THIS WEEK IN MEDICAL TRAVEL TODAY
Volume 4, Issue 11

by Amanda Haar, Editor

Greetings,

Often when you hear people speak of medical travel you hear them refer to how "new" the industry is. I think a better choice of word might be "young." The truth is there's nothing really "new" about being a global service provider. The challenges faced by those in the industry are the same challenges faced by countless other international service providers who have been around for decades: finding the right customers, attracting them to your service, providing a great customer experience, staying current on advances and standards, and upholding the image of your individual organization and industry.

Many of the companies featured in this week's issue of Medical Travel Today are focusing specifically on one or more of those aspects of the service spectrum. From reaching the right target market to ensuring a great experience, medical travel professionals worldwide are actively working to hone their skills and build a better industry. One we hope will succeed for decades to come.

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

Cheers,

Amanda Haar, Editor
ahaar@cpronline.com

SPOTLIGHT: Elizabeth Ziemba

Elizabeth Ziemba, president, Medical Tourism Training

Medical Travel Today (MTT): When and why did you launch Medical Tourism Training?

Elizabeth Ziemba (EZ): Medical Tourism Training was formally organized in September 2009 and launched February of this year.

The idea really came from a few places.

First, international medical travel is a relatively new industry and everyone is doing their best to find their way. However, there's a need for standards particularly as they relate to people skills and customer service. 

I like to say that medical travel is the crossroads between hospitals and hospitality, and as such it demands a new set of skills for people on both sides of that equation.

Second, in my role as consultant, I am involved in an independent research project. The purpose of the project is to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing efforts by JCI-hospitals to attract patients from the United States. While we are looking at JCI hospitals around the world, we began by looking at hospitals in Latin America trying to attract bariatric surgery patients. We analyzed their websites and other marketing efforts, even how quickly they responded to our queries. This same model will be applied to different regions of the world, but at this time we're only two-fifths of the way through the project. However, the one thing that is abundantly clear is the need for more customer service training.

I've heard similar comments and complaints about weak customer service standards at the many conferences I attend and working with medical travel clients.

Combined, these demonstrated a real need for measurable standards.
At the same time the research is being conducted, Medical Tourism Training has developed its first training project on behalf of the Hotel Ramada Plaza Herradura in San Jose, Costa Rica.

The management of the hotel was looking for a training program for their staff to help them be better prepared for the special challenges that medical tourists present to hospitality staff. The management is forward-thinking and recognized that in order to attract people with various heath aspects to stay at their hotel, the staff needed training. And I mean everyone…from senior management, housekeeping, food service, front door staff, reception, and so on. Literally everyone.  

In terms of the actual training, the training program focuses on several topics. 
First, the program begins with some basics like explaining to the staff what medical tourism is and how it is different from traditional hospitality services. We use slides to show the staff what a medical tourist might look like after plastic surgery, dental surgery, or orthopedic surgery. And as you know, if you're not prepared, the appearance of such guests can be quite startling.  By sensitizing them to the potential appearance of a guest, the staff are better prepared to react more appropriately and calmly when addressing a guest's needs.

 We also worked with the head chef to develop a special menu for medical travel guests. The Ramada has three great restaurants so this wasn't about teaching them how to cook. It was about how to prepare food for someone who, say, has had dental surgery and can't eat hot or cold food or anything that might stain teeth.  With our help, the hotel has developed a nutritious menu that for several days can sustain someone with food restrictions.  

And the program also covers techniques such as how to properly assist someone in or out of a wheelchair, how to safely put on and take off latex gloves, how to dispose of medical waste, and so on. These are things they are not necessarily taught in traditional hospitality training but that the staff of a medical travel hotel may face on a daily basis.

MTT: Are your programs aimed specifically at hospitality or do you also do training for hospitals?

EZ: At this time, we're working specifically on the hospitality side and how to care for a medical tourist.

We are in the early stages of developing customer service training programs that will be useful across the board. This is intended more for the health care side of the industry as the hospitality folks are generally very good at customer service. They're used to receiving guests who speak different languages, are from different cultures, and so on. But for health care providers, this kind of patient diversity can be quite challenging.
Many hospitals are aiming their marketing directly at consumers. Consumers then contact the hospital, and their first-line staff isn't really poised or prepared to handle customer service type queries. Now imagine if you're a consumer and you can't get help on what you consider a simple query --  you're probably not going to be too eager to go that hospital for care.

