THIS WEEK IN MEDICAL TRAVEL TODAY
Volume 5, Issue 9
by Amanda Haar, Editor

Greetings,

Publisher Laura Carabello appears to be spending more time in the air than on the ground these days, doing her best to attend and participate in several key conferences taking place around the world. In this issue, we're pleased to present her report from Medical Korea 2011, organized by the Korean Health Industry Development Institute.

It's clear that Korea is thoroughly committed to developing the industry and is working hard to make sure other nations fully appreciate the advanced level of care offered and the breadth of treatments available.

In our next issue, Laura will share highlights from the upcoming EMTC 2011 event, taking place in Barcelona. It will, no doubt, be interesting to compare how the different regions are approaching the industry and working to develop global relationships.

Also in this issue, we have a SPOTLIGHT interview with Dr. Harry Greenspun, of Dell Services, who was kind enough to share his thoughts on the future and importance of information technology in healthcare and how it may shape care — and medical travel.

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

Cheers,

Amanda Haar, Editor
ahaar@cpronline.com

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Reflections on Medical Korea 2011

Laura Carabello, Publisher, Medical Travel Today

What happens when the ambassadors from at least five nations — including Russia, UAE and Kuwait – and hundreds of delegates from at least 40 countries convene in your nation’s capitol city to discuss medical tourism?

The answer: Medical Korea 2011 in Seoul, South Korea.

While others in the medical tourism industry have made several sojourns to this land of advanced medical technology and sophisticated healthcare delivery, it was a first for me. True to its reputation, the South Korean brand of medicine fell nothing short of excellent.

First, a word about the programs:

Speakers were well prepared and delivered some new perspectives.

- Sharon Sweeney Fee, RN, explained the role of nurses in promoting interoperability of Electronic Health Records and the effect on medical travelers

- Glenn Cohen, professor of law at Harvard, gave some fresh ideas on the ethics of certain procedures illegal in the United States, but offered in certain countries

- Scott Frankum, MBA and publisher of The Well Report, shared his marketing savvy and empowered attendees with new strategies for capturing the vast patient population that has yet to be tapped for medical travel.

I could go on — because the breadth of information and innovative idea-sharing was profound. To the credit of the planners, all presenters stuck to their appointed timeframes and nobody broke the 25-30 minute allotments — what a treat for the audience!

Those who were fortunate enough to visit the hospitals got a bird’s eye view of what Korean healthcare is all about:

Efficiency …with complete implementation of electronic patient records

Caring professionals…3:1 nurse patient ratios and 2:1 or 1:1 in the ICUs

Roomy – I daresay “plush” – accommodations

Friendly, well-trained physicians and caregivers

Innovative approaches to treating disease …and some services that bear replication, such as fully outfitted and staffed dentistry units for ongoing dental care.

I was on the tour to Severance and Seoul Wooridul Hospital (Spine Hospital), so I’ve included an overview below.

Moreover, the food and ambience met all expectations for a first-class experience. We worked, we learned and we enjoyed.

Hats off to the Korean Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) that organized the event and worked hard to keep everyone engaged, informed, well-fed and entertained. If I’ve used a lot of superlatives to describe the experience, please understand that the accolades are not empty words.

If you have your calendars handy for 2012, mark the dates April 17-19…KHIDI is already planning the next event.

Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System:

A Tertiary Hospital  

Contact Information

• Address: 250 Seongsanno, Seodaemun-gu. Seoul, Korea
• Phone Number: +82-2-2228-5800 or 5810
• Fax: +82-2-362-6835
• http://www.yuhs.or.kr/en/

Medical Departments

Gastroenterology, Pulmonology, Hemato-oncology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Allergy and Immunology, Infectious Disease, Rheumatology, Nephrology, Geriatrics Neurology, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Dermatology, Surgery, Transplantation Surgery, Chest Surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Urology, Family Medicine, Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine, Laboratory Medicine, Diagnostic Pathology, Emergency Medicine, Clinical Pharmacology.

