THIS WEEK IN MEDICAL TRAVEL TODAY
Volume 4, Issue 16

by Amanda Haar, Editor

Greetings,

The most interesting item in this week's issue comes not from the usual media sources but rather from an online exchange on the LinkedIn Medical Tourism & Travel Group. An initial posting from group member Marc LeShay prompted a series of interesting discussions ranging from the value of medical conferences to the actual size of the medical travel market.
 
As I followed the post’s development, I was happy to see professionals representing a range of different countries and industry sectors contribute to the discussion with a mix of concern and continued optimism for the growth of the industry.  Event organizers worldwide would do well to develop programs that respond to those concerns and provide meaningful opportunities for attendees to develop workable business strategies for success.

We welcome you to share your thoughts on the exchange and the industry.

Finally, we’d like to welcome a number of new readers to Medical Travel Today. In the past month we’ve more than doubled our circulation and now reach an expanded audience of government officials, insurance brokers, medical travel professionals, health plans, employers, group underwriters, risk managers, third party administrators, and other thought leaders and innovators. We invite you to share your thoughts on the industry as well as news from your sector.

Cheers,

Amanda Haar, Editor
ahaar@cpronline.com

SPECIAL NOTE: A new interview featuring Medical Travel Today Publisher Laura Carabello has just been posted on the Raw Bar, the podcast section of the The Employee Benefits Advisor website. Click here to hear her thoughts on how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is likely to influence U.S. consumers decisions to travel abroad for care.

READERS WRITE

Editor's Note: Last issue's interview with Rick Baker of North American Surgery (found here) prompted the following response from Josef Woodman of Healthy Travel Media. We invite other readers to share their thoughts on the issue. Simply send an e-mail to ahaar@cpronline.com.

Dear Editor:

I read with some amusement Dr. Baker’s recent polemic on crossing borders for medical care (Volume 4, Issue 15).  What’s all the fuss?  With more than 300 JCI facilities across the globe offering wide patient choice in destinations, procedures, quality and cost, we’ll continue to see hundreds of thousands of North Americans heading long distances to meet their medical needs.  When 95%+ of those patients return satisfied, why call that “crazy?”  Baker’s admonitions and scare tactics resemble those we heard about Americans buying Japanese automobiles and televisions 30 years ago—a practice that’s now commonplace and questioned by none.

Medical travel is largely about cost, quality or access.  With the rise of global healthcare, borders are blurring, international options are rising.  Whether a patient travels from Calgary to Kansas, or Tucson to Monterrey, or Atlanta to Delhi for care, the metrics remain the same, rooted primarily in patient choice. If the US. .patient is beginning to see opportunities for affordable, high-quality care closer to home, all the better.  However, the one-offs offered by these low-cost U.S. hospitals is not scalable, and a significant subset of patients will thus continue to require—and seek—care overseas. 

Baker and others in the domestic healthcare sector would do well to take a broader, more enlightened approach to medical tourism, rather than the shopworn, divisive arguments put forth.  Our industry—and the consumers we serve— deserve better.

Josef Woodman
CEO, Healthy Travel Media

Editor’s Note: We forwarded Josef Woodman’s comments to Rick Baker for comment. His response follows.

Dear Amanda,

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to respond to Josef Woodman’s letter.

We have no argument with Americans (or Canadians) wishing to travel abroad for medical care.  Mr. Woodman is correct that many offshore hospitals are comparable to top level U.S. hospitals.  It is NOT due to concerns about the quality of offshore care that prompts our clients to avail themselves of our services, however, and to seek care within the U.S.

In our view, there is little reason to seek care offshore, given that:

1. Clients of North American Surgery almost always pay less for their surgery/travel/accommodation package, in a nearby U.S. state, than they would pay by going to hospitals offshore.
2. Our clients are almost always able to return to their hometowns, and resume their normal activities much faster than had they traveled offshore.
3. By remaining in the U.S., our clients avoid many of the issues potentially faced by “medical tourists”, such as:
   • Post surgical infections tracing to tropical/sub tropical bacteria or parasites.
   • “Civil unrest” such as the current situation in Thailand & Mexico.  Not to mention when the terrorists in Mumbai targeted hospitals frequented by American medical tourists.
   • The inability to seek legal redress in the event of medical malpractice.