We anticipate our training will fix those first-line contact issues.

MTT: Are there particular countries or regions that are seeking your services more than others?

EZ: Most of the interest is coming from countries in Central and Latin America although we're also fielding calls from Asian nations. As the company grows, we hope to serve clients from all around the world.  Our training programs can be adapted to fit local or regional needs while keeping the content relevant and up to date.  We are always looking at best practices to improve our products.

MTT: Are there any cultural differences that present an especially big challenge to hotels and staff?

EZ: Our training program specifically addresses cultural sensitivity training.  For example, for the training we did at the Ramada Plaza Herradura, we addressed cultural sensitivity issues and sought to bring out the differences between different cultures. By reviewing the hotel’s guest list, we found that most patrons are from Central and South America while some are from Europe, and a growing number are from Asia. We learned that the Asian guests presented the greatest challenge to staff because of cultural differences.

Simply sharing with staff the differences in the nature of Asian versus Central American business people proved very enlightening. In Central America the people are very physical and affectionate in their business greetings. On the other hand, Asian cultures are much, much more reserved. A bow may be more appropriate than a handshake and most Asian business people would never kiss in a business setting, something that is very common in Latin America. When we covered this material with the staff, you could see light bulbs going off around the room and members of staff came away with a good understanding of how to make their Asian guests feel at home.

It's the little things that really make a big difference in how comfortable a guest feels, and it is easy to overlook cultural differences or miss them entirely. In our flat world, cultural sensitivity training is more important than ever for successful business transactions and to ensure that staff is able to perform its duties at the highest level.

MTT: You made reference to standards. Is your intent to create a certification program?

EZ: Initially we are basing our training programs on business best practices combined with our professional experience.  I would certainly be delighted to work with any government or professional organization or ministries that have medical tourism certification programs in development.  I'm aware that there are some countries considering developing programs. Our team of experts is well qualified to help develop certification programs in medical tourism.  We'd be delighted to assist them. Until then, we will work hard to create training programs that will set high standards for the organizations working in the exciting field of international health travel.

About Elizabeth Ziemba, JD, MPH - President

With a diverse background in public health, law and business, Elizabeth brings a unique set of skills and experience to Medical Tourism Training. Elizabeth has worked as a consultant to various medical tourism businesses and governmental agencies, focusing on developing and implementing marketing and market research solutions. As a skilled writer, she has published extensively on various business topics including medical tourism. Her focus on practical solutions based on years of business experience provides tangible benefits to the company's clients. Elizabeth was awarded a Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University School of Law and a Masters in International Public Health from Boston University.

For more information, please contact: Elizabeth Ziemba, President, Medical Tourism Training, Inc., 1018 Beacon Street, Suite 201, Brookline, MA 02446 USA. Telephone: (857) 366- 1315. eziemba@medicaltourismtraining.com. 

Visit the web site at: www.MedicalTourismTraining.com

PERSPECTIVES: Reflections from EMTC 2010

Laura Carabello, Publisher, Medical Travel Today
Venice, Italy, May 2010

The splendors of Venice provided a provocative backdrop to the recent European Medical Conference, where 350 global health care leaders convened to examine the opportunities for industry growth and expansion. Thanks to Uwe Klein, M.D., for staging www.emtc2010.com and looking forward to Barcelona, Spain in 2011.

Admittedly, many of these personal observations carry a distinct U.S. flavor.  Here are some of the key items that were presented during didactic and informal discussions:

1. Globalization of health care is a reality, with the ease-of-travel making it simple to get to the best location for accessing the highest quality, most cost-efficient care. Distance is no longer a barrier, but areas in close proximity to the U.S. – including Central America and Brazil -- will attract Americans.
2. Quality is the key determinant for selecting a health care provider. Going forward, it will be critical to develop worldwide-accepted standards for assessing quality.
3. Accreditation is important, but there is growing concern about the cost of achieving the Joint Commission International stamp of approval. Other accreditation bodies may prove to be equal to market acceptance.
4. Several not-for-profit medical travel associations have emerged to serve specific geographic locations. They could be united in a “federation” that would meet the global needs of the medical travel industry.  Follow-up discussions are already underway.
5. The United States continues to be a “destination of choice” for global medical travelers—and is ranked among the top three.
6. European “Centers of Excellence” will make a strong play for medical travelers. Italy, France, Spain, and Germany are positioned to challenge Asia and South America.
7. Safety is a major concern of many medical travelers — political unrest and violence threatens the viability of medical travel to many locations.  Bangkok and parts of Mexico provide recent examples.
8. Worldwide initiatives and cooperation to support medical travel are needed—and welcomed by most.
9. U.S.-Domestic medical travel continues to attract the interest of American employers.
10. Medical tourism is still a nascent industry, but there is continued investment in businesses to serve the growing number of individuals seeking care and treatment “away from home.”

