offer guidance and insights—as well as possible outcomes—regarding the various financial and strategic alternatives available to the Company.

8. How will Cerulean Advisors interact with an investment bank, independent research firm, or other professional organization, as well as our management team, once we have commenced an engagement with such firm or organization?
Our principals will remain very closely involved with your Company throughout any engagement by a firm or organization that you have chosen to retain. Additionally, we will be maintaining a continuous dialogue with such firms to ensure your best interests are being addressed on a timely basis and will remain a high priority within their organization.

9. Can there ever be a situation in which Cerulean Advisors will go directly to funding sources on our behalf, and how will our Company be charged in such a situation?
In certain instances it may make sense for Cerulean Advisors to make a pre-emptive approach to the market before the decision is made to pursue an investment banking relationship. In such cases, the Company will have avoided the payment of a large success fee associated with a traditional capital-raising transaction.

10. How long is a typical engagement with Cerulean Advisors, and under what circumstances can our Company terminate your services?
There is no set term of an engagement with our firm as we remain flexible to accommodate the needs and circumstances of each of our clients. After the first three months, an engagement with our firm can be canceled at any time upon 30 days written notice. The first three-month exception is in recognition of the initial investment in time that is required by our principals to conduct a comprehensive review of our client’s business, operations, and financial condition.

11. What is the role of your Advisory Board members?
Our Advisory Board members are very carefully selected professionals who have distinguished themselves in one or more fields of expertise. We are fortunate to have the knowledge of these individuals to assist and guide the principals of Cerulean Advisors in developing the growth of our own business.

12. How can Cerulean Advisors afford to forego large success fees and still succeed as an advisory firm?
Cerulean Advisors is positioned to be our client’s most trusted capital markets advisor by closely aligning our interests with that of our client. As such, our firm and our principals take a longer term view towards achieving personal financial success than those professionals in a traditional investment bank or financial advisory firm.

13. What are the reactions of investment banking firms, independent research firms, or other professional service organizations you are introducing to your clients?
The response among these groups has been overwhelmingly positive as they recognize that Cerulean Advisors is in a position to direct potential business to their firms. And although some investment banks may be hesitant to admit it openly, they understand that both their clients’ and shareholders’ interests are represented more fairly and effectively when any potential conflicts of interest are eliminated.

South African patient assisted by Fly2india4health for her ACL repair surgery in India at Bangalore

October 24, 2009-- Medically sophisticated orthopedic surgery hospitals of Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore are providing less cost anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair surgery in India with the best medical care.

More and more health-conscious international patients seeking surgery are looking towards Eastern destinations, such as India, for their medical needs, including orthopedic procedures. The health care sector in this region has become a flourishing industry. Nora Seaman, 31, a citizen of South Africa was assisted by Fly2india4health for her ACL repair surgery in India at Bangalore. While searching for a cost-effective medical treatment in India, Nora came across Fly2india4health consultants on the Internet. She says, “Cost-saving options are rare in our country and one has to wait a long time for a medical appointment, so I thought of taking the services of medical tourism for my ACL repair surgery in India. The Indian hospital, along with its doctors and medical attendants, was really fantastic in terms of providing cost-effective health care and recovery services.”
The ACL is a major stabilizing ligament of the knee located in the center of the knee joint and runs from the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone). Its function is to prevent buckling of movement in the knee. The ACL usually tears with a sudden direction change or deceleration. Although different types of tissues have been utilized to reconstruct the ACL, the most common type of ACL reconstruction involves harvesting the central third of the patellar tendon with a bone block at each end of the tendon graft. After harvesting the tissue, drill guides are used to place holes in the tibia and femur bones. The graft is then pulled through the drill hole into the knee and placed in the same position as the original ligament. The reconstructed ACL is kept in place by using bio absorbable screws or metallic screws. Fastening the graft in this manner allows the blood vessels to flow into the ligament and heal it.

Indian surgeons are experts in the orthopedic surgery field and have vast experience and high success rates. Orthopedic surgeons use the latest techniques and the most modern technology to perform ACL repair surgery in India. This decreases the risk factors by a huge margin and makes the procedure faster and safer. The government is taking serious initiatives in this regards and plans to start overseas marketing of India as a medical tourism destination. Many tourists are taking advantage of the chance to experience India’s  cultural heritage while availing themselves of top-notch health and medical treatment.  To learn more  about  ACL repair surgery in India visit www.fly2india4health.com or contact us at enquiry@fly2india4health.com.

Companion Global Healthcare Adds Barcelona's Teknon Hospital to Network

Medical travel facilitator Companion Global Healthcare Inc. has accepted Centro Medico Teknon in Barcelona, Spain, into its network of accredited, international hospitals that treat
American patients at prices substantially lower than those at U.S. facilities.

