THIS WEEK IN MEDICAL TRAVEL TODAY
Volume 4, Issue 5

by Amanda Haar, Editor

Greetings,

If the number of conferences related to medical travel is any indication of how the industry is doing, then business is booming.  The months ahead are filled with conferences around the world appealing to consumers and professionals alike.

What I find interesting is how the roster of speakers has evolved over the past few years. The podium used to be dominated by destinations and facilities promoting their services. This year, however, they're sharing their time with employers, insurance companies, and political officials.

If you're planning to attend one of the upcoming conferences, let me know. I'd love to include "reports from the floor" from as many shows as possible.

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

Cheers,

Amanda Haar, Editor
ahaar@cpronline.com

PERSPECTIVES:

Accidental Medical Tourism in Roatan, Honduras
Part One
By Laura Carabello
Publisher & Executive Editor
www.medicaltraveltoday.com

On the third day of a recent adventure to the island of Roatan, Honduras, I became an accidental medical tourist.  While I’d sprayed with Deet – the powerful bug repellent – the mosquitoes or sand flies were still able to attack every inch of my body.   And I do mean everywhere.

Let me back up for a moment and explain how I got to Roatan.  In September, and at the request of the Guatemala Trade Association, I visited Guatemala on a medical tourism assignment.  My husband Joe was on a fly-fishing expedition to Montana and unable to join me.  I took along Dana Taormina, Account Executive at CPR Communications, and we toured a number of hospitals and medical facilities.  During the trip, I inquired of every male that I met:  “Where do you bone fish in Guatemala?”  Their pervasive response was:  “Go to the island of Roatan, Honduras.  They have great bone fishing.”

The bug buffet (a.k.a. my legs)

I quickly e-mailed my husband and asked him to inquire further.  He arranged for us to visit Roatan in February 2010, booked a fishing guide, and identified a fabulous resort:   Barefoot Cay www.barefootcay.com.  The hotel delivered on its promises of paradise, had a full-service spa, and turned out to be nothing short of spectacular.  While it is a renowned spot for divers, it is also a first-class site for relaxation on a private beach with casitas overlooking the blue Caribbean waters.   However, Joe was on a serious quest:  to catch a Permit fish, which has eluded his fly rod to date, although he has netted dozens of Bonefish and other species that inhabit Mexico and the Central American waters.

Being a “responsible” tourist, and heeding the advice that I often give to others, I visited the Centers for Disease Control Website for immunization recommendations.  They highly recommended Hepatitis A and B (we’d already had A, and it was too late to get the three required rounds of Hep B); anti-malarials (Malarone, which we started before the trip); and even suggested a Typhoid shot (my doctor’s assistant, a woman in her early twenties, had never heard of Typhoid so I didn’t bother pursuing); and we opted to take Cipro to ward off any intestinal maladies.  We reckoned that these suggestions were really intended for a visit to the mainland of Honduras, so we just took as many precautions as possible.  As a note, none of the other guests at the resort had taken any of these medications – and no one was sick.

Let me say that Barefoot Cay is very luxurious.  The private casita accommodations are well-appointed:  an oversize King bed, up-to-the minute kitchen, and bathroom with a large Balinese open-air outdoor shower.  The food is well-prepared and plentiful, and the staff is lovely.  There’s a spotless swimming pool, and they literally rake the beaches on a daily basis.  They even have an in-ground system throughout the property that emits a natural spray every hour to rid the area of sand flies, no-see-ums, mosquitoes, and other pests.  I was feeling very confident that the bugs would not get to me.

But they did.  And I was chewed up beyond belief – big bites that swelled and itched unceasingly.  I barely slept that night, and when I presented my problem to the hotel owner Milesse Kennedy, she suggested a visit to the local doctor.  “My daughter had the same reaction, and he really helped her,” she advised.

The Farmacia, the source of my relief

Jorge, the resident hotel concierge, called Dr. Figueroa and we were on our way within minutes (with Jorge driving us personally to the office/Farmacia).  Since Dr. F speaks very little English, Jorge acted as the interpreter.

“Muy mal,” was the only thing I understood the doctor to say after seeing the condition, and I recognized that these were no ordinary mosquito bites.  Apparently, I was allergic to the bites and many of the welts were my body’s reaction to the initial invasion.