About Laura Carabello
Laura Carabello has been an entrepreneur and strategy consultant in both domestic and international businesses related to healthcare and technology since 1985. She has a particular interest in medical travel, healthcare information technology, managed care and employee benefits, pharmaceuticals and other related business-to-business and direct-to-consumer companies. Founder and Principal Owner of CPR Strategic Marketing and Communications, Laura has more than 25 years’ experience and has worked with more than 1,000 companies in the areas of business development, marketing and corporate positioning. She was a member of the advisory board of the International Medical Tourism Association and in 2009 was named “Humanitarian of the Year” by the American Chiropractic Association. Laura has been invited for membership status in the Healthcare Women’s Leadership Trust and honored by the NJ Association of Women Business Owners. She joined the YWCA Board in January 2010.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Political crisis hits medical tourism sector

The prolonged political crisis has hit the medical tourism industry, as international patients lose confidence in the Kingdom and in many cases fly to chief competitor Singapore, instead. However, some private hospitals are keeping their revenue projections for this year unchanged, having recorded impressive operating results in the first quarter.

For the complete story click here.

Local Entrepreneur Aims To Capture U.S. Medical Travel Market

EL NORTE - Monterrey, Mexico — Although recent news and uncertainty is slowing the flow of foreign patients into Monterrey, the medical tourism market is still attractive to entrepreneurs.

In Mexico, cosmetic surgery has a cost between 65 and 80 percent less than in the United States and at least 1.5 million people in that country seek these procedures every year, says Gabriel Senior, founder of Travel for Care, an intermediary company between U.S. and Canadian patients and doctors and hospitals in Tijuana and Monterrey.

Studies by Senior estimate that to date some 50,000 Americans travel to another country for medical treatment every year. "Of those, about 35,000 travel to Mexico. The remaining 15,000 are to destinations in Central America and Asia. Of the 35,000 people who come to Mexico, a large proportion are Hispanic that come naturally to the country on business or visiting family,” adding that the attractive market is the 15,000 to 20,000 people who are non-Hispanic Americans, middle-income because this niche could trigger medical tourism in Mexico.

"On the other hand, in the United States, there are 46 million uninsured. Of these, about 12 million could go abroad to seek medical procedures because they have the necessary income and the mentality to do so,” Senior adds. “Of those 12 million, 300 000 require surgeries.  Mexico is an attractive destination for patients because of differences in prices for elective surgeries are between 60 and 75 percent less than in the U.S. For example, a gastric bypass can cost $ 28,000 in the U.S. and in Mexico is around $ 12,000.”

 A year into his business, Senior serves about eight patients per month and expects in a year to be serving above 20 per month.

Travel Care has a network of three to four physicians for each of the seven specialties offered. They work with hospitals San Jose del Tec de Monterrey, CIMA, Hospital Angeles in Tijuana, and outpatient surgery facilities in which the costs can be 20 to 30 percent lower. To date, its operations are divided in the same proportion in Tijuana and Monterrey. They have a network in Reynosa for customers who prefer lower rates. Senior estimates an annual growth of 25 to 30 percent for the medical tourism market --  the number of Americans who are embracing this trend.

"The commitment to medical tourism is big because, apart from traditional patients, there is also potential to attract corporate customers, i.e. companies that insure their employees and packages that may be offered elective in Mexico at a lower cost.

“The major challenge here is to increase the promotion at a national level,” Senior adds. “Remember we have competitors such as India and Thailand, which have active campaigns to attract medical tourism, and in Mexico, we do not even make a tenth of the noise they make."

Health Travel Technologies Announces Strategic Partnership with Boomers Abroad

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) May 10, 2010 -- Health Travel Technologies (HTT), the medical travel technology firm whose proprietary platform powers leading North American medical tourism agencies including Health Travel Guides and Dental Travel, has signed an agreement with Boomers Abroad to provide a medical travel portal service for the popular Boomer's Abroad website.