• Specialized Hospital
• Cancer Center: Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology, Pediatric Hemato-oncology
• Rehabilitation Hospital: Rehabilitation Medicine
• Cardiovascular Hospital: Cardiology, Pediatric Cardiology, Cariovascular Surgery, Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
• Eye and ENT Hospital: Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology.
• Children’s Hospital: Pediatrics, Pediatric Psychiatry, Clinical Genetics, Pediatric Surgery, Pediatric Neurosurgery, Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, Pediatric Urology, Pediatric radiology
• Specialized Center: Diabetes Center, Gastroenterology Center, Kidney Center, Neuroscience center, Transplantation Center, Emergency Care Center, Robotic Surgery/Minimally Invasive Surgery Center
• Specialized Clinic: Allergy and Asthma Clinic, Cancer Clinic (Stomach, Liver, Colorectal, Pancreaticobiliary, Esophageal, Lung, Thyroid, Hematologic, Neuro, Woman’s Breast, Urological, Bone and Soft Tissue, Head and Neck, Pediatric)

Inpatient Beds: 2006 (VIP rooms: 19 Beds, Single-Occupancy Rooms: 248 Beds, Double-Occupancy Rooms: 388 Beds)

ICU Beds: 165 Beds

Operating Rooms: 50

International Patient Beds: Some of VIP Rooms and Single-Occupancy Rooms.

Introduction to the Organization

Established in 1885 as Korea’s first institution to practice and teach western medicine, Severance Hospital has lead many of those developments. Severance Hospital has operated its International Health Care Center since 1962. It opened a new hospital building in 2005, the first to be accredited in Korea by Joint Commission International (JCI) in 2007. With more than 2000 beds in total, the latest state-of-the-art equipment, such as Robotic Surgery, iMRI Tomotherapy, an advanced IT infrastructure and world-class medical teams, Severance Hospital is making great strides to become Asia’s Health System hub.

Introduction to the International Health Care Center

Name: Severance Hospital International Health Care Center

Severance Hospital International Health Care Center opened its doors in 1962 and has been expanding services since. The Center, staffed by doctors and nurses fluent in several languages, offers a wide range of medical services for international patients. It maintains an atmosphere of comfort and assurance, providing quality medical care and referrals to specialist throughout the hospital. The center also operates a 24/7 call service for treatment requests.

International Affiliation / Cooperation

• Insurance Company: AFSPA, HTH Worldwide, AIG, AIG Travel Assist
• Agency: International SOS, CGH (Companion Global Healthcare), KORPUS
• Hospital: MD Anderson Cancer Center (USA), The 2 nd Hospital of Jilin University (China), Affiliated Hospital of the Qingdao University Medical College (China), Clinical Investigation Center of Kitasato University East Hospital (Japan), Harbin Children’s Hospital 9China), The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia 9CHOP, USA), Cancer Therapeutics and Research Group (CTRG), Asia-Pacific Gastric Cancer Genomics Consortium
• Other Institutes: World-OKTA

Available Medical Insurance for International Patients

USA: AFSPA, HTH World Wide, AIG, AIG Travel Assist (The insurances not listed here are available if it satisfies Severance Hospital’s Internal Regulations)

Malpractice Insurance: No

In the event any claim for losses arises from or in connection with the hospital’s medical malpractice, the hospital shall be limited to the extent it is finally and conclusively found responsible for medical malpractice by the competent court in the Republic of Korea.

Domestic Affiliation/Network /Partnership

*Agency: Docs Medical Korea, Hyundai Medis, Intermedical Travel, Tbitom, Starpax, PAA (Pacific Atlantic Agency)

Ancillary Services

Emergency Center: 24-hour call services (International Health Care Center)

In-House Medical Coordinator

• English
• Japanese
• Chinese
• Russian

Major Services

Robotic Surgery System for Cancer Treatment

Severance Hospital began using Da Vinci as a robotic surgery system for the first time in Korea and has performed more than 3,500 cases. The system offers greater maneuverability and precision to the surgeon and prevents resting tremors of the surgeon’s hand. In addition, it reduces blood loss, pain and recovery time for the patient. Severance Hospital has been expanding the areas of treatment with robotic surgery and is being recognized for its unique surgical applications and excellent records.

