THIS WEEK IN MEDICAL TRAVEL TODAY
Volume 4, Issue 9

by Amanda Haar, Editor

Greetings,

This week we decided to double up our SPOTLIGHT interview section so that we could share some interesting outside perspective on the industry.

Representing the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy and the Self-Insurance Institute of America, our interviewees share their thoughts on what impact medical travel is having on their profession as well as what impact medical travel may have on their organizations.

In addition, we have news about the role medical travel will have everywhere from the Caymans and Costa Rica to Congress and Dubai.

Finally, our publisher Laura Carabello was recently featured on HealthRadio. Laura discussed issues related to international and domestic medical travel  including safety, cost-savings, and ethics. To hear the podcast, click here.

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

Cheers,

Amanda Haar, Editor
ahaar@cpronline.com

SPOTLIGHT: Bill McGinly and Rick O'Sullivan

Bill McGinly, president and chief executive officer, The Association for Healthcare Philanthropy

Editor's Note: The Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) recently issued a report entitled "Emerging Trends: The Changing Landscape of Health Care Philanthropy." Written on behalf of the AHP by Rick O'Sullivan, president of Change Management Solutions, the report includes a section addressing the impact of medical travel on giving.

Medical Travel Today spoke to Bill McGinly, president and chief executive officer of the AHP, and Rick O'Sullivan about the report.
 
Medical Travel Today (MTT):  Bill, let me start with you. I'm interested in learning if this is the first time medical travel has appeared in your report.

Bill McGinly (BM): This is the first time we've done the report so yes. The purpose of the report was to determine what's going on around the world that has an impact on health care delivery and access. Medical travel is obviously one of those things.

However, I want to note that medical travel has only been on our radar for a short time. In advance of the report, we did a focus group with members, and we heard from people that this wasn't something that was happening where they live. Then two weeks later we heard from the same people saying, "Wait. I was wrong. It is happening where I live."
This is very new to members, but it is something we really need to be thinking about and addressing.

Rick O'Sullivan, principal and founder, Change Management Solutions

MTT: How is medical travel impacting fundraising efforts?

BM: One significant thing we're seeing is an increase in gifts from abroad. When we trace it back we typically find that it's related to care that the donor or a member of the donor's family received at a facility. These are folks who have money to begin…it's not uncommon for them to give a major gift as a way of showing gratitude for the specialty care they received in a timely manner.

For example, D.C. Children's Hospital recently got a generous amount of funding from Dubai. The Trends report solidified that this kind of giving is happening, and it's taking place all over.

Rick O'Sullivan (RO): Bill's talking about money coming in, but on the flipside there's money going out or, as some donors perceive it, revenue being lost to patients going abroad or an institution investing in a facility overseas. This can lead to what we call "domestic backlash" and presents one of the biggest challenges for fundraisers.
We're increasingly seeing more and more partnering between U.S. hospitals and foreign hospitals. What we have to consider is to what extent to local taxpayers or donors feel about donating money to local hospitals only to have it wind up in Qatar. The question becomes: will they understand the connection between investing overseas and the provision of access and quality of care locally? I suspect the answer is "no." What the institutions and fundraisers need to do is connect the dots for consumers.

Specifically, they need to make a clear case why and how spending outside the U.S. helps local hospitals.  In reality, most people don't like money going into the next city let alone halfway around the world.

MTT: Is anyone effectively making this case yet?

RO: Not to my knowledge. The global aspects of both philanthropy and health care are really just beginning to hit the radar. But it's going to be a big focus very, very soon. Or it had better be…

MTT: In addition to the "domestic backlash" you mentioned, the report also cited that medical travel has the potential to create local revenue streams. How so?

RO: Increasingly, hospitals and institutions are taking a venture philanthropy approach. That is, they're treating philanthropy more like a capital investment than simply donations. They're now considering what returns can be had and how to measure it both financially and socially.

If a hospital is investing money overseas, they need to be able to tie it back to domestic treatment and revenue streams. For example, the Cleveland Clinic found that by investing in several international hospitals they're going to be able to tap into expertise that's going to become increasingly scarce in the U.S. They may very well end up being one of the few organizations with access to that expertise. That's a very strategic partnership decision.

The health care delivery business and organizations are starting to take a portfolio approach to resource allocation. It's not unlike automotive companies outsourcing assembly jobs. What looks like a loss of jobs on the surface is actually a way of keeping the company competitive and saving jobs.