Dr. F took my blood pressure (a good sign); asked what other medications I was taking (another good sign); and explained that I needed an injection (some type of antihistamine).  He wanted to know if I was allergic to any drugs.

“Yes, sulfa,” I replied, and asked to see the label on the box before agreeing to the treatment.

Dr. F escorted me to the private exam room, which turned out to be exquisitely clean, although bare of anything except an exam table and footstool for mounting the table.  I was wearing a bathing suit under my cover-up that made it easier for the injections into my upper thigh.  The only surprise was that there were actually two injections—one on each thigh.

When Dr. F discovered that I had bites literally everywhere, he exclaimed, “Oy yoy yoy,” a Yiddish expression that has obviously become an international idiom.
The balance of the visit was a walk next door to the Farmacia, another immaculate location.  Dr. F prescribed two types of topical creams (four tubes!) and two additional oral antihistamines to be taken afternoon and evening. 

Total charges for the office visit, inoculations, creams, and medications:  $78.00. (We’ve

The Marina at Barefoot Cay

been trying to calculate the costs for an equivalent visit to a U.S. physician and drug store – and welcome any thoughts.)

The drugs kicked in right away, and by that afternoon, I was sleeping like a baby, totally itch-free.  By the next morning, the bites had subsided or disappeared.   I could not thank the owners of Barefoot Cay enough for their caring, and told them of my role in medical travel.

“What a coincidence,” said Milesse Kennedy.  “There is a plastic surgeon on the mainland who wants to develop a following for his medical spa and innovative breast lift surgery that does not require implants.  He wants the patients to have an option to recuperate at Barefoot Cay.”

Next on my list of interviews will surely be this surgeon – with a hearty recommendation to spend a week or two in Roatan at Barefoot Cay.  It is paradise.

And in case you are wondering if my husband got that elusive Permit:  stay tuned for the next installment to this story. I’d also love to hear of any personal stories regarding “accidental medical travel” with stories that I can share with our readers.   Please e-mail them directly to me lcarabello@cpronline.com.

SPOTLIGHT: Randy Simor

Randy Simor, Owner, Meditours Hungary

Medical Travel Today (MTT): Let's start with how you got started in the industry, and in particular, in Hungary.

Randy Simor (RS): I'm American-Hungarian. While I was raised in the states, I came to Budapest in 1993. I completed my medical training in 1999 at Semmelweis Medical University.

After graduation I went into clinical research. I spent some time consulting for pharmaceutical companies, like Johnson & Johnson. I later managed a private hospital clinic for outpatient care and one-day surgery. I worked a great deal building the business with the local ex-pat population.

Then one day I started talking about bringing people in from abroad. At the time the idea of bringing people to Budapest for dentistry had only just started to emerge.  
Well, one thing led to another, and by 2005 I had built a company devoted to enabling foreigners to come to Budapest for care. 

At first the focus was dentistry, but it quickly expanded to include plastic surgery. Later we also began offering health screenings.

MTT: Where were your patients coming from?
RS: In 2005 most of the patients were coming from the United Kingdom—Scotland, England, and Ireland. That really hasn't changed much since then.  I'd say 95 percent of our patients are still from those countries, plus we now have some from Scandinavia, and we do see Americans. Often we have American-Hungarians who are visiting and choose to get dental work during the trip.

MTT: Has your focus changed much?
RS: Yes, to some extent. At first it was primarily dentistry and plastics, and now it's plastics and dentistry. 
Dentistry now has a lot of competition, and it's cut throat. However, there are very few people organizing surgery abroad, and the competitors that we do have don't have the competency to qualify candidates well. Because of my medical background, I'm in a good position to work with the home-country physicians as well as the ones here to determine if a patient is a good candidate for care abroad.

MTT: What specific procedures are your patients seeking?
RS: Right now we're doing a lot of tummy tucks, breast augmentations, face lifts, liposuction, arm and thigh lifts, Botox, fillers, eye lifts, and so on. Much of it's also done as a combination surgery.

We're also seeing an increase in silhouette threads for jowl and mid-face lifts.