Replacement Arthroplasty

Replacement Arthroplasty is one of the most commonly performed orthopedic procedures, and is led by the most experienced doctors, with state-of-the-art technology. Replacement arthroplasty is a surgery replacing worn or damaged parts of the joint. The surface of the diseased joints are removed and replaced with an artificial joint. Annually, more than 500 cases of knee replacement, 200 cased of hip replacement and 30 cases of ankle replacement were performed at Severance Hospital.

Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases

The Cardiovascular Hospital, established in 1991 to offer patients a high level of cardiovascular care, is a free-standing building with 240 beds. The hospital consists of departments in cardiology, pediatric cardiology, cardiovascular surgery and anesthesiology, and various specialty clinics. The major procedure is percutaneous coronary intervention with drug eluting stent using intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography. In the past three years, 3,507 cases have been performed.

Seoul Wooridul Hospital:

A Specialized Spine Hospital

Contact Information

• Address: 676 Gwahae-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, Korea
• Phone Number: 82-2-2660-7693/2
• Fax: 82-2-2660-7690
• www.wooridul.com

Medical Departments

Neurosurgery, Orthopedic, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgery, Anesthesiology, Pathology, Rehabilitation

Number of Inpatient Beds: 213 Beds

• VIP Rooms: 1 Bed
• Private Rooms: 2 Beds
• Semi-Private Rooms: 4 Beds
• Number of ICU Beds: 8 Beds
• Number of Operating Rooms: 10 Beds

Introduction to Organization

Wooridul Hospital, a specialty facility designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, has provided total spine care based on the motto that there’s “no disease never cured” since its opening in 1982. The infrastructure of advanced equipment includes d 110 experienced medical faculty members. International organizations, such as the International Musculoskeletal Laser Society (IMLAS) and the American Academy of Minimally Invasive Spinal Medicine and Surgery (AAMISS), designated the hospital as an international training center for incubating spine specialists. Its medical professional publishes 15 SCI-level theses every year in accordance with top-notch academic hospitals. The hospital won the grand prix in the area of human resources area during the 2005 Asia Hospital Management Awards, a competition that included 84 other hospitals from 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific rim. This was the first award for Korea. Proud of minimally invasive surgery that helps patients recover quickly and return to normal lives while protecting as much normal tissues as possible, the hospital makes every effort in spinal treatment to secure the health of its patients.

Introduction to the International Health Care Center

• Name: Wooridul International Patients Center
• International Health Care Center: In January 2006, Wooridul International Patients Center (WIPC) began providing medical service for primarily foreign patients. The WIPC has a program dedicated to provide a number of special services to assist international patients and to ensure that they receive the highest quality medical care throughout their stay.

Available Medical Insurance for International Patients Insurance Company

AIG, CIGNA, HTH Worldwide, MOBILITY BENEFITS, Allianz, Seven Corners, Vanbreda, Mondial Assistance, Daman, IMG, Bupa, MetLife

• Hospitals/Clinics: Shanghai Wooridul Hospital (from July 15, 2008)

Malpractice Insurance

Green Fire & Marine Insurance Co. Ltd

Domestic Affiliation / Network / Partnership

Ancillary Services

• On-line and Off-line Consultant
• Call Center Assist: Reservation and Support
• Immigration Coordination
• Travel Planning and Visitor Information
• Interpreter and Secretarial Service
• Airport Meeting and Transfer Service
• Supporting Travel Information
• Family Assistance

In-House Medical Coordinator

• English
• Japanese
• Chinese
• Russian

Major Services

• Service 1: Neurosurgery

The advanced spinal surgical technique developed by Wooridul Hospital is bloodless and minimally invasive to save normal disc tissue. Patients received short-term stays, small incisions, minimum scares, and reduced complications.