By all means, if one wishes to combine surgery with an offshore, tropical vacation, then travel abroad. But don’t do so to save money or in the expectation of a superior surgical outcome. Above all, check the current travel advisories put out by the U.S. State Department, as they relate to your destination country.

Rick Baker, founder and president, North American Surgery

READERS WRITE ON OTHER FORUMS

Editor's Note: If you haven't been following the LinkedIn Medical Tourism & Travel Group over the past week you've missed an interesting discussion about the value of various medical travel conferences.

The discussion began as a general query by Marc LeShay of Premiere Medical Travel Consulting, Inc. questioning the value of attending this year's Medical Tourism Association's (MTA) Congress.  Since then the thread has garnered responses from those who support conferences in general and those who feel the true benefactor of big shows is the host, not the attendees. 

In response to the posts, including several from a Congress representative, LeShay articulated his specific issues with the current Congress format and made a number of suggestions as to how it might better benefit attendees and the industry as a whole.

That posting is reprinted with LeShay's permission below:

I think your most recent post speaks directly to the crux of my challenge with the upcoming (and previous) Congresses: The MTA and I see the landscape very differently. It’s wonderful to have people congregate to discuss this emerging industry. However, social gatherings don’t drive business, strategy does. And, in the U.S., health care is driven by the consumer. Ultimately, regardless of insurance options, the consumer selects their health care providers. I whole-heartedly agree that locations like Brazil, South Korea, and many others have incredible health care solutions. However, that reality is irrelevant because their brand perception in the U.S. is one of low-cost. In other words, U.S. consumers don’t perceive these nations as premium brands. This makes significant market penetration unrealistic. My company, Premiere Medical Travel, conducted a year-long research project that empirically proved and quantified this assertion. In fact, the destination of choice, selected by an overwhelming majority of medical tourism consumers, was Japan, a country not even trying to participate in our industry. The reason: Japan's brand is incredibly strong in the U.S. Brazil may come and put on a great show. But, it will yield no fruit; they will not penetrate the market.

There is a solution. In my opinion, the solution is direct-to-consumer marketing. Yet, the MTA and the upcoming congress continue to chase mirages of insurance programs and “come find me” facilitation services. In summary, last year's event was a feel-good, busy, yet unproductive week. It’s a time to fantasize about what could be without any tangible roadmap to drive this immature industry.

Specifically, I remain disheartened by the fact that the MTA, a leader in the industry, has not made any significant advances in the areas that require attention for this industry to mature: 1) standardized language, metrics, and reporting (for transparency), 2) risk mitigation, 3) direct-to-consumer brand awareness (as described above), and 4) the industry cannibalization that is plaguing destinations and the industry as a whole.
Rather than focus on these critical issues, the upcoming session is advertised as another week of "schmoozing" and chasing dead-ends with insurance carriers who are unable to deliver consumers anywhere near the reckless projection we've seen over the past couple of years.

As such, I think I’m going to forgo this year’s Congress. I will be the first to sign up when I see the above challenges being addressed in a real and meaningful manner.

SPOTLIGHT: Lorraine Melvill, Surgeon and Safari

Lorraine Melvill, Founder and Owner, Surgeon and Safari

Medical Travel Today (MTT): I know that you formalized the model for Surgeon and Safari in 1999. What were you doing prior to that and what motivated you to take on the building of this business?

Lorraine Melvill (LM): My background includes a business degree, followed by working as a computer systems analyst working on financial systems. I then went into clients service as an account executive for an international advertising agency working on national consumer brands for Liptons and Lever Brothers, then later started a production company with my now ex-husband where we did large corporate product launches. After my divorce with two young children I began looking for a new business model working for myself. Around that time, an uncle of mine came to visit from the U.S. and on his departure he mentioned in passing that he intended to have a facelift on return home. When I asked why not consider having it done here, where we have top plastic surgeons in private practice, first-world private hospitals, and a very favorable exchange rate. Plus, you have the opportunity to recuperate in luxury and then experience an African safari before going back home.

This was truly a "light bulb moment" for me.

In short order I put together a package for plastic surgery, recuperation and Safari option and then approached the Orient Express who agreed to allow me to use their hotels in Johannesburg and Cape Town for accommodations. I included my personalized medical concierges service ensuring that every client had a personalized private and professional experience. I set up a website and my first query came from a woman in the U.S.  She became my first client.