MTT: In terms of business relationships, are you contracted with specific doctors or facilities?

RS: Actually both, but mostly with the doctors. The doctors have their own fees with hospitals and they get better prices than I could get.
Typically, each surgeon has one main place of work, and they're on the hospital staff.
All the hospitals we send patients to are accredited by the local Hungarian government. At this point none have gone for international accreditation yet. I think that will come in the next few years but in the meantime, the European and Hungarian standards are very high.

MTT: Where and how are you currently marketing your services?

RS: The most receptive populations for our offerings are residents of the U.K. willing to travel for plastic surgery.

There are a number of portals for health tourism that have sprung up in the last 2 to 3 years, and we get inquiries on a daily basis through them.

Plus, we receive inquiries through our own Website.

If I had to rate it, I’d say internet marketing is number one at this point.
We do some magazine advertising in the U.K. but not much.

Other populations that we'll target in the future are those in Italy, Russia, and other areas of continental Europe. Maybe Scandinavia…

The United States is, of course, of great interest. It's such a huge market over there, but the mental hurdles are more difficult. Certainly the American-Hungarian population and travelers could be a growing population for us and wouldn't require as much mental gymnastics.

How we grow depends a lot on how the U.K. health care system evolves.
Right now varicose veins are being rejected by National Health Services. People who are in true pain are being told they can't have a surgery that's for "aesthetic reasons."  Situations like that, and others, certainly make us a more viable option.

Right now we see about five to 10 per month. I think in the future we'll be moving more toward a steady 10 per month.

In truth, ten patients is a lot of work for plastic surgery. Fifteen is a good goal. Beyond that, we'd need to do some growth.

MTT: You really pioneered cosmetic medical travel in Hungary. I'm curious how hospitals have adapted?

RS: In the beginning it was learning by doing. There was certainly a learning curve for me in terms of determining what's a good dental or plastic patient for the facilities.
There were lots of discussions with surgeons about how best to work together and move things along.

Now the roles are clearly defined. There's what Meditours does, and there's what the doctors do with a little bit of overlap in a few small areas.

The hospitals are working hard on modernizing…especially those trying to get a private clinic going in their public hospital. There's now certainly a higher priority on an English-speaking nursing staff.

To learn more about Meditours Hungary, click here.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Field Review for 4th Edition of the JCI Hospital Standards Joint Commission International (JCI) is pleased to announce that work is underway toward the 4th Edition of the Joint Commission International Accreditation Standards for Hospitals. The objective of the standards revision process is to ensure JCI Accreditation standards are focused on the highest priority issues relating to patient safety and quality. These new standards will be effective for all organizations currently accredited, for all initial surveys and all resurveys on or after 1 January 2011. At this time we would like to invite your participation in the field review of the proposed changes to the 4th Edition of the Joint Commission International Accreditation Standards for Hospitals.  To participate in the field review of the proposed changes, review the document draft of the Fourth Edition of the Hospital Standards and then complete the JCI Hospital Standards Field Review Questionnaire. You may access the draft document and the questionnaire at the following link: http://jointcommissioninternational.org/field-reviews/ Please complete the questionnaire no later than 12 March 2010 . If you have any questions, please contact Claudia Jorgenson, Associate Director, Standards Development and Interpretation via email at: cjorgenson@jcrinc.com.

Lowe's workers offered Cleveland Clinic heart care
CLEVELAND -- Retailer Lowe's will offer its employees heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic under an alliance between the hospital in Ohio and the home improvement chain.

Mooresville, N.C.-based Lowe's says the new benefit will provide full-time workers and their covered dependents with the "best of the best" in cardiac care, with lower out-of-pocket expenses than at other facilities…

Click here for more.

HealthTraveler™ is World’s First Mobile Application for Medical Tourism

Chapel Hill, N.C. – February, 22, 2010: Healthy Travel Media, publishers of the Patients Beyond Borders series, announces HealthTraveler™, the first mobile smartphone application that allows patients and international travelers alike to quickly find the highest-quality, American-accredited hospitals and clinics in the world’s 50 top tourist destinations. Developed initially for the Apple iPhone, HealthTraveler provides important information for patients seeking to cross borders for medical procedures, as well as for tourists who may require medical attention while traveling abroad.