• Service 2: Orthopedics

Harry Greenspun, M.D. Chief Medical Officer Dell Services

SPOTLIGHT: Harry Greenspun, M.D., Dell Services

Editor’s Note: An educator, consultant and physician, Dr. Harry Greenspun has a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities faced in healthcare information technology. Now the chief medical officer of the Dell Services Healthcare Group, Greenspun served as chairman of the Health Information Management Systems Society’s (HIMSS) Government Relations Roundtable and co-chair of the HIMSS task force responsible for creating the white paper “Enabling Healthcare Reform Using Information Technology.”

Greenspun recently spoke with Medical Travel Today regarding the importance of IT and how it may shape healthcare in the future.

Medical Travel Today (MTT): Let’s start with a big question. Where do you think healthcare IT stands at this point?

Harry Greenspun (HG): Let’s just say this: we’ve got a long way to go.

You know if I need a new snow blower and I want advice on which one performs best, where I can get it, for the best price, and what do other people think of it, and so on ...I promise you I can find all that information online without much effort.

But if I need my knee replaced, that information isn’t available.

I might be able to find some vague quality information, but it’s not easily accessible or normalized. But even then, I don’t have a sense of cost or what’s truly high-quality.

And quality is a funny thing …I was flying recently and in the back of the airline magazine there was a piece on the top 10 orthopedists in Denver or somewhere. I just had to laugh because here’s this claim, but no explanation of the “according to who?” and “to what criteria?” I’m guessing the criteria were tied more closely to who was willing to pay for the advertorial than anything having to do with outcomes or other meaningful measures.

MTT: Clearly a single airline magazine article is not a great criterion for making a decision about surgery. What do you think is?

HG: Well that is the problem. For the most part, good data is simply not available. Now that’s beginning to change and we will start to see meaningful data soon; data that will help both consumers and companies figure out where to receive or to send patients for care. But it’s a ways off.

And even when data is available, we can’t be sure people will access it.

A good example is Bill Clinton. Here he is: a very powerful man with access and means and -- as it turns out -- he lives in New York.

New York has the oldest compendium for cardiac surgery. You can look up individual doctors by name, their outcomes, heart attack rate, infection rate, re-admission rate and so on …and it’s all risk-adjusted. You can see who has a low complication rate based on the nature of their patients or cases. It’s all there. But when Clinton needed heart surgery, he went to a hospital that had a higher complication rate than many others in New York City. You would think he’d know about that. But he probably went by referral, following what his doctor said. And as it turns out, he had a complication.

And you would think that insurance companies might try to incentivize consumers to look for the best value — that being best outcome and cost combined. But they don’t. There’s no discount for going to the doctor with the best outcomes or lowest infection rates.

Now, there are employers who are trying to steer patients to the best places. Lowes, for example, has an alliance with the Cleveland Clinic for qualifying heart procedures. Clearly, they’re looking at outcomes as a barometer of quality.

But, what Lowes values isn’t what everybody values related to their healthcare.

What I mean is that while you may only be interested in the outcome, I may only be interested in cost; especially if I’m paying out-of-pocket. Whereas my neighbor who only has a slight medical issue, she may make her choice based on convenience. I certainly make some healthcare choices based on convenience. In fact, for the past few years I’ve actually gotten my flu shot in O’Hare airport. They’re there, I’m there, I’ve got time on my hands and who knows when I might actually be able to see my doctor.

MTT: Okay. So how do you bring all those factors together in a meaningful way for consumers and employers?

HG: What we need is a Zagat’s view of healthcare; something that takes cost, quality and patient experience into consideration.

MTT: Are we poised do to do that -- domestically and internationally?

HG: We’re certainly getting there domestically. The problem is that data is hard to cross-reference. You’ve got Angie’s List type of review and you’ve got HealthGrades. It’s not easy to connect them.

Now there are a lot of organizations and groups working to bring some clarity and uniformity to data — the National Quality Forum, JCI, etc. — but it’s going to take a long time to figure out standards and longer to get the data back.

There are some great efforts internationally. The EU has good data and a number of individual countries doing well. But again, we’ve got a ways to go to make things seamless.

That said, there are hundreds of examples of data managed and transferred in ways that best serve the consumer. This will sound ridiculous, but look at Chipotle’s restaurant.