The general public and donors need to be educated in how foreign relationships have domestic benefit. Hospitals need to convey how those relationships help them hold down costs, maintain their range of services, offer new services, and in some instances simply keep the doors open.

BM: I agree with Rick completely. It's up to the development and philanthropy professionals to make sure prospective donors understand and appreciate how foreign relationships can enhance research, the ability to deliver care, and access. Those things can all have a very positive effect at the local level. 

RO: Of course, there is one group requiring no convincing: immigrant communities eager to help improve the quality life in their birth countries.  The Council of Foundations estimates that “Diaspora philanthropy,” remittances from immigrants to their countries of birth, exceeds $90 billion per year.  That’s nearly twice the combined budgets of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the donor assistance of all E.U. countries, Canada, Japan, and the World Bank.  These donors are often reluctant to give directly to foreign institutions.  U.S. hospitals, however, often perceived as more trustworthy and more reliable stewards of remittances, should be able to tap this huge new source of philanthropic support.

To do so, of course, requires a major change in both audiences and strategies for health care development professionals.  Instead of targeting entire immigrant populations in its own region regardless of country of origin, hospitals should engage all emigrants from a partnering country regardless of where they now live.  In the future, health care development professionals will need to manage national and even international donor campaigns.

About the AHP
The Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) is an international professional organization dedicated to developing the individuals who encourage charity in North America's health care organizations. AHP reaches out to development professionals in all sectors of health care including community and private hospitals, foundations, medical centers, hospitals, hospices, health care systems, and advocacy groups.

The report discussed in this interview, Emerging Trends: The Changing Landscape of Health Care Philanthropy: Redefining the Profession, Donors and Communities is available on AHP's web site. Click here to view the report.

About Bill McGinly
Dr. William C. McGinly is president, CEO of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), an organization representing over 4,700 hospital and medical center executives devoted to fundraising, public relations and marketing for non‑profit health care providers.  He also heads the AHP Foundation and the Hospital Development and Educational Fund of Canada, which conduct annual giving programs and major capital campaigns.

He  is former chairman of the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives (GWSAE), a former member of the Boards of Directors for Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University Indianapolis and eTapestry, a web-based fund raising software company; and he is an active member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), an I/D/E/A/ Fellow, a Certified Association Executive (CAE), and received his doctorate in administration from The American University.

About Rick O'Sullivan
Richard O’Sullivan is the principal and founder of Change Management Solutions (http://harnesschange.net), a Maryland-based consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations to identify, understand, and harness the forces of change. 

An economist and business environment analyst with 30 years experience in the public, private, and civil society sectors, O’Sullivan is a recognized expert in the role and design of demand-driven and self-sustaining strategies to address social concerns. He has published several journal articles on demand-driven and self-sustaining market strategies and business models for nonprofit organizations.

O’Sullivan is the vice-chairperson for the Healthcare Economics Roundtable for the National Association for Business Economics (NABE).  His numerous articles on health care issues have been published around the globe, including the prestigious Economist magazine.

He can be reached directly at rosullivan@harnesschange.net or +1 (410) 793-5685

SPOTLIGHT: Armando Baez

Armando Baez, president, International Claim Services, Global Benefits Group

Editor's Note: Armando Baez is president of the International Claim Services division of Global Benefits Group, the world's largest independent, fully integrated provider of international benefits, and acts as general manager of GBG’s China subsidiary. He is also chairman of the Board of the Self-Insurance Institute of America, Inc. (SIIA). These roles provide him with a unique perspective on the medical travel industry. Medical Travel Today recently spoke with him to get his take on the industry's evolution and how employers are responding.

Medical Travel Today (MTT): If you would, please briefly tell us about Global Benefits Group and SIIA and how they intersect with medical travel.

Armando Baez (AB): Global Benefits Group is a specialty insurer offering health, disability, and life coverage for people working outside their home countries. For these folks, medical travel is simply their normal benefit and what we've helped them do for the past 30 years.  We developed a World Medical Network through which our clients get care. We've refined our list of providers pretty tightly so we know that our clients are getting the best care in every corner of the globe.   I guess in some sense, we're probably the most established organization in medical travel around.