The Orient Express sent out a press release to their PR agents about Surgeon and Safari, which led to an article in Time Magazine. It came out whilst doing an interview with Newsweek with my second and third clients. The rest is history. I worked hard and rode the wave of global media interest from the U.S., U.K., Japan, Korea, Germany, Holland, and son on.

It was an exhilarating time. After the first Time article, I came home and hugged the tree in my garden knowing that no planned marketing plan would have achieved the media interest. It was about being in the right place at the right time with the right idea – I promised never to forget my humility nor my gratitude.

While my business expanded exponentially I started to observe the emergence of competition—new destinations, cheap alternatives, facilitators, website portals, and then the new entrance of hospitals and insurers to the global medical tourism industry. I made a decision to retain the personalized consumer-/client-focused service which today has served me well. In fact, 90 percent of my clients are repeat clients, and that led to the inclusion of dental and other treatments.

I now have a guesthouse where we accommodate our clients, offer 24-hour medical concierges service, support and assistance. I brought everything I learned from 5-star hotels and lodges to ensure our clients have a positive memorable experience. I understand the value of a client as an asset to a company for future referrals and repeat business.  The media spotlight may help build business, but customer satisfaction is essential to creating a long-term sustainable brand. 

MTT: How many patients do you provide surgical care for a year and from where do they originate?

LM: On average, 300 clients per year both local and international. They mainly come from first-world countries like the U.S., the U.K., many European countries, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong. Plus there are quite a few ex-pats living in Africa who we treat.

MTT: What is the most commonly accessed procedure?

LM: Plastic surgery. Mostly facelifts, tummy tucks, and breast lift. The next area would be cosmetic dentistry including dental rehab, crowns, implants, and veneers. We also perform a good number of ophthalmic procedures including Lasik and corneal transplants. And then we do fertility surgeries and the usual orthopedics, hip and knee replacements, and arthroscopy.
 
MTT: What is your current marketing strategy?

LM: To continue offering clients a total solution from enquiry, treatment, recuperation, and return home with follow-up service.
 
MTT: What are the biggest challenges to the industry in South Africa and how has it evolved over the past eleven years?
 
LM: The biggest challenges have been the integration of the medical sector into the industry. First, unlike the United States and other countries, medical professionals are not allowed to advertise or market themselves and they are not allowed to take referrals from commercial companies.

Medical travel has increased the number of first-world consumers seeking care here. This has affected the malpractice insurance coverage through the Medical Professional Society, which covers the majority of medical professionals in South Africa.

I am a founding member of the Medical Tourism Association of South Africa, and we are currently working with all the industry sectors involved in medical tourism. We’re working to develop an all-sector code of conduct that would include best practice guidelines that help ensure the transparency and accountability of the industry.
We’re also seeking to develop a unique malpractice insurance cover for medical professionals working in the industry.

About Lorraine Melvill
Lorraine Melvill founded Surgeon and Safari in 1999. Accredited by the MTQUA, Health on the Net, the Treatment Abroad Code of Practise, the company has been featured in numerous media outlets including Time, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CBS, ABC, BBC, CNN, and NBC.

INDUSTRY NEWS

American Public Media™ Marketplace Radio Takes a Look at U.S. Employers Considering Medical Tourism

American Public Media's Kevin Ferguson recently took a look at American employers considering medical tourism for their employees to help control health care costs, including one employer that even offers money to employees who opt to get treatment overseas.

Click here to read the transcript.

Federal Health Care Legislation Adds to Push for Medical Tourism

The Heartland Institute — Changes to the U.S. health care system under President Obama's new law may have the unintended consequence of increasing Americans' demand for medical tourism, says Sarah McIntosh, constitutional law and American politics professor at Wichita State University in Kansas. 

David Boucher, president of Companion Global Health Care, says demand will in part originate from Medicare recipients.

Now that the health care reform bill has passed, we expect more employers to seriously consider medical tourism, for several reasons, says Boucher.  One impact of the national reform law is that more doctors are going to be giving up their private practices:

    * The number of doctors participating in Medicare has been dropping since the 1990s.
    * In 2008, 28 percent of Medicare beneficiaries looking for a primary care doctor had trouble finding one.
    * Medicare recipients are eventually going to find it much easier and faster to get treatment outside the country as hospitals drop their coverage of such patients.