Health Travel Technologies is a business-to-business provider of medical tourism solutions and services that enable health care provider networks to cost-effectively  market, operate, and manage international patient operations.

Boomers Abroad, a niche portal, online community, and social network, was launched in 2009 to provide information, education, and alternatives to the millions of Americans and Canadians now living in, visiting, or planning to relocate to Latin America.

Approximately seven million Americans and Canadians currently live abroad and that amount is expected to double in the next 10 years. Many of those are retirees looking for warmer weather and a lower cost of living, something Latin America delivers with ease.
Boomers Abroad CEO and managing director Luis Miranda says, "Having the medical travel element as part of our site is important not only for retirees that need to figure out how to locate quality health care options while living in another country, but also for those Americans and Canadians who can't afford to get the health care they need at home."

This sentiment is reflected in the numbers. According to the Medical Tourism Association, there continues to be a strong upward trend in the number of North Americans traveling abroad for health care. An estimated 1.5 million U.S. residents traveled for medical treatment in 2008. This number is expected to hit six million by the end of 2010.

Nishant Bagadia, director of Strategy and Business Development for Health Travel Technologies, says, "Boomers Abroad is a great new partner addition for Health Travel Technologies. They offer a targeted community-based website where people wanting to live, work, and play in Mexico and beyond go for very specific needs --  and health care is very high on that list. They provide us with a database of 18,000 people in need of medical travel services--and we can provide them with dozens of options for credentialed, high-quality health care in Latin America, comparable (and often times superior) to what they experience at home, at rates up to 75 percent less than they are used to paying. It's a win-win situation."

Miranda adds, "There are many good sites for information, but we think that there is no substitute for the real testimonials of those already living life in another country. Our community consists of leading industry experts who have journeyed ahead that share their personal experiences and knowledge in a great variety of areas, such as top destinations, community highlights, attractions, real estate, mortgages, using IRAs, finance and lending, health care and insurance. We are happy to add Health Travel Technologies to our stable of experts."

Retail Travel Professionals Benefit from Medical Tourism
 
(I-Newswire) May 10, 2010 - Atlanta, GA -- The international leisure tour industry has been in a slump for the past few years, but a new product -- medical tourism -- is finally providing the means for a positive recovery and growth for many years into the future.

Last year, more than one million Americans traveled overseas for medical treatment, and fewer than 30 percent involved dental or cosmetic procedures. As the number of uninsured and under-insured continues to grow, Americans are finding they can plan their surgery in another country and save 50 to 60 percent off the price of health care at home.

Fears about the quality of offshore surgery soon vanish when prospective patients discover that Harvard Medical, Johns Hopkins, the Mayo Clinic, and 18 of the leading U.S. medical schools anticipated the growing demand for the outsourcing of medical procedures, and are all operating leading-edge hospitals overseas.

Jack Schafer of Global Surgery Providers, Inc. says, "It has taken our company three years of traveling and visiting medical facilities around the world to set up our network of 16 providers from among the very best hospitals and surgeons anywhere. It was surprising how many quality U.S. facilities have operations that expanded overseas not only for the tremendous cost savings, but also for the opportunity to work with medical processes and procedures that are not available here."

One such treatment with a tremendous following beyond U.S. borders is adult stem cell treatments.

Congressional approval of the new U.S. health care initiative is expected to give medical tourism an even further boost. Industry experts who had anticipated a two-fold growth in overseas medical travel now foresee its expansion by five times in the next two years. That translates into five million new customers shopping for travel agents.

Now an Atlanta company, one of only seven accredited medical tourism facilitators in the world, is changing everything. Global Surgery Providers (GSP) has announced a new program for training and licensing travel agencies to handle the hundreds of patient leads they receive every day on a more personal basis. GSP founder and CEO Jack Schafer has been a wholesale leisure tour operator since 1985. He became a pioneer in medical tourism and earned distinction as the first and only "Wholesale Medical Tour Operator" in the industry.

"There is not only a desire for retail travel agencies to get involved in this explosive new business," says Schafer, "but those of us dealing with the assurances that the trip experience and the procedure are perfect, need local representatives who are able to work one-on-one with patients/clients as well. This is a natural fit. W need these agencies now to assist us in this exploding client-paid industry sector. As we continue to evolve into providing 50 percent medical and surgical discounts to self-insured companies and the insurance industry, we need to have hands-on representatives around the country."