SIIA, on the other hand, is new to the international stage even though SIIA is the leading association for employers engaged in self-insurance or alternative-risk transfer insurance. The rising cost of traditional health care and workers' compensation insurance has driven more employers to look at self-insured options because of the savings they can realize and the greater control over their unique risks. In the past few years, medical travel, or what we prefer to call “Global Medical” has become another cost-saving benefit that's being given more and more consideration by this self-insured group of buyers.

MTT: Given that you have a seasoned understanding of medical travel based on your Global Benefits experience, I'm curious what observations or questions you might have about how medical travel continues to evolve for the 'rest of the world'?

AB: The one thing I've been surprised is that the medical tourism industry has become more like the travel agency industry than a preferred provider network.  So often you hear "we can arrange for your travel from here to there" rather than taking a "we have a global network of care to offer” approach.

In my opinion, the right approach to take this industry to the next level is a global preferred provider one, and not the boutique tourist agency one.

You know, PPO networks in the U.S. are already engaged in the preferred provider approach. They just tend to have a very regional or localized view. There's no reason a PPO can't have a network that spans a continent, a hemisphere, or even the globe. They can leave it up to consumers to decide how far they want to go, the same way they currently choose to go in- or out-of-network.  We should present the associated cost, the advantages of care, and so on and then let the member decide…it's really the same thing they're currently doing but with bigger boundaries. Or, in one sense, no boundaries...that’s why SIIA prefers to call this movement “Global Health” and not Medical Tourism. 

MTT: What kind of attention is SIIA paying to medical travel at this point?

AB: SIIA launched an international committee to take self-insurance education and promotion global.  At every conference we hold, “Global Health” is a big, big topic.   This year we'll be hosting our 30th Annual National Educational Conference & Expo in Chicago. The “Global Health” topic will be addressed in both the international and health care education tracks.  I would expect those presentations to be very well attended.

Everyone wants to understand how “Global Health” works—what it is, what its benefits and risks are, and so on. I would also expect that, given the reach SIIA has in the self insurance industry globally, we'll be seeing an increase in the number of medical travel companies represented in the exhibitor space.  I hope to engage them in a dialogue about the direction of this industry and what we can do to solve its inherent problems, which are preventing buyers from signing up in bigger numbers.

MTT: What do you think are the ongoing concerns and objections of SIIA members to medical travel? How have they changed in the past few years?

AB: At a high level, there are two things the industry needs to overcome.

The first is the name "medical tourism." It simply conveys the wrong message.
You're not a tourist. You're an individual with a medical issue looking for care. I think vendors do a disservice to the industry when they bill themselves as a medical tourism operator. This is why I prefer to call it “Global Health.”

The second is that the industry is built on a concept that "I'll save you a lot of money, and I'll make money off the savings." Consumers and benefit plan sponsors aren't stupid.  This kind of financing model creates a liability for our industry. If, as a medical travel operator, I'm going to incentivize you to go somewhere cheaper for care in order for me to make more money from the difference, the consumer has to question where quality comes into the equation. This kind of I win-you lose model sets the consumer up for a bad experience. No industry can afford bad consumer experiences at any level.

MTT: I understand the SIIA is having a meeting in London. Are you expanding your reach to be global?

AB: SIIA just concluded a successful meeting in Singapore exploring alternative risk transfer solutions for companies doing business in South and East Asia. Before that we met in Barcelona and also toured China.  Essentially, we're trying to take self insurance and alternative risk transfer concepts into the international arena to teach others how to do self-insurance right. We want people to understand how self-insurance can be a part of their risk management initiatives.

It is becoming clear that a lot of countries around the world have relied on government run insurance schemes, and they're not working.

For example, China is doing everything it can to promote private health care and already allows for self-insurance. It has to be said that government-run insurance does not work. It works as a redistribution of wealth mechanism—just look at England and Canada—but, for lack of a better phrase, it dumbs down the level of health care.  When everybody gets the same, some get what they didn't have before, but most get less than they used to have. I predict that is what is about to happen in the U.S.

About Armando Baez

Armando Baez currently oversees GBG’s operation in China as general manager of Shanghai GBG Enterprise Management Consulting Co., LTD. He also serves as GBG’s vice president/Special Projects.