This handy, potentially life-saving application will provide users with vital information on international hospital locations including current data on specialties, accreditation, procedures, and other medical services available, as well as detailed contact information that allows the user to instantly connect with the selected hospital or facility.

HealthTraveler will also allow users immediate access to maps and GPS-generated driving directions to their desired locations, along with direct-connect call capabilities to alert local emergency personnel of their arrival and condition.

“Every year, millions of leisure and business travelers either become sick or have accidents while traveling abroad; the ability to quickly and reliably obtain potentially life-saving information is a must,” says Healthy Travel Media CEO Josef Woodman. “HealthTraveler provides instant access to trusted, vetted medical information that tourists and medical travelers require to make informed choices in foreign lands.”

HealthTraveler provides information on more than 250 hospitals and clinics—most of them American-accredited—around the world.  Patients seeking high-quality, affordable care abroad will also be able to search for the best hospitals and clinics in the world’s leading medical tourism destinations.

HealthTraveler is scheduled for release in fall 2010 on Apple’s iPhone and iTouch mobile devices, with plans underway for subsequent releases on BlackBerry and Android.  The manufacturer’s list price is $3.99.

About Healthy Travel Media
Healthy Travel Media, an independent imprint based in Chapel Hill, N.C., publishes books, eBooks, and online information on medical, health, and wellness travel. Its flagship international title, Patients Beyond Borders, now in its Second Edition, is the leading consumer reference guide for medical tourism. Specialized editions have been published for Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey.

Felicia Tan Joins Healthy Travel Media
Will help manage Patients Beyond Borders and other medical tourism offerings

Chapel Hill, N.C. – February, 23, 2010: Healthy Travel Media (HTM), publishers of the Patients Beyond Borders series and other international health travel properties, has named Felicia Tan as Research and Editorial Program manager.

Tan will work with HTM’s editorial and production teams, researching and implementing existing and planned editorial products as well as HTM’s new digital offerings.

Tan comes to HTM from Parkway Hospitals in Singapore, where she recently served as the marketing manager in charge of marketing and corporate communications for Parkway Cancer Centre. She previously served as the manager for International Healthcare Marketing for the Singapore Medicine division of the Singapore Tourism Board, where she developed and implemented health care marketing strategies, branding, and communications for North America, ASEAN, the Middle East, China, and Mongolia.

“Felicia’s considerable experience in the international health care arena, combined with the tremendous expansion of international health care services throughout Asia, makes her the ideal candidate for the position,” says Josef Woodman, CEO of Healthy Travel Media. “Felicia will be working with public and private providers, government institutions, and industry leaders to help drive new awareness and offerings into the region. We are pleased to have her on board.”

Tan holds a Bachelor of Accountancy degree from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and is a certified public accountant.

She resides in Singapore, where her office will be based.

$3B in medical tourism revenue expected

The Tourism Department said Friday that medical tourism could bring in as much as $3 billion into the economy in the next three years as more foreigners seek quality health care from Filipino medical professionals.

The department said in a statement that the country’s hospitals and medical practitioners, including doctors and nurses, would directly benefit from the additional tourism revenues.

As a result, more hospitals  would strive to achieve international accreditation as medical tourism providers by upgrading their systems, services and personnel.

Click here to continue reading…

Growing Reasons to Consider Medical Tourism

From U.S. News & World Report
Medical tourism, largely grounded last year by the sharp economic downturn, is expected to make a comeback as people begin to feel more positive about their finances. Medical costs in many nations continue to be far below those in the United States. Other factors that may help spur the comeback include improving medical facilities overseas, stronger accreditation programs, more consumer support services, and maturing relationships between leading U.S. medical schools and foreign partners. 

Click here to continue reading…

Prince Court Medical Center in Malaysia to Release First Patients Beyond Borders FOCUS ON:TM

New digital offering will help medical tourists make informed health care decisions

Chapel Hill, N.C. – February, 16, 2010: Patients Beyond Borders,the first consumer reference guide for medical tourism, is pleased to announce the release of FOCUS ON: Prince Court Medical Center (PCMC), profiling one of Malaysia’s leading private health care facilities. FOCUS ON: PCMC addresses Prince Court’s myriad signature and concierge services, including its top four specialties: heart and lung, oncology, cosmetology, and urology.