They actually have an IPhone app that lets you not only find the nearest restaurant, but let’s you design and order a customized burrito so that when you walk in, it will be sitting in a bag waiting for you and paid for -- all with your phone.

But let’s say you get hit by a car in Manhattan, do you believe you could use your phone to find the closest, qualified orthopedist? Not likely.

MTT: Is anybody in the healthcare world coming close to using data well?

HG: Kaiser Permanente is a good example. They have a great patient portal. You can make appointments, get refills, and deal with paperwork, all online. In fact, one of the company’s biggest complaints comes from former employees who no longer have Kaiser as an option. They go online and start yelling “where’s my stuff?” Kaiser then has to explain they’re no longer a member. It’s kind of funny…

I think ultimately consumer and employer demand will help drive healthcare organizations into addressing the data dilemma. Employers, especially international companies, are going to need or demand to know that their employees are getting the best care possible whether they are in Singapore or Wisconsin. The location won’t matter, but the data will. If you can’t prove yourself, you’re probably going to lose that business.

MTT: What are your thoughts on medical travel?

HG: It’s a great example of consumerism in action. Initially, it was all about expensive, elective procedures not covered by insurance. Price was the big driver then.

When I worked as anesthesiologist in a suburban Maryland hospital, we had a bariatric surgery program. That’s no small procedure …people end up in the ICU for that. I’ll never forget when a nurse at that hospital announced she was going to Mexico for the procedure.

That really opened my eyes that some people are purely price sensitive. At that time, there was no data to prove this was a good doctor or facility. She made her choice based on price.

But today, medical travel has evolved, especially for employers and certain payees. They now strive to point people toward the better value option. They all like quality, but, for many, there’s also a strong interest in price. Quality is up there and will continue to rise on the list. As that happens, data collection will prove to be of huge importance to hospitals and providers. If you can’t prove yourself in a truly meaningful way, you’re not going to be able to compete.

About Harry Greenspun

INDUSTRY NEWS

Koreanherald.com — Six local administrations will receive subsidies of 2 billion – or $1.8 million each -- to boost medical tourism, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said last week.

Gyeonggi Province is to invest in minimally invasive surgery; Jeju in oncology treatment; Daegu in hair implantation and treatment; South Jeolla Province in joint treatment; North Jeolla Province in robot surgery; and Daejeon in medical checkups.  

The island of Jeju plans to create an eco-friendly cancer treatment complex utilizing its mild climate and clean environment, while some hospitals in Daejeon will build foreigner-only emergency rooms. Minimally invasive surgery has already drawn international medical experts to Gyeonggi and the local authority is now working on standardizing the practice regime, the ministry said in explaining the selection criteria.

The ministry will also support global marketing activities including advertising, exhibition booths, websites, and staff training while subsidizing invitations to foreign brokers for participation in international medical events.  

Galen Institute to Host Healthcare Innovation Forum

The Galen Institute, a non-profit public policy research organization devoted to debate on healthcare innovation, will hold a forum for policy experts, corporate leaders, advocates, economists, elected officials, and media on “ The Value of Innovation in Healthcare,” May 5, at the Columbus Club, at Union Station on Capitol Hill, in Washington D.C. Among the invited speakers are:

• James Greenwood , president and CEO, Biotechnology Industry Organization
• Ron Silverman, M.D. , chief medical officer, Kinetic Concepts, Inc.
• Peter Neupert , corporate vice president, Health Solutions Group, Microsoft
• Arnon Krongrad, M.D. , chairman and CEO, Mobile Surgery International
• Mary Grealy, J.D. , president, Health Leadership Council
• Margaret Reagan , corporate vice president, Premier Advocacy
• Kelly Slone , director of Federal Life Sciences, National Venture Capitalists Association
• William Winkenwerder, J.D., M.D., MBA , chairman and CEO, Winkenwerder Company
•  

Invited members of Congress include:

• Sen. John Barrasso
• Sen. John Cornyn
• Rep. Renee Elmers
• Rep. Joe Pitts

To register for this conference exploring today's innovations and beyond, visit   this link .