This trend is becoming evident in surprising ways, says Boucher.  The Mayo Clinic was named as the number one U.S. hospital in 2009, and just 30 days later they announced that they would be opting out of the Medicare program.

The federal reform will also increase the likelihood of employers supporting such tourism, says Jeff Koch, former vice president of the employer benefits programs at the National Federation of Independent Businesses, as long as pending regulations do not prevent such activities.

Regardless of what happens after federal reform, if there is still room for innovative plan design that allows for pooling of small employers, then they would be allowed to build in things like access to medical tourism and access to concierge health care, while driving down costs, which would allow small businesses to have a new solution to high health care costs, says Koch.

Healthoptionsworldwide.com Examines Domestic Medical Travel

PRINCETON, NJ -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 07/21/10 -- In a recent USA Today article, medical tourism is getting a huge boost from American based employers and insurers who encourage employees to consider domestic medical travel. Therefore, instead of seeking out medical travel or affordable health care alternatives overseas such as Thailand or India, employees are being directed to regional facilities that offer high-quality care and lower prices. "The move is reducing health care costs by 20 to 40 percent, with the difference often covering travel expenses," says David Goldstein, president of Health Options Worldwide (HOW), an online medical tourism company.

"When people hear the words 'medical tourism,' they automatically think overseas," explained Goldstein, "But low-cost health care can be found in this country, even if it involves some travel." Employers who offer domestic medical travel programs can save health care money by negotiating a single rate. This rate can include surgical and anesthesia fees and all medical care performed up until discharge.

Large corporations like Lowe's, the home improvement retailer, already have such programs in place. A self-insured employer, Lowe's struck a deal with a cardio care clinic where they send their employees for open-heart surgeries, valve repairs, and pacemakers. In the future, they may add orthopedic surgeries to their program. Other large employers may soon follow suit with similar agreements with health care providers. Some companies provide financial incentives to medical travelers like waived deductions, copayment reductions, and paid travel expenses.

"If this concept catches on, especially with large employers, it could help decrease health care costs and improve the quality of medical care by creating a competitive marketplace," says Goldstein. Hospitals dictate costs and affect health insurance premiums. "However, it's very sobering to see how much medical costs and quality can vary between hospitals and regions."

However, the focus should still be on quality along with financial balance, advises Goldstein. "With tempting financial incentives, employees may be forced to choose cost instead of quality, and the choice will be taken out of their hands."  Still, the savings are hard to beat, especially when there are fewer complications from procedures that are done with high quality providers. Follow-up care, like physical therapy, is done locally and covered under the employee's regular insurance plan.

Programs like these could spur the domestic health care marketplace to respond with even lower costs in order to lure patients to their centers. Insurance companies are hesitant to offer domestic medical travel incentives because it creates ill will with local health care providers, who then lower their costs in response. "This is why employers, health care providers and insurance companies will have no choice but to embrace this trend," said Goldstein.

Medical Tourism Expands As Alternative to Obamacare

The Heartland Institute — Across the globe, entrepreneurial individuals and organizations are looking at the possibility of providing medical tourism services at an increased rate, particularly in the wake of the new U.S. health care law. Costa Rica’s rising medical tourism industry could serve as a test case for this as providers prepare to benefit from the impact of the new regulations in the United States.

Using HSA Dollars

Vicki Morales, owner of Costa Rican Medical Care, a division of HSA Clearing Corp., says increased interest in medical tourism services began as employers and patients sought cost-saving measures and the best ways of using funds in health savings accounts.

“Medical tourism is the best use of HSA dollars for accessing and maintaining your health,” Morales said. “You can have an entire battery of diagnostic tests and consultations in Costa Rica for less than the price of one major test in the United States.”

In the United States a nuclear stress test with a cardiologist and radiologist can run close to $7,500, whereas in Costa Rica the same test costs less than $1,000 and includes all the necessary consultations, Morales notes.

Looking for Alternatives

Elizabeth Thomas, president Caduceus World Wide, a medical travel company, began looking for alternatives to U.S. health care even before the introduction of President Obama’s federal legislation.