Prior to joining GBG, Baez built Ultralink, Inc., a specialized consulting and administration company focused on providing managed care related outsourcing services to the Fortune 1000 market segment. Ultralink managed 700,000 members and more than $1 billion of managed care premiums on behalf of its client companies including IBM, AT&T, American Airlines, Bethlehem Steel, and Dow.

He was CEO of Cigna’s Managed Care unit in Mexico, where he led efforts to build managed care capabilities for the Mexican domestic and international markets.

Baez is president of the Self Insurance Institute of America (SIIA) and leads SIIA’s current International Self Insurance expansion.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Destination Health Cancelled Due to Airport Closures Resulting from Volcanic Ash
Destination Health has been cancelled due to the closure of U.K. airports. Without the participation of 90 percent of the events exhibitors who are coming from overseas, the  event cannot be held.  New dates for the exhibition will be announced shortly. Tickets issued for the event will be valid for the new dates.

Impact of Health Care Reform on Medical Tourism Marketing
Brookline, MA (Vocus/PRWEB ) April 19, 2010 -- Irving Stackpole, president of Stackpole & Associates will give a presentation entitled “The Impact of U.S. Health Care Reform on Medical Tourism Marketing” on Monday, April 26, 2010, at the First Latin American Global Medicine and Wellness Congress in San Jose, Costa Rica.
The recent U.S. health care reform bill signed into law by President Obama has far reaching consequences for the international health travel sector, which has focused its marketing efforts on uninsured Americans and U.S. self-insured health plan providers. Stackpole’s presentation will address some of the questions raised by the health care reform legislation including whether these traditional markets should still be the focus for medical tourism organizations.
According to Stackpole, “The insurance industry will be in flux for at least the next two years as it responds to the changes in the marketplace as a result of health care reform. Until issues are ironed out over time, traditional medical tourism markets such as uninsured individuals and self-insured providers may not be the best targets for medical tourism marketing. A preliminary assessment of the law does identify some opportunities for international health travel organizations.”

As an expert in medical tourism market research and marketing, Stackpole will be a featured speaker at the Conference. He will be joined by other leaders in the global medicine sector including Costa Rica’s Minister of Competitiveness Jorge Woodbridge, who is instrumental in promoting Costa Rica as an international health destination.

Woodbridge states, “The warmth of its people, the professional quality of our physicians and health care personnel, the paradisiacal beauty of the country coupled with our traditional commitment to medicine makes Costa Rica an excellent destination and learning center for global medicine.”

For additional information about Stackpole’s presentation, contact Elizabeth Ziemba at (617) 739 5900 x 14 or visit www.StackpoleAssociates.com. The presentation will be available on the company's Website in the beginning of May 2010.

Medical Tourism Deal Sealed in Cayman Islands

Devi Shetty, M.D., (center) is flanked by Minister of Health Hon Mark Scotland and Premier Hon McKeeva Bush. (Photos by Lennon Christian, GIS)

CaymanNetNews.com --Excitement seemed to crackle among the words of Premier McKeeva Bush as he announced at a press conference Wednesday, 7 April, 2010, that the Cayman Islands government has entered into an agreement with renowned surgeon Devi Shetty, M.D., of India to build a major medical facility here.

“This development will bring a third leg to our economy,” says Bush. “What we have signed here today is the start of something new,” comparing it to the launch of the financial services industry in the 1960s that transformed the Cayman economy.

Dr. Shetty, chairman of the Narayana Hrudayalaya group of hospitals in Bangalore, India, revolutionized medical care in that country by implementing business practices that resulted in high-quality yet cost-effective care at state-of-the-art facilities.

Over the next decade, he plans to recreate a similar “health city” and medical university here that will “revolutionize” tertiary health care in the Western hemisphere, providing medical procedures at half the cost of U.S. facilities.

The cost-effectiveness of his methods is not from “cutting corners,” he says, but by increasing the output of each doctor, which also increases their skills. The outcomes from his hospitals, therefore, are superior to many U.S. hospitals, which also bear artificially inflated costs. As a result, the cardiac surgeon expects  to draw the majority of his patients to Cayman from the U.S.

The first phase of the project, expected to begin in January 2011, will be to construct a 200-bed facility employing from 600 to 800 people, of which about 160 will be Caymanian. As the project develops, eventually accommodating a 2,000-bed facility on 500 acres, the proportion of Caymanians employed will be higher. Long term, Dr. Shetty expects the staff of physicians to be trained in the Cayman Islands at the medical university that will be built here, and the entire hospital staff to be local.