The addition of Teknon Hospital represents another option for Companion Global Healthcare’s individual clients and employer group members to obtain surgery and other care from a credentialed facility at preferred prices. All Companion Global Healthcare network hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission International, and rates are up to 90 percent less than at hospitals in the United States.
 
“Teknon employs the latest technology in every area of patient care, and we are delighted to include this hospital in our network,” said David Boucher, president and COO of Companion Global Healthcare. “Teknon has years of experience in treating American patients, and it offers amenities such as a VIP lounge, a business center, computers, snacks, newspapers and televisions that contribute to a complete positive experience for the patient.”
 
Teknon and Companion Global Healthcare worked closely with MAPE Tourism Consulting of Spain to facilitate the agreement.
  
About Companion Global Healthcare
Based in Columbia, S.C., Companion Global Healthcare offers medical travel concierge services and an international network of dental clinics and accredited hospitals to individuals, as well as to self-insured employer groups. An employer can save tens of thousands of dollars any time a single employee chooses treatment at a Companion Global Healthcare network hospital, even after factoring in travel expenses.
 
Companion Global Healthcare Inc. provides medical and dental travelers with round-trip assistance and customer service, as well as preferred pricing at its network facilities. It serves as a single launch point for appointments, travel arrangements, case management coordination services upon return to the United States, medical travel insurance, and help with claims filing.
 
Employer groups interested in restructuring their benefit plans to include Companion Global Healthcare’s network and services should call 1-800-906-7065.

VOLUNTOURISM

Editor's Note:  Thanks to the volunteer efforts from medical professionals, clinical voluntourism is fast becoming a new and notable way to spread good health. In this new section of Medical Travel Today we'll highlight the way different members of the health care community are giving back worldwide.

If you have a story to share, please let us know (ahaar@cpronline.com).

The 'nightwalker' children in Northern Uganda travel from town to town in the middle of the night to avoid being abducted and forced into a life of violence. They sleep on dirt and their clothes are tattered. They are orphans seeking refuge from a life of constant running and torture. They haven't had a good meal or a proper night's sleep in years. In fact, most of them don't know if they're sick, infected, or carrying a virus. Most have never seen a doctor or, just as importantly, a dentist.

Enter: the dentist.

We likely share the same memories of dentist visits as kids. The twice-annual 30-minute check-ups and occasional drillings are a memory we won't soon forget.

But imagine a world without toothbrushes, bubblegum toothpaste, or mint-flavored floss. Imagine a mouth full of cavities and so painful that you aren’t able to properly chew your food. Imagine not having your teeth at all. It's a familiar reality for children around the world, but thanks to volunteer efforts from our local dentists, underprivileged kids in impoverished countries—including the nightwalker children—are being treated to free cleanings, free supplies, and a new outlook on dental hygiene.

Through International Smile Power, a non-profit focused on providing dental health and preventative education to people around the world, approximately 1,500 dentists in the United States are providing free dental health care, training locals in basic dentistry, and supplying the basic necessities of good oral hygiene to under-served populations in developing nations.

"We go into the schools and teach prevention, and our goal is to raise a new generation that takes good care of their teeth, which can impact the overall health of the community," said Jerri Shinn, co-founder of International Smile Power. "We tend to go to the most impoverished areas outside the big cities. We work in orphanages and schools, where most people in these countries do not have access to any kind of dental care."

But it goes beyond the dentist's chair. According to Shinn, a close friendship forms between the dentist, the patient, and even the kids in the United States who help create the educational programs for other kids their age. Before leaving on a mission, dentists meet with kids at local schools to discuss dental prevention. The children, in return, write notes and make necklaces for their fellow students in other countries. The result: the dentist chair becomes a portal for pen pals and friendships.

"Medical volunteering (physicians, dentists, ophthalmologists, etc.) is important in that these people are addressing real issues and providing care in an area of work that many take for granted," said Sarah Van Auken, founder of Volunteering Global. "How many of us sigh every time our semi-annual dental appointment rolls around? The dentists who take these volunteer trips provide much-needed care to those who may never have had a checkup in their lives – or even those who can’t afford such basic commodities as a toothbrush. These trips allow a person to travel a world away to give basic care to an under-served community; the experience is enriching for the volunteer, and the effects are profound on the person being served."


A Smile Power Clinic in Uganda
Photo courtesy of Smile Power

Volunteers with Smile Power travel from two to six weeks a year, depending upon the location. The dentists pay for airfare, but are provided with supplies, equipment, and transportation in the communities they serve. It costs International Smile Power  from $11,000 to $13,000 to organize a mission, according to Shinn, but the results, she says, are worth it.

As for the natural hesitation that comes with visiting the dentist?

"Some kids are apprehensive, but once they see the older people coming and that they aren't in anguish and pain, it works out fine," said Shinn. "They are so happy to get relief from the pain they live with."

Another happy International Smile Power patient
Photo courtesy of Smile Power
 
To get involved in International Smile Power visit http://www.smilepower.org.