“About two years ago, before we saw the spotlight on federal health care legislation, we started looking to see what we could do as experts in the industry to assist customers in getting good coverage and deal with issues concerning coverage, costs, and timeliness of services,” said Thomas. “We wanted to provide customers with the opportunity to save money.”

Interest in medical tourism has expanded rapidly as Americans react to the new federal law.

“When the recent federal health care legislation was passed we saw a dramatic increase in the number of hits from America on our Costa Rican medical tourism Website. We interpret that to mean that people are afraid that they won’t be able to be treated in the United States and are looking for a more reasonably priced alternative,” said Morales.

National Commitment

The opportunity for expanded medical tourism in Costa Rica is a large draw for both her and her company, Morales explained.

“Costa Rica is ideal for medical tourism because of its proximity to the United States and its excellent quality of care. It’s less of a culture shock for patients; the country is politically stable; it is a relatively short flight; and it is easy for the patients to return for rechecks,” Morales said.

In addition, Costa Rica has embraced a national commitment to medical tourism, Morales says.

“The country has been studying medical tourism for a long time, and they have planned grants and strict guidelines for providers,” Morales said. “The country is starting to provide more tourism opportunities for individuals with physical limitations.”

Passionate Providers

Morales maintains there is a positive cultural difference in Costa Rica’s competitive health care marketplace, with doctors offering a wide range of services for cash and credit card payments.

“The thing that excites me most about medical tourism in Costa Rica is the passion with which providers give care. There is a true concern for the patient, and providers work hard to excel at their jobs and to learn the newest procedures and techniques,” said Morales. “It’s important for them that the patient has a good result. It’s kind of like the caring we had in health care in the U.S. twenty or thirty years ago.”

A Look to the Future

Although they entered the medical tourism market well before the recent reforms, Thomas and Morales both express belief that the future is bright for medical tourism as patients flee the U.S. system.

“We are already trying to implement medical tourism in our self-insured groups or fulfilling insured groups who can’t afford the extras, like dental coverage,” Thomas said. “We are anticipating the domino effect: Employers can cut benefits to save money and push people into the exchanges, but then low benefits and high costs put the onus back on the consumer. That’s when the consumer will really start to look to medical tourism as a cost-saver.”

Thomas maintains it will still be a couple of years before the full effect on medical tourism becomes apparent.

“Until Americans start seeing the higher prices and large companies see how much they have to pay in premiums, medical tourism might not take off,” warns Thomas. “It will be a couple years before America really sees the downfalls of the federal program. There will be doctor shortages, waiting lists, and increased costs. Once those impacts are felt, medical tourism may increase in popularity.”

United States ‘Way Off Track’

Morales says interested patients should consider a “test trip” if they have need of a mild procedure.

“We encourage people, if their procedure is relatively mild or if they are here for dental care, they ought to come and enjoy the country for a few days first, and then get their procedure done,” Morales suggested.

“In the United States we’ve gotten way off track,” she added. “We aren’t dealing with the person anymore. We don’t look at real, personal care and the needs of the individual patient.”

Medical Tourism In Costa Rica Has A Seal

Tourists coming to Costa Rica, attracted by the medical offers, now have the ability to differentiate between the services offered.

That's because on Wednesday, the Consejo para la Promoción Internacional de la Medicina de Costa Rica (International Council for the Promotion of Medicine Costa Rica) introduced the label called" "ProMED."

The seal indicates the quality standards required in the United States, providing tourists security for the services they are purchasing.

Companies who want to obtain the label must comply with national and international legislation with a cost ranging from US$400 to US$7,000 annually.

Doctors Hospital becomes first JCI-accredited hospital in the Caribbean            

Nassau, Bahamas -- The Board of Directors and Executive Management of Doctors Hospital are proud to announce that Doctors Hospital is the first hospital in the Caribbean region to achieve international accreditation from Joint Commission International (JCI), USA, the worldwide leader in improving the quality of health care. With this accreditation, Doctors Hospital joins an elite group of few hospitals worldwide, which have passed JCI's stringent clinical quality standards.

Joint Commission International (JCI) is the global arm of the U.S.-based Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO); the same body that certifies over 18,000 hospitals in the United States. The surveyors are highly trained certified experts who are doctors, nurses, hospital administrators, laboratory medical technologists, or other health care professionals.