The medical tourism industry is big business with $4.5 trillion spent worldwide on health care annually, says Dr. Shetty, more than half of which is spent in the U.S. Recognizing the potential impact on local economies, many countries in this region had “courted” Dr. Shetty’s group, who settled on the Cayman Islands due to its “political stability,” as well as proximity to the U.S. It also is a pleasant place to live, which makes it easier to attract highly qualified surgeons, he adds.  

Concessions made by the Cayman government to attract the facility included waivers of certain work permit fees and duties imposed on the medical equipment, according to the Premier, which he considered “necessary” considering the size of the investment.

Dr. Shetty signed the agreement during the press conference with senior government ministers present, including Minister of Health Mark Scotland, who assured the gathering that the planned facility would “complement, not replace” primary health care facilities already in Cayman.

After six months of negotiations, representing “a significant investment by Dr. Shetty and his group,” says Scotland, “the potential economic benefits are immense, and social benefits are significant as well.” Dr. Shetty and his partner investors have personally inspected several potential sites, he adds, but the final location of the proposed facility has not yet been decided.

Patients Beyond Borders® to Release FOCUS ON: Barbados Fertility Center

(Vocus/PRWEB ) April 15, 2010 -- Patients Beyond Borders, the best-selling consumer reference guide for medical tourism, announces the release of FOCUS ON: Barbados Fertility Center. This 32-page, full-color, interactive digital publication and eBook is being released to coincide with National Infertility Awareness Week, April 21–May 1.

We were pleased to feature Barbados Fertility Center in our international edition of Patients Beyond Borders and are thrilled to see their story now addressed in the greater detail provided by our new FOCUS ON: series  Barbados Fertility Center (BFC), located in Christ Church, Barbados, is an internationally renowned, JCI-accredited center of excellence, specializing in all aspects of infertility management. Its unique approach offers couples a stress-reduced, holiday-style experience with state-of-the-art IVF and related procedures that have resulted in high success rates for couples unable to conceive a child for a year or more.

Since opening its doors in 2002, the center has helped thousands of couples to realize their dreams of successfully conceiving a child, using the latest in assisted reproductive technologies. BFC’s international team of specialists has also developed a Healthy Mind and Body Program, which incorporates reflexology, acupuncture, massage therapy, and counseling into their successful and affordable treatment plans. This holistic approach, coupled with the island’s tranquil beaches and the center's cutting-edge technologies, plays a big role in BFC's enviable success rates.

Dr. Juliet Skinner, BFC’s medical director, who graduated from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and went on to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology, opened the clinic in her native Barbados in 2002. Realizing there were few options in the Caribbean region for couples experiencing infertility issues, she set out to develop a world-class IVF center specializing in state-of-the-art reproduction management in relaxed clinical and environmental surroundings.

“We provide the latest and best in assisted reproductive technologies, with an emphasis on physical, mental, and emotional balance,” says Skinner. “In addition to traditional services, we offer a number of procedures that many couples do not have access to in their home countries, such as vitrification (fast freezing of embryos and eggs) and preimplantation genetic screening (PGS)."

According to Resolve, the nonprofit National Infertility Association dedicated to promoting reproductive health and awareness of reproductive disorders, infertility affects as many as 7.3 million people in the U.S. alone. It is estimated that as many as 1 in 8 couples in America will suffer infertility issues, many of whom will seek medical assistance in the form of drug therapy or medical procedures such as IVF.

BFC is the only fully American-accredited fertility clinic in the Caribbean, and one of the few such clinics in the world. Its high standards of excellence, coupled with cost savings of 30–60% on comparable treatments in North America and Europe, have created a compelling option for thousands of couples.

“We were pleased to feature Barbados Fertility Center in our international edition of Patients Beyond Borders and are thrilled to see their story now addressed in the greater detail provided by our new FOCUS ON: series,” says Josef Woodman, CEO of Healthy Travel Media. "We hope to bring greater awareness of this truly remarkable facility to those seeking affordable, high-quality infertility treatments, coupled with a personal touch.”

Medical Tourism Companies Help to Reduce Health Care Expenses

(I-Newswire) April 10, 2010 - As Congress wrangles to craft meaningful health care reform to deliver to President Obama by mid-summer, consensus has emerged on three fronts: reform is no longer an option; the economy is inextricably linked to reducing the cost of health care; and whatever form the overhaul takes will require years, perhaps decades, to implement and fund.