Schafer adds, "This is the 800 lb. gorilla just now entering the room, and those who are not afraid to grow will have a brand new industry to expand into. I've been a tour man for a many years, and believe me when I say, this industry has never seen another niche that will have this much impact."

This licensing program is the first venture of any medical tourism company to develop a distribution channel involving local agencies. "With the medical outsourcing industry expecting growth over 40 percent per year," Schafer says, "we need to have quality trained people in place to represent the client, and this licensing and training program does just that.

“Training is at the forefront, and with Internet services and DVD, that process is ongoing. From an agency standpoint, insurance and liability remain concerns, but with this new licensing program, our agencies are licensed under our umbrella as long as they follow our protocol. Lots of different industry players have tried to stake their claim in medical tourism, but this is not for the mom and pop or the weak of heart. This is a sector of the tourism industry that has the potential to dwarf leisure travel in the next three years."
This year GSP plans to start turning over all of the leads generated from 32 medical tourism related Internet sites, and by year's end they will be strictly wholesale operators, expecting upward of 100 licensed agencies around the U.S.

Global Surgery Providers is now offering exclusive territories to travel agents who qualify, and once they start turning over client leads, they will be contacting the larger agencies in each market to introduce them to the industry. Schafer says, "As a facilitator in Atlanta, we've had to work with clients all over the country, and send them to facilities all over the world. What had always been missing was the one-on-one contact. As a tour operator working with a traveler, our agencies were critical in the introduction, sales, and personal contact with the traveler. But these are not just travelers, they are patients who need someone local they can develop a relationship with."

Schafer adds, "This program lets GSP reach out and work closer with our clients, brings local agencies into the food chain of an exciting new market, and most importantly, enhances the value and outcome of what we are doing here to the patient. That is what medical tourism is all about. We are eagerly looking forward to the launch of this new distribution channel that will better serve both the travel industry and their clients."

Medical tourism licensing information is available by calling 877-866-8558 or by email to: Jack@GlobalSurgeryProviders.com.

Medical Tourism Company WorldMed Assist names Jim DiFalco Vice President of Business Development

Concord, CA – WorldMed Assist, LLC, a world leader in medical tourism, has named Jim DiFalco its vice president of Business Development.  DiFalco will lead WorldMed Assist’s continued expansion to self-funded employers and insurance companies.

“We are very excited about adding Jim to our leadership team,” says Wouter Hoeberechts, CEO of WorldMed Assist. “Jim’s insurance background and extensive work with self-funded employers, coupled with his general management and overall leadership skills, will enable us to continue our growth beyond our already dominant position in the medical travel retail market.”

Prior to joining WorldMed Assist, DiFalco spent six years with Blue Shield of California, a $9B health plan focused solely on the California market.  At Blue Shield, he managed the development and distribution of self-funded products to mid-size and large group employers, Taft Hartley groups, and Public Sector entities.  Among his accomplishments, he oversaw a 700 percent increase in the premium and client base of Blue Shield’s stop loss business.

Prior to Blue Shield, DiFalco held a variety of leadership positions in sales, product management, and marketing for medical products manufacturers and distributors.  Key roles included national account responsibility for McKesson, AmeriSource Bergen, General Electric, and IBM.  He has an undergraduate degree from Swarthmore College and an M.B.A. from Pace University.

About WorldMed Assist
WorldMed Assist provides medical travel services to corporations, insurance companies, and individuals.  Their program has enabled hundreds of patients to access high quality, affordable medical treatment abroad. WorldMed Assist provides turnkey solutions that are fully integrated with the U.S. health care system. Its staff of nurses aims to provide the highest level of customer service in the industry.

Experts in facilitating global health care, WorldMed Assist's mission is to improve lives by helping patients receive high quality medical treatment abroad at reasonable prices. WorldMed Assist coordinates and simplifies every aspect of care and travel.  Waiting times are virtually eliminated, track records are proven, and facilities are state-of-the-art.  Visit www.worldmedassist.com to learn more about medical travel.  WorldMed Assist also provides medical tourism as an option for self-insured businesses seeking expanded and affordable health care options for employees.