Turkey Set To Emerge As Favorite Medical Tourism Spot Globally

Noida, UP — ( SBWIRE ) — 04/17/2011 — Medical tourism has emerged as an international phenomenon in the past few years thanks to huge healthcare costs in the West and limited infrastructure. Healthcare demands in the United States and many European countries have substantially increased; however, resources have been limited, causing long waiting queues for patients seeking advanced medical procedures. According to a Turkish research report, “Emerging Medical Tourism in Turkey,” Turkey has become quite an attractive spot for patients to get high-quality medical services at lower costs than in their native countries. These factors are expected to increase the medical tourism market in Turkey by upward of 32 percent during 2010-2014.

As the research suggests, Turkey will host a growing number of tourists seeking various medical procedures. Large numbers of standardized facilities will also help attract an increase in medical tourists. Besides, many of the medical facilities in Turkey, apart from being JCI accredited, are affiliated to top-notch healthcare providers including Harvard Medical School and John Hopkins Hospital.

The study also presents other factors contributing to the growth of medical tourism in Turkey. The study shows that Turkey’s close association with aviation has lured huge private investments owing to the rising demand. Turkey has witnessed hefty investments in the tourism infrastructure with increasing demand for dentistry, cosmetic surgery and thermal tourism.

The report incorporates an extensive research and rational analysis of the medical tourism industry in Turkey along with future trends that may shape the industry in the coming years. The research will help consultants, industry analysts and vendors get in-depth background on the cost advantages that medical tourism in Turkey offers. The report also includes recent government initiatives to promote medical tourism and analysis of key industry partners.

Importing Medical Tourism

Enterstageright.com — by Daniel M. Ryan — You may have heard of "medical tourism." It refers to a new industry that's bringing a lot of dollars to Third World nations, like India, through providing medical services more cheaply than in North America.

Although the term is sometimes used pejoratively, a lot of that disdain is the result of good old unimaginativeness. We like to believe that the home system is the most efficient one; any foreigners who find a way to repair a heart more cheaply must be doing so by cutting corners. Said belief is not unlike believing the home team is the best team.

One of the mysteries of the medical industry is why costs keep going up. There's no need to bring up the often-invoked computer industry to illustrate this enigma; cost reduction has been close to the norm since the Industrial Revolution. The person who builds a better mousetrap may not have the world beat a path to her door, but the person who builds a cheaper mousetrap will.

Wal-Mart became one of America's largest corporations by cutting costs. Henry Ford won wide renown by using the assembly line to make cars much cheaper than they were beforehand. The history of business is replete with innovations that have had the effect of making the same product cheaper. Far too many innovations would have been dismissed as the product of a fertile imagination had they not been implemented by business pioneers.

To read more click here.

 UPCOMING EVENTS

Costa Rica to Host Latin American Medical Tourism Congress, May 2-4

90 Percent of Exhibition Space Reserved * New Speakers List Confirmed

Less than two months before the start of the Medical Travel International Business Summit, 90 percent of all available exhibit space has been reserved.

The congress, May 2-4 in Jan Jose and Guanacaste, will include lectures about promotion, market opportunities, safety, quality and service certification. by companies and experts from the United States, Canada, Thailand, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Latin American doctors, clinics, hospitals and hotels will have an opportunity to develop new business relationships with foreign buyers looking for quality and better prices.

Sponsored by the Council for the International Promotion of Costa Rica Medicine(PROMED) , Costa Rica Tourism Board, Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter (PROCOMER) and organizations in the medical and tourism sectors, the congress offers Latin American doctors, clinics, hospitals and hotels an opportunity to develop new business relationships with foreign buyers looking for quality and better prices.

“We are really satisfied with the results achieved so far,” said Dr. Jorges Cortes, PROMED president. “The response from national and regional business people has been excellent. As well, we are very pleased to confirm the presence of most of the countries in the area, since we are convinced that the great potential of medical tourism creates opportunities for many participants.”