Meanwhile, those who pay the bills—consumers and employers-- are not waiting to see how legislators fix the world's most expensive and least equitable health care system. They're taking matters into their own hands, finding ways to reduce health care costs without sacrificing quality.

One of the solutions they're turning to is medical tourism, which can be seen as the penultimate example of consumer-driven health care. Traveling to another country for medical care is a solution that offers significant and immediate savings—often 90 percent—with almost no upfront investment and no reduction in quality of care if coordinated through a reputable medical tourism facilitator.

Until recently, medical tourism was fueled by individual patients. Now, employers pinched by 100 percent increases in health care premiums since 2000 are intrigued with alternatives that save money while expanding employee options, and for them, the arrow points to medical tourism. All parties involved in exercising this option win: Employers save money on the cost of the procedure; and employees save money by having the deductible waived or perhaps a reduction in out-of-pocket expenses. Employees also gain access to some of the most qualified surgeons in the world.

"For employers, this is a 'dare to be different now approach'," says Wouter Hoeberechts, CEO of medical travel company WorldMed Assist. "Forward-looking businesses see a strong competitive advantage in a solution that retains employee loyalty through expanded health care options while at the same time shaving cost out of the business.

"But not all businesses are so forward-looking, Hoeberechts adds. "Sadly, a more common approach is traditional cost-cutting by reducing benefits or shifting an ever-increasing portion of the burden and responsibility onto employees. Employees paid 17 percent more for insurance benefits in 2008 than in 2007.This is a lose-lose-lose proposition: Employees lose precious benefits; businesses lose employee loyalty; and an ever-increasing number of Americans lose access to affordable health care. For long-term competitiveness, this strategy could become a death knell.

"Politicians at both the state and federal levels have a clear mandate to fix access, affordability and efficiency of our health care system. The proposals on the table are varied, big, and expensive. Many of the solutions are excellent and are definitely needed, but they won’t deliver the savings on insurance premiums that employers and consumers need right now." Impediments to speedy relief for skyrocketing health care costs are big: Stakeholders are lined up on all sides of all reform issues with swords drawn. With a national debt never before imagined, funding sources are bone dry. Building information technology platforms to facilitate electronic medical records, prescription improvements and enhancements to patient care coordination--all while protecting accuracy and consumer privacy – presents awesome hurdles. Two other solutions gaining traction are a shift to preventative care to reduce acute care expense and waste, and paying for proven results rather than number of cases managed.

"These will require entirely new paradigms from stem to stern within an industry that has a long tradition of embracing the status quo," says Hoeberechts.

Consumers and employers can't wait for consensus and funding solutions for such a gnarly array of issues. "For them, medical tourism is like an instant-win lottery ticket," adds Hoeberechts. In working with employers and brokers to add a medical tourism component into their existing health plans, Hoeberechts explained his company can get a tailored plan up and running very quickly so that employers see immediate savings.

"Once employers look into medical tourism, they find it hard to argue against a solution available today that brings instant savings, retains employees and their loyalty, and expands medical options to include the world’s finest surgeons and facilities."

MediConnect Global’s Strong Performance Continues in Q1 2010 with Significant Growth in Revenue, Workforce, Acquisition

SALT LAKE CITY (April 19, 2010)—MediConnect Global Inc. today announced that during a strong Q1 2010, the company achieved revenue growth of approximately 20 percent over the same period last year, recently expanded its team by more than 350 employees at two Utah facilities, and completed the acquisition of the PassportMD personal health information portal.

“This exceptional quarter reinforced our steep growth trajectory,” says Amy Rees Anderson, CEO of MediConnect Global. “Moving forward, digital medical records will play an accelerating role in making health care more effective and efficient; MediConnect is on course to become the world’s pre-eminent provider of medical record services for both organizations and individuals.”

The company’s revenue growth extended its continual growth spurt—almost 1,100 percent total growth spanning the past five years. Rapidly increasing world-wide demand for MediConnect’s services has created an imperative for the company to ramp up its workforce. A 200-person increase at MediConnect’s Ephraim, Utah facility, originally established in 2006, brings quality jobs and benefits to a scenic, rural region that is traditionally underserved in terms of economic opportunity. The company’s Ephraim, Utah expansion places the company far ahead of its projected pace of 306 new positions over 10 years. MediConnect also recently added more than 150 new employees to its corporate headquarters in the greater Salt Lake City, Utah area.