First Latin American Global Medicine Conference A Resounding Success
Lake Geneva, WI (PRWEB) May 10, 2010 -- Costa Rica hosted the First Latin American Global Medicine Conference in its capital city of San Jose, with over 450 people from the U.S., Mexico, Central and South America in attendance, along with over 80 exhibitors such as Joint Commission International-accredited hospitals, dental clinics, recovery centers, and hotels.

“The feedback has been overwhelming from our group of over 40 people that Costa Rican Medical Care brought down from the states,” says Tim Morales, president of Costa Rican Medical Care. “We were fortunate to have some of the biggest players in the self-insured market and employee benefits, and some of the larger HSA administrators looking into medical tourism to help save their clients money on health care. Everyone came away with a new understanding of the quality of medical care people can receive in Costa Rica.”

The conference started out with addresses by Costa Rican Minister of Competitiveness Jorge Woodbridge; Allen Flores, Minister of Tourism; Ana Cecilia Morice, M.D., Minister of Health; Minister to the President, Rodrigo Arias; and Jorge Cortes, M.D., president of PROMED.

Former White House health care advisor, Roy Ramthun, discussed the recently enacted health reforms in the U.S. and their implications for medical tourism. The conference offered many different workshops of interest as well.

“We would like to thank all of the many people that went into organizing the event, especially Hernan Campos, Massimo Manzi, and Mauricio Sanchez Gomez,” says Tim Morales. “We would also like to thank the event sponsors CADEXCO (Chamber of Exporters of Costa Rica), PROMED (Council for the International Promotion of Costa Rica Medicine), PROCOMER (Promoter of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica), ICT (Institute of Tourism), Programa Nacional de Competitividad (National Competitiveness Program), and the many other sponsors that helped make this show a great success. We look forward to participating in this event for years to come.”

If you would like more information on travel to Costa Rica for medical or dental care or would like to offer this option to your clients, please contact Costa Rican Medical Care at 262-348-1300, or visit www.costaricanmedicalcare.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Destination Health Rescheduled for June 26-27, 2010

Destination Health, a consumer event for the growing numbers of people
planning on and interested in travelling abroad for health and medical treatments, has confirmed new dates after having to cancel the original event because of the effect of the volcanic ash cloud. 

Visitors can come to the show for free if they pre-register on the Destination Health website www.destinationhealth.co.uk.

All the original exhibitors will be attending the event, which will give potential medical tourists the opportunity to meet doctors and personnel from around the world, compare and discuss treatment options and attend seminars on all aspects of medical tourism including fertility treatment, tips and advice on everything the medical traveler needs to know, medical travel insurance and many other subjects.

Destination Health has been launched to help the increasing numbers of British medical tourists find out all they need to know about travelling aboard for health and medical treatment. The two-day event will showcase top hospitals, clinics, and spas from around the globe giving visitors the opportunity to meet doctors and medical specialists, get free advice, and explore various treatment options abroad including cosmetic surgery, dental treatments, the growing trend for obesity surgery and fertility treatments -- among others. 

With a large amount of exhibitors at the event it will be easy for potential patients to easily find the type of medical specialists they are looking for. The event is divided into different areas to include sections for dentistry and cosmetic surgery, fertility and conception, medical spa and wellness and general treatments and procedures and the organizers, Bluewater Events, are expecting a large audience.

Nav Mann, event director says: “Interest from exhibitors and consumers in the event indicates that we expect a high turnout and hope that Destination Health will become a popular annual event for the medical tourism businesses and consumers alike.”

www.destinationhealth.co.uk

The Second Malta Medical Tourism Summit by Europe Business Assembly  

The second Malta Medical Tourism Summit, June 26, 2010, St. Julians (Malta) at the Corinthia San Gorg Hotel and Business Centre, is set to bring together many senior figures within the industry.

The events of the forum will be held under intellectual and organizing support of the Government of the Republic as well as leading medical institutions of Malta - St. James and St. Phillip Hospitals.

The official organizer of the summit Europe Business Assembly (United Kingdom) under the auspices of 'Malta Enterprise' Corporation (Malta).

The Europe Business Assembly (EBA) is an independent international project-development and management organization.  

Our international panel of expert speakers will be sharing their thoughts and experiences on topics such as:

-The dynamics of the current medical tourism marketplace
-Implementation of cross border healthcare collaborations
-Regulation and accreditation, currently and in the future
-More effective marketing, addressing the issues and capitalizing on the opportunities

To view the current agenda and speaker list, visit: www.ebaoxford.co.uk/Malta_Medical_programme_06_10.html.