Business alliances and roundtables
Medical Travel International Business Summit

Date: May 2 - 4, 2011.
Locations: San Jose and Guanacaste.
Participants: 500 attendants, 35 conferences, 150 buying and selling companies, 8 countries.
Organized by: PROMED, ICT, medical and tourism organizations.
More information and inscriptions: www.themedicaltravelsummit.com  info@themedicaltravelsummit.com

To increase the number of buyers this congress, established several international alliances with facilitating companies including Companion Global Healthcare, Global Medical Connections, Costa Rican Medical Care, Health Choices International and International Healthcare Access. Thanks to these companies, we already have 50 confirmed buyers including insurance companies, self-insured companies, benefit consultants and more.

Business roundtables will be held May 2-3 at the Ramada Plaza Herradura Hotel Convention Center, in San Jose. In partnership with PROCOMER, representatives from 75 Latin American companies will have exclusive space to generate business and alliances with medical-travel-buying companies.

The congress will be held, May 4, at the Hilton Papagayo Hotel, in Guanacaste, where attendants will participate in training workshops, experience natural attractions and learn about medical tourism projects in the North Pacific area of Costa Rica.

Outstanding Conferences:
“Effects of the US Health System Reform on Self-Insured Companies,” Robert Repke, Board of Directors, Self-Insurance Institute of America.

“Legal Forum: Medical Tourism-Related Risk Management,” Steve Weiner, Mintz Levin, Boston.

“How to Sell to Corporate Buyers, “Laura Carabello, director, CPR Strategic Marketing Communications, New Jersey.

“New Market Niches for Medical Tourism,” Dr. Jeff Dugas, International Sports Surgeons.

“Globalization and Health,” Costa Rican Coalition for Development Initiatives, CINDE.

For more information, contact journalist Maria Fernanda Fernandez, 88 69 66 17, Mfernanda.fm@gmail.com; or Massimo Manzi, PROMED’s Executive Director, 22 01 52 63, director@promedcostarica.com

MEDCON- International Medical Conference & Exhibition, Oman
May 10-12, 2011 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre

This exhibition, aims to contribute in meeting the growing requirements of clinics and hospitals as well as the public demand for effective health products and services. We are confident that MEDCON 2011 will serve as an effective venue for promoting products, equipment and services that play an important role in ensuring and maintaining good health. Al Nimr Expo — is the leading organizer of trade and consumer shows in the Sultanate of Oman and MEDCON is in its first edition is taking place on May 10-12, 2011 in the Oman International Exhibition centre, showcasing the four major sectors:

1)     Medical Tourism and Treatment Abroad

2)     Hospital Equipment and Technology

3)     Hospital Infrastructure and Planning

4)     Health Zone & Wellness

Special offers and discounts available to international exhibitors.

For stand reservations or for more information on how your Association and members can take part in the event, please contact Ms Ulrika Varela, Project Manager, Al Nimr Expo on mobile no. +968-94049090, Tel no. +928- 24790369, or e-mail ulrika@alnimrexpo.com  Website: www.alnimrexpo.com /medcon

Global Reproductive and Fertility Tourism Congress and Expo

All aspects of fertility and medical treatment abroad will be addressed at the Global Reproductive and Fertility Tourism Congress and Expo to be held July 12-15, 2011 in Barcelona Spain.

Doctors will be talking about the latest advances in fertility care. Attorneys will be discussing the legal aspects involved within health tourism globally. Representatives from insurance companies and tourism agencies will also attend. The expo is a globally promoted event specific to tourism as it applies to reproductive infertility health.
Medical clinics specializing in reproductive medicine, agencies, and intended parents are all invited.

The organizers of the event plan on hosting more than 1000 attendees and representatives along with distinguished governmental guests. The event will be held at the Gran Hotel Princesa Sofia, a five-star luxury hotel in downtown Barcelona.

Costs of fertility treatments are causing some American women to consider traveling abroad for procedures. Along with the allure of exotic destinations, traveling abroad may cost thousands of dollars less than they would at home. Pamela Madsen, executive director and founder of the American Fertility Association estimates the average cost for in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the U.S. to be approximately $12,000 per cycle. Some women have to go through several cycles.

Problems that experts are cautioning American women against include a decreased success rate compared to a U.S. procedure and egg donors not giving complete informed consent, which was the case recently at one Romanian clinic.