One of the newcomers and rising stars in Asian health care, the 300-bed, Petronas-owned PCMC is one of only five full-service JCI-accredited hospitals in Malaysia. While principally serving citizens of Malaysia, Prince Court also serves the medical traveler, and has welcomed more than 7,000 international patients since opening its doors in 2009.

Healthy Travel Media’s new FOCUS ON: series features a 30-page, full-color, digital brochure and eBook, highlighting the world’s leading, internationally accredited hospitals and specialty centers in a fully searchable and dynamic consumer-friendly format. Published under the Patients Beyond Borders brand, the series offers health consumers detailed information on specialties, procedures, costs, and travel planning from the most recognized, trusted information source in international medical travel.

FOCUS ON: PCMC will be accessible from a variety of sources, including the Patients Beyond Borders Website, Prince Court’s Website, third-party Websites, Kindle and other eBook readers, iPhone and other mobile devices, medical, business, and reference libraries worldwide, and all popular social networks.

“We are excited to be participating in this dynamic new program,” says Stuart Rowley, CEO of PCMC. “This format will allow us to creatively promote our facility to the international traveler with up-to-date, interactive information on our medical specialties, pricing, and signature services."

“With clear, current information on specific procedures, providers, packages, and pricing, health care consumers will have worldwide access to detailed information at their fingertips,” says Kate Johnson, Focus On Project Manager for Patients Beyond Borders. “Our new series is designed to assist the international patient at or near the decision stage of health procedure planning, and we are pleased to have Prince Court Medical Center as our first participant.”

Quality Effective and Attractive Low Cost Obesity Surgery Packages in India

India’s tradition in medical innovation is world-renowned, as are its standards in providing world-class health care and expertise at reasonable costs. The country has been attracting foreign patients for numerous procedures in all health specialties and in particular for attractive cost obesity surgery packages in India. Quality effective and attractive cost obesity surgery packages in India has attracted Europeans in
particular from Germany, Italy, and UK to visit India for obesity surgery. Highly-qualified surgeons with the excellent private clinics and the reasonable prices have drawn foreign patients to India.
 
An increasing number of people are facing obesity, and it is no secret that people suffering from obesity have a higher risk of health problems such as heart disease and diabetes. Furthermore, obesity can have serious effects on a persons self confidence. However, many people do not respond to traditional treatments such as exercise and change in diet. Hospitals in India can help severely overweight people loss weight with lap band surgery, gastric bypass surgery and gastric sleeve surgery for low package prices. Medical tourism in India offers obesity surgery with exiting and inexpensive packages to treat morbid obesity.
 
Quality effective and attractive cost obesity surgery packages in India are becoming an eye-catching proposition for those people who are on a tight budget, or who are looking to combine obesity surgery with a period of recuperation in a pleasant climate. India offers modern private obesity surgery clinics with access to the latest technology  and treatments. The private and public health care systems, combined with the country’s medical schools, have worked together to produce internationally-recognized obesity surgery experts. Medical tourism in India combines a significant savings with a chance to visit a truly remarkable part of the world.

To get more info on quality effective and attractive cost obesity surgery packages in India visit us at www.indianoverseashealthcare.com/index.htm or you can send us your queries at contact@indianoverseashealthcare.com or www.indianoverseashealthcare.com/yourquery.htm

UPCOMING EVENTS

European Medical Travel Conference 2010 Draws Global Participation

Europe’s largest medical travel conference to take place in Venice, Italy (Monastier di Treviso) May 5‐7, 2010

U.S. / Venice, Italy - December 31, 2009 - The European Medical Travel Conference 2010 (EMTC; www.emtc2010.com) will be hosted in Monastier di Treviso, a municipality of Venice, Italy, on May 5-7, 2010. The largest medical travel conference in Europe, the EMTC provides an exciting platform for networking, discussion, and cooperation among industry stakeholders and is expected to draw 350 to 450 participants from around the world.