The distinction certifies that the hospital's programs meet international standards and follow the latest U.S. clinical guidelines. Having a JCI accreditation signifies and ensures that Doctors Hospital demonstrates a high quality of patient care and patient safety and also has an ongoing program for continuous improvement. “Health care organizations around the world want to create environments that focus on quality, safety, and continuous improvement,” says Karen Timmons, chief executive officer, Joint Commission International. “Accreditation meets this demand by stimulating continuous, systematic improvements in an organization’s performance and the outcomes of patient care. The community should be proud that Doctors Hospital has made a commitment to quality and safety.”

The JCI accreditation was awarded to Doctors Hospital after a rigorous onsite evaluation by an international surveyor team of health care experts (Hospital Administrator, Physician, and Nurse). The surveyors spent four days interviewing staff and hospital leaders on policies and procedures, looking in detail at hospital care and patient safety for individual patients. In addition, they surveyed each department individually. The physical plant of the hospital, the equipment, and the services, were all subjects for evaluation. Focus was also placed on aspects such as patient rights, medication management, bedside policies and procedures, surgical infection, credentialing of medical staff and nurses, leadership of the organization, and many others.

Twelve years ago, the then executive team saw the benefit of JCI; however the journey intensified in 2006 with the establishment of certain standards within the hospital that focus on the areas that most directly impact patient care. These include access to care, assessment of patients, infection control, patient and family rights, and education. Standards also addressed facility management and safety, staff qualifications, quality improvement, organizational leadership, and management of information. In 2007 the hospital began its scrutiny of certain policies and processes and in 2008 and 2009 focused on implementation of new policy standards and practices.

The year 2010 began the monitoring and evaluation process. Using the Patient Tracer methodology, patient care was tracked from admission to discharge, and included examination of patient records and interviewing medical staff. The hospital had to fully meet measurable parameters in order to get accredited, and Doctors Hospital has successfully passed this test, ‘with flying colors.’

In preparation for the Joint Commission evaluation Doctors Hospital had to complete a challenging process, ensuring that at a minimum, associates were completely familiar with the current hospital standards. They have had to examine current processes, policies and procedures relative to the standards and prepare to improve any areas that were not currently in compliance. The Surveyors were reviewed in detail a full three years of implementation for several standards-related issues, which meant that the hospital had to be in compliance with applicable standards during the entire period of review.

In their evaluation, Joint Commission standards addressed the hospital’s performance in the following specific areas:  Environment of Care, Emergency Management, Human Resources, Infection Prevention and Control, Information Management, Leadership, Life Safety, Medication Management, Medical Staff, Patient Safety Goals, Nursing, Provision of Care - Treatment and Services, Performance Improvement, Record of Care - Treatment, and Services, and Patient Rights and Responsibilities.

Charles Sealy, chief executive officer at Doctors Hospital, said that to maintain the level of care and meet such high international standards is a great endorsement of the hospital’s commitment to its patients. “We sought accreditation because we want to provide the best care possible for our patients. Our patients are always our number one priority, and to ensure their well-being and satisfaction, this accreditation recognizes that Doctors Hospital is at the forefront of administration procedures, staff qualifications, safety, leadership, and technology.

Earning accreditation from Joint Commission International is the gold standard of excellence in the health care industry. Providing high quality care is a team effort and the end results depend very much upon a cumulative and consistent team effort from every individual and every department at the hospital and it is their professionalism and dedication that results in the accolades received from the surveyors. We are very proud and congratulate all of the associates at Doctors Hospital whose hard work and dedication to excellence helped achieve this honor, he added.

Marsha Sands, vice president of Quality and Standards & Patient Safety at Doctors Hospital, commented that, “While our work is focused on the overall care of our patients, it is great to receive verification that we are doing things right. It is good to know that we are meeting the highest expectations and delivering on our promises. It is reassuring to know that patients being treated at Doctors Hospital are in the best hands. This accreditation lets our community know that not only are we tested, but we are trusted. This accreditation is essentially a confirmation of best practice and we will continually strive to achieve the highest standards of evidence-based care,” added the hospital executive.