About Melanie Nayer

UPCOMING EVENTS

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 Tele' 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 ' technology, which is held in the neighboring city of Duesseldorf from November 18-21, 2009.

National Newspaper confirms support for Health & Medical Tourism Show
The Independent Newspaper has confirmed support of the forthcoming Destination Health exhibition, which is set to take place on 17 - 18 April 2010 in London.
Destination Health is a brand new exhibition designed exclusively for people planning to travel abroad for all types of treatments.

If you are involved in any aspect of health tourism, then you should be exhibiting at Destination Health.

For everything from heart disease to hip replacements, breast implants, and medical spas, Destination Health is dedicated to every area of health tourism. It brings together thousands of patients and medical providers under one roof and offers an exclusive platform to meet people who are ready to invest in their personal health, body image, and well-being.
Whatever the size or nature of your business, if you want to promote and increase awareness of your health and medical travel services in a focused and dedicated environment, you should be at Destination Health.

To find out more, visit the Destination Health website or call us on + 44 (0) 20 8230 0066 or email sales@destinationhealth.co.uk

European Medical Travel Conference Slated for May 5-7, 2010

The European Medical Travel Conference 2010 in Venice, Italy, is the ideal platform to meet European and international partners and benefit from the latest thinking on medical travel. It runs from Wednesday, May 5 to  Friday, May 7.

The style of the conference has evolved from that of previous European Congresses... in Budapest in 2009, and in Munich in 2008. It is a compelling mix of business, science, and practical experience.

Attend: Previous major congresses on Medical Travel and Health Tourism in Europe have attracted over 300 participants. We’re expecting even more for EMTC 2010.
Check out the benefits of being a participant in EMTC 2010.

Exhibit: We have 500 sq. m. for the exhibition during the conference, which will accommodate about 30 stands. Take advantage of the special rate of €1,300 until December, 31, 2009.

Contribute: Good speakers are a valuable part of the conference. The organizers invite you to become a speaker and offer compensation commensurate with your contribution.
Download the speaker application form

Sponsor: Support Europe’s premier medical travel event and maximize your company profile.

Email chairman@emtc2010.com for more details.

Asia Medical Tourism & Wellness Congress @ Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia May 13-14, 2010

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia will be hosting an international event next year in Berjaya Times Square. Medical Tourism & Wellness Congress (GLOW 2010) will be an international trade exhibition running concurrently with a multi-stream conference session.

GLOW 2010 will gather senior-level decision makers across the health care, wellness, and corporate executive sectors from around the world to brainstorm on issues concerning their industry.

The objectives of the Congress are:

• To bring together our clients who are senior decision makers in major organizations across the region (100 - 150)
• To provide an exciting neutral platform for vendors/solution/service providers to position themselves effectively
• To conduct marketing/ advertising and promote brand awareness
• To conduct business development activities to a targeted focused audience
• To network and benchmark with professionals as well as other vendors and solution/service providers

GLOW 2010 will bring together our clients who are key corporate professionals in the medical, spa, and wellness sectors across the Asia Pacific and Middle East region to provide an exciting platform for vendors and solution providers to position themselves effectively. We estimate in excess of 100 to 150 senior-level decision makers for the exclusive conference in addition to walk-in trade visitors of over 1,500 for the exhibition.

A wide variety of sponsorship opportunities are available. Visit http://www.glow2010.com/ to learn more.

Central and Eastern Europe Medical Tourism and Healthcare Summit  
May 17-18, 2010, at the Aristos Hotel, Zagreb, Croatia

Medical Tourism in Central and Eastern Europe has been increasing rapidly. The region as a whole offers a variety of affordable treatments and procedures within easy reach of most travelers.

Global Engage, in partnership with Global Health Consulting of Croatia, is pleased to announce this international summit, which will bring together and showcase facilitators, providers, and medical organizations from across the region including Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, and surrounding countries to meet and network with senior level delegates from all over the world.

The Central and Eastern Europe Medical Tourism and Healthcare Summit will include an exhibition area, workshops, and a two-day conference agenda featuring an international speaker panel focusing and sharing their experiences on current issues affecting medical tourism and health care in the region and the world in general.

A further dedicated conference stream will focus on dental medical tourism providing an educational platform for dentists in the Central and Eastern European region to develop their business internationally and attract foreign patients to their practices.

There will be adequate time provided for networking and forming collaborations with potential partners over business lunches, drinks reception, and a gala dinner and the opportunity to visit local medical facilities.

Attend as a delegate or if you prefer to gain increased exposure for your company or organization please enquire about our exclusive exhibition, sponsorship, and marketing options.

To view further details of the conference agenda, speakers, sponsorship, and registration details please visit - http://www.globalengage.co.uk/central_eastern_european_medical_tourism_summit.html

Or to discuss your participation in more detail contact Steve Hambrook (Conference Director). Tel +44 (0) 1865 811 189 or email steve@globalengage.co.uk