“Besides attracting some of the leading authorities on medical travel, this event will draw physicians, hospitals, hotels, tourism agencies, patient services, IT services, associations, service providers, government representatives, patients, and anyone interested in learning more about the future of medical travel,” says Uwe Klein, M.D., chairman of the event.

Conference organizers expect that the EMTC will raise awareness and increased popularity of the medical travel option, which provides greater access to quality health care for patients and increased cost efficiency for employers.

“The effective collaboration between the tourism and health sectors will offer greater scope for tackling the increasing impact of patient mobility in and outside of Europe,” Dr. Klein adds. “The EMTC represents not only a platform of debate on medical tourism among Italian, European, and non-European colleagues, but also a potential solution for the needs of increasingly mobile patients traveling across the globe for better, more cost‐effective, and timely medical treatment.”

The diverse roster of speakers will address a wide range of medical travel topics and issues, including:

• Legal aspects and solutions of American insurance and intermediary companies
• Finding quality providers and services
• Patient security
• European Union directive on patient mobility and patient rights, patient safety
• Follow-up treatment back home
• Cost transparency and service orientation
• Sea-based health care

The two-day event includes a Welcome Reception, keynote lectures, workshops, panel discussions, B2B meetings, a Gala Dinner, and possible sight-seeing excursions. Service providers may book a booth within the framework of an industrial exhibition.

For more information visit: www.emtc2010.com
                                 

IWHTA is Supporting 'International Medical Tourism and Travel 2010' to be Held on March, 1 – 2, 2010, Marriott Hotel, Singapore

International Wellness and Healthcare Travel Association (IWHTA) president  Naresh Jadeja, an expert on medical tourism trends and patient’s perspective, will address  the Singapore Health Ministry-supported International Medical Tourism and Travel 2010 conference.

International Wellness and Healthcare Travel Association (IWHTA) president Mr. Naresh Jadeja, an expert on medical tourism trends and patient’s perspective, will address the Singapore Health Ministry-supported International Medical Tourism and Travel 2010 conference.

In response to remarkable growth in the Singapore medical travel industry, Marcus Evans is organizing a global conference, International Medical Tourism and Travel 2010, to be held on March, 1-2, 2010, Marriott Hotel, Singapore. The conference will feature every detail necessary to better serve the international patient.

The conference will offer health care industry leaders and experts sharing their knowledge about  core issues for growth in the medical travel industry. Supported by the Ministry of Health Singapore, big hospitals institutions, various medical association, and medical tourism facilitators the event will focus on:
1. The technology superiority advantage in medical tourism
2. Exposure to emerging destinations for medical tourism
3. Collaborations and strategic partnerships with various parties

IWHTA is a supporting organization as well as the official media partner for this event. Naresh Jadeja, president of IWHTA, will make his address at the event on revising long term strategies to develop the medical tourism sector in Asia.

“Asian countries are increasing their market share and finding new markets for medical travel,” says Jadeja. “With proper tools and branding it can truly become a leader in this industry. Networking opportunities like this can expand opportunities for the entire global health care travel industry and help the patients. If someone wants to enter the Asian health care market then this is the event for them.”

Asian destinations and medical facilities have evolved as key players in the fast growing market for global health care service with their post-surgery outcomes being at par with those in the United States.

“IWHTA looks forward to strengthening ties and intensifying collaborative efforts with other health care-related organizations,” adds Jadeja. ““We believe that an international organization like ours, along with the experienced professional and global presence, can assist medical facilities, medical travel facilitators, tourism and health care department, employers, and health care clusters develop an international presence to attract patients and to better serve them.”

IWHTA is a U.S.-based, international non-profit association promoting the medical travel industry and offering great networking opportunities among industry leaders. IWHTA is promoting independent regional chapters and health care clusters and distributes a newsletter educating its members, subscribers, and international patients about affordable yet quality health care treatment available at accredited/ certified international medical facilities.

Health Care Tourism Congress 2010 Announces its 2010 Speakers – April 2010

The Healthcare Tourism Congress 2010 announces its 2010 speakers! Among the experts sharing their expertise is Joseph Woodman, the author of Patients Beyond Borders.

Online PR News – 20-January-2010 – The Healthcare Tourism Congress 2010 announces its 2010 speakers! Poised to be Malaysia’s largest and most dynamic health care tourism event, this congress will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre April 12 – 13, 2010, providing the perfect corporate interface venue for technology and services in the health care tourism industry.