Patients can now be given greater assurance that they are receiving quality and safe care in a hospital that meets globally accepted standards. Achieving this JCI accreditation is not only an internal milestone for the private hospital, but also recognition that Doctors Hospital is a center of medical excellence. The honor officially recognizes that the practices of doctors, nurses, medical assistants, and the management team at Doctors Hospital meet or exceed the standards of medical facilities in the United States.

Thai Doctors Protest Proposed Malpractice Liability Law

Across Thailand many doctors traded their white coats for black on Thursday to protest a draft law that would give victims of medical malpractice legal rights to win compensation.

The law would be the first of its kind in Thailand, where malpractice complaints face resistance from doctors, hospitals, police and many get dismissed from court for lagging too long in the system, according to proponents of the bill.

To read more click here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Medical Travel Meeting Brazil Scheduled for August 25-28, 2010

Joe Carabello, president and CEO of CPR Strategic Marketing Communications and publisher of Medical Travel Today, to address “Keys to Raising Awareness and Generating Consumer and Business Inquiries for Medical Travel to Brazil”

The medical travel industry is estimated to be worth $60 billion globally.
Aiming to encourage this new market in Brazil, the "Medical Meeting Travel Brazil" will take place August 25-28, 2010 at the Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo (SP). This is the first international event in the country that will generate business opportunities for healthcare operators, brokers and international facilitators, in addition to presenting the excellence of Brazilian medicine and its hospitals to the world. The meeting will feature national and international markets and the presence of the key players and buyers.
 
Joe Carabello, president and CEO of CPR Strategic Marketing Communications and publisher of Medical Travel Today (www.medicaltraveltoday.com) will address the subject of Marketing Communications and PR:  The Keys to Raising Awareness and Generating Consumer and Business Inquiries for Medical Travel to Brazil.
 
From social networking to media relations and email campaigns, getting the word out to prospective individual customers and business clients is essential. This presentation will provide guidelines for achieving media attention that drives interest – and business – to Brazil.

Attendees will learn:
- What works with U.S. editors – both consumer and business trade media
- “How To” - reach B2C and B2B editors and reporters - print, TV, and electronic
- How to target appropriate US geographical areas to generate optimal interest
- What to say and what not to say regarding Brazil
- How to launch an email campaign
- How to capitalize on the new social media opportunities

To register visit : http://www.medicaltravelmeetingbrazil.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/mtmbrazil

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,” states Sanjiv Malik, M.D., a renowned international guru in medical tourism, who sits as the Conference Honorary chairman. “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. ”

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," adds Alumno. "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.”

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

mHealth World Congress 2010 to Focus on Strategies for Mobile Health Standardization & Integration

October 18 – 19, 2010 — Concorde Hotel, Singapore

mHealth World Congress 2010 will be host to many high level professionals and executives coming from mobile network operators, health care providers for both private and public health care, departments of health, NGOs, telecom and health care regulators and authorities, medical technology and information providers, handset and device manufacturers, medical gadgets and new medical technology solution providers, open source platform developers and health care researchers and informatics developers.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES have emerged in this new disruptive health care revolution!
m-Health is now fast becoming the future face of health care delivery management systems, and will significantly re-engineer the health care delivery system worldwide on the personal, collective, and system levels.

At mHealth World Congress 2010, you will have the opportunity to hear the pioneers in mHealth present their experiences and opportunities. The event will critically examine the pressing issues of standardization and integration in the largely fragmented mhealth projects around the globe and what needs to be done in order to secure industry commitment and achieve progress to more standardization and integration.

MEET the new players, pioneers and global leaders in health care and mobile operators in the emerging sector of “m-Health Service Providers.”

Key issues demonstrated in CASE STUDIES and new KEY INSIGHTS will be presented by the pioneers in the emerging field:

    * mHealth opportunities and key applications which are of greatest value to the various stakeholders in the ecosystem
    * Strategic visioning for m-Health and aligning it to health care priorities
    * How can operators’ monetise health care services?
    * Approaches to mobile health business and payment models
    * Key motivations and challenges of stakeholders in the m-health value chain
    * Partnerships in mHealth
    * M-health and disease management, emergency response, and data collection
    * M-Health in emerging markets
    * Framework for accessing mHealth outcomes
    * Strategies and approaches for mHealth standardization and integration
    * How should mHealth be regulated?
    * Regulating m-health care technologies

To register, click here.