Asian Countries Unite for Medical Tourism in IMWell Summit
With the Philippines spearheading the initiative for Asia to be a regional hub for health, wellness, and retirement, representatives of different Asian countries including India, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore are set to gather in the International Summit on Medical Travel, Wellness and Retirement (IMWell Summit) on October 12-15, 2010, at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel to discuss the most important issues in global health care.
A convergence of health care, hospitality, and travel industry leaders, the IMWell Summit is envisioned to be a forum for different countries to hold multilateral dialogues and discuss how they can cooperate for the region to further develop medical and wellness tourism.

“Without question, medical travel has significantly transformed the face of global health care,” says Undersecretary Cynthia Carrion, who heads the Department of Tourism’s Office for Sports and Wellness. “The pool of patients around the world seeking medical treatment abroad has grown, with increasing cost efficiency and adoption of advanced medical technology overseas. This presents a huge opportunity for us, and it is only fitting that the Philippines is hosting the IMWell Summit, as we have already proven our country to be an emerging powerhouse as a health and wellness destination.”

According to the Department of Tourism, the number of overseas patients and clients visiting the Philippines has rapidly increased from 60,000 foreign patients in 2007 to about 100,000 foreign patients in 2008 and gross revenues estimated to be at US$350mn since the program was launched in 2006. In light of this booming phenomenon, the Department of Tourism expects the Philippines to corner a total of US$3bn of the global medical tourism industry by 2015, with 200,000 foreign patients arriving annually.

“The IMWell Summit demonstrates that the Philippines is at the forefront of this ‘sunrise’ industry, which has been a key driver in our economic growth. As a pioneering initiative in the whole region, it also establishes our pro-active stance in cooperating with our neighboring countries and making them partners in medical tourism,” says Joyce Alumno, Conference director.

The four-day event features a full agenda that includes plenary sessions on Industry Perspectives, Opportunities and Risks; Regional Presentation of Best Practices; Global Opportunities in the Retirement Industry; Marketing and Branding for Global Markets; Quality Management and the Continuity of Care; and the Future of Medical Tourism and Healthcare Travel Industry.

The IMWell Summit also includes Executive Workshops about Balanced Score Card in Healthcare Organization and Effective Leadership Styles in Healthcare Organization. Four break-out conference tracks will be presented: Quality in Healthcare, Marketing, Investment and Capacity Building, and Retirement, giving an in-depth look at each specific aspect of medical and wellness tourism.

“We have ensured that the program of the IMWell Summit is comprehensive and at the same time attuned to the needs and gaps in information of this growing field. By gathering the region’s leading policy makers, decision makers, and solution providers, we aim to redefine, redesign, and refine health care delivery around the world,” stated Sanjiv Malik, M.D., a renowned international guru in medical tourism, who sits as the Conference Honorary chairman.

The Advisory Board and Speakers of the IMWell Summit include prominent leaders in their fields of expertise, including David Vequist, M.D., of the Center for Medical Tourism Research (USA), Dato Jacob Thomas of the Association of Private Hospitals in Malaysia, Nipit Piravej, M.D., of Bangkok Chain Hospital (Thailand), Ares Leung, M.D., of Union Hospital (Hong Kong), Sam Bernal, M.D., of Cedar Sinai and The Medical City (USA and Philippines), Samie Lim of Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Girdhar J. Gyani, M.D., of the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (India), Jeff Staples, M.D., of Parkwayhealth (China), Tony Gibson of the Australian Human Resource Institute, Henry Schumacher of the European Chamber of Commerce, and others.

“Aside from our powerhouse line-up of speakers and advisors, what makes the IMWell Summit truly exceptional is the fact that it’s a pioneering event in regional cooperation. It is the first of its kind to present the global state of health care, explore current and future opportunities in medical tourism, and map out a strategy for the growth of the entire industry,” adds Alumno.

The IMWell Summit is produced and organized by HIM Communications, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism as Host, and supported by the Department of Health, Department of Trade and Industry, Retirement and Healthcare Coalition, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Spa Association of the Philippines, with HealthCORE and Asian Academy for Healthcare Executives as Knowledge Partners.

For more information about the event, please visit www.IMWellSummit.com, or call (63 2) 910.8030 or 468.9999, or email info@himcommunications.com