Given the economic crisis challenges that most companies and industries faced last year, medical tourism is more important than ever before, creating more economically viable health care solutions while providing profitable return-on-investment. Professionals working in the health care tourism industry believe that the next 12months will, again, see a large increase in the number of people traveling abroad for medical treatment.

We are excited to announce our confirmed speakers with many more to be announced in the upcoming months. Speakers include:

• Josef Woodman, president, Healthy Travel Media Company (U.S.) and author of Patients Beyond Borders
• Suresh Ponnudurai, founder and CEO, Malaysia Healthcare
• Amir Firdaus Abd, CEO, Gleneagles Hospital (KL) Sdn Bhd
• Dr. Umapathy Panyala, CEO, Apollo Hospitals
  Raymond Chong Chin Wah, M.D. and CEO, Samitivej Group of Hospitals
• Stuart D. Rowley, CEO and member of Board of Directors, Prince Court Medical Centre
• Paul Chang, M.D., Asia Pacific, Joint Commission International
• Joe Ledesma, president and CEO, St. Luke’s Medical Centre
• Milton Lum Siew Wah, M.D., director, Medical Defence Malaysia Berhad
• Ramli bin Abd Ghani, M.D., director of Traditional & Complementary Medicine Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia
• Talavane Krishna, M.D., founder and president, Indus Valley Ayurvedic Centre
• Catherine-Brillantes Turvill, founder and President, Spa Association of Philippines
• Jason Yap, marketing Director, Raffles Hospital

Healthcare Tourism Congress 2010 promises to provide even more networking opportunities and stream sessions. The newly launched Malaysian Health Tourism Council (MHTC) is also endorsing and supporting this inaugural congress.

With partners like the Malaysia Health Travel Council (MHTC), Malaysia Healthcare and Medical Defense Malaysia, the congress is simply heading towards success.

Knowledge Group is also in discussion with the Ministry of Health and Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia, which will further add value to this congress as a whole.

At present, 70 percent of the floor space has been reserved and booked out. This event stands to be the benchmark in Healthcare Tourism-related events in the region.
This congress will be driven by an integrated marketing campaign, with media advertisements forming the crux of the plan, attracting professionals with a passion for the industry.

For more information regarding the exhibition please visit www.htcongress.com or call +60321701588.

Destination Health – The Health & Medical Tourism Show London April, 17-18, 2010

Destination Health is the ultimate show for people planning to travel abroad for health and medical treatments.

Destination Health has been launched to help the increasing numbers of British medical tourists find out all they need to know about traveling 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. 

Up to 100 exhibitors are expected to attend the event, covering practically every aspect of medical, dental, cosmetic, and health treatment abroad. Online visitor registration for free entry to the show is already exceeding expectations.

Easy access to top quality medical treatment, good prices, cheap flights, no waiting lists, and the opportunity to recuperate in the sun is appealing to more and more Brits each year -- with dentistry, cosmetic surgery, IVF and medical spas among the most popular treatments.

With a wide range of treatment options and countries offering competitively priced medical treatments and dentistry it can be difficult to make the right decision.  The new Destination Health show www.destinationhealth.co.uk will give visitors the opportunity to get free advice, attend free seminars, discuss, and compare treatments and international options, helping potential patients make educated, informed choices when choosing health care providers, destinations and facilities.

Visitors to the show will be able to meet doctors and health care providers from destinations including Hungary, Poland, India, Cyprus, Spain, Croatia, Malta, Egypt, Czech Republic, Antigua, Germany, Turkey, the United States, Barbados, the West Indies, and Thailand.

Event director Nav Mann comments, “Interest in medical tourism is growing all the time and we are expecting a lot of visitors to this show.  With over 100 providers exhibiting their health and medical services, we have made it easy for potential patients to easily find the type of medical specialists they are looking for. The event will be divided into different areas to include sections for dentistry and cosmetic surgery, fertility and conception, medical spa and wellness, and general treatments and procedures.”

To take advantage of the free entry, visitors must register in advance at www.destinationhealth.co.uk

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

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

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