With the PassportMD acquisition, MediConnect moved to the forefront in driving the development and adoption of the personal health record (PHR), the future of digitized medical records. PassportMD empowers individuals to take control of their own health care by giving them access to their digital health records. The service retrieves patient records, effectively organizes and digitizes the information, and provides it to users in a safe, HIPAA-compliant online environment. PassportMD is one of four PHR services chosen by the U.S. federal government to participate in a current Medicare pilot program.

“We are on the cusp of  tremendous growth for digital records, which will play a transformational role in the evolution of better, more affordable health care,” says Anderson. “With the largest global repository of medical records, MediConnect will be on the leading edge of these developments.”

About MediConnect Global
MediConnect Global Inc. (www.MediConnect.net) is the worldwide leader in innovative medical record retrieval, digitization, and management for organizations and individuals. Through its patented record retrieval and delivery processes, MediConnect helps organizations turn inefficient processes into centralized, Web-based workflows that increase project transparency and dramatically reduce time and cost. The company is equally committed to empowering individuals to take control of their own health care, which begins with ownership of the information found on their medical records. All MediConnect users benefit from the largest single repository of medical records gathered from throughout the world—more than 6 million strong. All MediConnect products and services feature strong HIPAA standards-based security.

Training Programs Designed Specifically for Medical Tourism Organizations: Caring for the Medical Tourist: Training for Hotel and Spa Employees

Brookline, MA (Vocus/PRWEB ) April 20, 2010 -- Medical Tourism Training , Inc., Medical Tourism Training Inc. a Massachusetts based company, delivered its specially created two session training program, “Caring for the Medical Tourist: Training for Hotel and Resort Employees” to more than 250 staff at the Ramada Plaza Herradura, Ramada Plaza Herradura San Jose, Costa Rica. The customer service oriented program addresses the unique demands of international health travelers who are at the crossroads of hospitality and hospitals.

“To be a leader in the medical tourism sector, our employees must be ready to deliver top quality customer service that meets the needs of our guests receiving dental and medical care in Costa Rica”, according to Gustavo Araya, President of the hotel. “This training program sensitized our staff to the physical appearances and many of the specific requirements of our medical tourism guests. Our trained staff gives our hotel the competitive edge over other hotels and resorts vying for business in this increasingly dynamic sector”.
Medical Tourism Training offers a series of customer service training programs that address the various issues that are crucial to achieving success in the medical tourism sector. “Our research shows that health care providers are losing customers every day because the customer service expectations of international health travelers are not being met. Prompt and polite communications are essential to success in this sector that is relationship driven”, says company President, Elizabeth Ziemba. “Every phone call or email that goes unanswered or employees that react poorly to foreign customers lose business. Our programs train staff, instilling effective, proven skills that can transform relationships with medical tourists”.

Created specifically to address the obstacles and opportunities faced by medical tourism businesses and organizations, Medical Tourism Training’s team of experts from the health, travel, hospitality, training and business sectors understand what is needed to succeed in this nascent industry. The company is dedicated to tackling the unique needs of medical tourism organizations by providing specialized programs based on best practices and real-life situations.

Medical Tourism Training Inc. is a network of professionals providing customer care focused training solutions for organizations in the exciting and rapidly growing field of medical tourism. Its training programs are tailored to meet a variety of business needs and requirements including government certification programs. Its mission is to provide the tools to train, develop, and educate team members to measurably increase productivity and knowledge, leading to improved levels of customer care and business growth in the medical tourism sector.

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.

A wide range of cost-effective and innovative partnership and sponsorship options are available to help you make the most of an association with this well-attended and prestigious trade event.

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

First Latin America Global Medicine & Wellness Congress
April 25 – 28, 2010, San Jose, Costa Rica

Costa Rica will be host to the First Latin American Congress on GLOBAL MEDICINE & WELLNESS.

This grand event has the main purpose of drawing the attention and participation of the largest stakeholders of the industry: facilitators, insurance companies, clinics and independent professionals, recovery hotels, transporters, governments and many more. As well as exposing the region to its main markets: the USA and Canada.

To learn more or register for the event, click here.

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