Clinical organ transplantation has been recognized as one of the great medical advances of the century. However, they have raised many ethical, moral and societal issues regarding supply, the methods of organ allocation, and the use of living donors including minors. It has also led to the practice of organ sale as transplant tourism in some parts of the world. Prof. Dr. E.F.Ehtuish will address the many ethical questions associated with organ transplantation, organ trafficking, and transplant tourism at this year’s 6^th World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress to be held this November 3-5 in Las Vegas.

Prof. Dr. E.F.Ehtuish is the Director of the Libyan National Organ Transplant Program.  He has written many books in both Arabic and English including one on the topic of the ethics of organ transplantation.  To read more about his extensive experience including his many administrative and academic appointments, PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ HIS FULL BIOGRAPHY or visit his website, www.ehtuish.net.

Researchers say the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease increases substantially over time so that half the population above the age of 85 suffers with problems of memory, thinking and behavior.

If dementia has become so severe that lapses are beginning to interfere with daily tasks, there’s some good news to report that may be worth remembering.

Half the population above the age of 85 suffers with problems of memory, thinking and behavior.

A U.S.-based pharmaceutical company is claiming to have developed a medical device that can stop the progression of the debilitating disease. Though numerous treatments have been developed in the past to slow down Alzheimer’s, none have yet stopped the build-up of disease-causing proteins.Clinical scientists at Amylex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., believe they have come up with a solution that involves the principles of neuroscience and a device that reduces proteins in the brain and distinguishes itself from previous neurostimulants, inhibitors and vaccines.The therapy, called Betaclear™, is designed to eliminate the build-up of harmful beta-amyloid toxins before they can disrupt the connection and proper functioning of brain cells. Because the device’s process of combating the disease is extracorporeal or takes place outside the body, Amylex claims that side effects are not likely, an improvement from previous treatments.

Boon for Philippines

What’s more, Amylex plans to register Betaclear™ for clinical trials, first in the Philippines, giving the island nation a leg up on medical tourists desperate to find Alzheimer’s treatments for themselves or a loved-one.

Officials at Amylex said the decision to re-validate Betaclear™ in the Philippines came down to which country could develop the device cheaper and faster, possibly saving years and millions of dollars compared to processes from discovery to commercialization in the United States.

That doesn’t mean governing authorities in the Philippines will be any more lax in approval protocols, at least from the theoretical end, which, at this point, may be of least concern to the nearly 36 million people around the world with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. By 2050, that number can triple, according to a 2011 report by Alzheimer’s Disease International.

A study by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) claims that Alzheimer’s jumped to ninth among leading causes of premature death in the United States, up from 32 in 1990, making it the fastest growing health threat in the nation.

‘Nanomachine’

Betaclear is far from a drug, but rather a “nanomachine.” As a medical process, the device has been compared to dialysis, in which a patient’s blood is coursed out and cleansed before returning to the body.

Beta amyloids are known to develop in the body and circulate through the blood stream before depositing in the brain. Accordingly, Betaclear attracts the beta amyloids out of a patient’s blood by using a special molecule that can be likened to “a magnet.” To this end, the patient’s blood goes through a chamber, from which nearby molecules in another compartment cleanse and separate the beta amyloids.

Organizational initiatives often fail not because they are inadequate but because the organization’s cultural operating system claims to uphold certain written values and cultural rules while operating on quite another. Influential leaders succeed where others fail because they understand unwritten cultural rules guide employee behavior and influence the bottom line. This November at the 6th World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress, Joseph Grenny, four-time bestselling author and cofounder of VitalSmarts and Mike Rognlien,  Learning & Development Manager at Facebook will deliver an engaging keynote presentation and share a special case study of how Facebook created a culture of candid dialogue to increase its capacity for brilliant innovation and execution.  Join the up to 2,000 attendees in Las Vegas to learn these crucial skills to create a high performance cultural operating system at your organization.

Prof. John Connell
Featured Keynote
Author of:
Medical Tourism

John Connell, Author of the book Medical Tourism and Professor of Human Geography at the University of Sydney will give a keynote address during the 6th World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress to be held this November in Las Vegas.

The rise of medical tourism emphasizes a number of contemporary themes including the privatization of health care in post-industrial economies, the growing dependence on technology, uneven access to health resources, the accelerated globalization of health care and tourism, rampant consumerism and cherishing the body beautiful. Based on his book Prof. John Connell will look at the background and rise of health tourism, new emerging facets of the sector, and examines how health related travel fits into a tourism framework. John Connell has been a consultant to the WHO, the South Pacific Commission, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. Click here to see to who else is confirmed to speak.

It all begins with Steve McQueen.  When it comes to Hollywood and cancer, it always begins with Steve McQueen…He was the movie star who wouldn’t say “die.” Stricken with terminal lung cancer a generation ago, he traveled to Mexico for unconventional treatments, including laetrile, the “natural cure,” in an attempt to save his life.  Steve McQueen did not survive. But decades later, Hollywood’s royalty still refuse to take “death” for an answer.  And they continue to bypass the American medical establishment in favor of alternatives to conventional treatments that can be as punishing as the disease.

The difference is that now, the alternatives work.  These new experimental treatments are not carried out by charlatans with quack cures, but by world-renowned, pioneering MDs, combining various protocols and philosophies for proven results.

Now you can have the opportunity to hear a story of celebrity medical tourism told first-hand by a Hollywood player whose life was saved by medical tourism.  This November at the 6th World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress, Brett Hudson will share his inspiring story of how he traveled thousands of miles in order to defeat cancer, proving that even celebrities can benefit from medical tourism.  Brett starred on the CBS prime-time series, The Hudson Brothers Show, the summer replacement for The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour that put them on the map and began a friendship with Cher that flourishes to this day.  In 2007, he was diagnosed with Stage Four throat cancer.  After struggling with cancer treatment in the US, his friend Cher referred him to a doctor in Germany.  He was joined in Germany by Farrah Fawcett, who he lovingly refers to as his “cancer buddy”. They traveled and were treated together, shooting video along the way in order to use the experience to help others.  Click here to register!

Dr. Marty Makary will answer this question during his keynote presentation at the 6^th World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress this November in Las Vegas.  Based on his New York Times bestselling book, Unaccountable: What Hospitals Won’t Tell You and How Transparency Can Revolutionize Health Care, Dr. Makary will provide attendees with a behind-the-scenes view on how U.S. hospitals are changing for the better and for the worse. He’ll point out how hospitals are becoming giant corporations while patients blindly walk into a dangerous marketplace they can’t study or evaluate. Attendees will learn the shocking truth about modern medicine, including its hazards and heroes.  Dr. Makary is a gastrointestinal surgeon, researcher, and associate professor of health policy & management at Johns Hopkins University.

Sign up today to hear Dr. Makay and the other “rockstar” speakers at this year’s 6^th World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress taking place November 3-5 in Las Vegas.

Zappos.com has dramatically grown their sales and received great recognition from other business leaders because they place great emphasis on company culture and core values. Jon Wolske, the Cultural Evangelist for Zappos Insights will share with attendees these groundbreaking insights so that they can learn how to improve company culture, how to engage their employees and how to knock the socks of their customers.

Jon Wolske began his career with the Zappos Family in the Customer Loyalty team. After a year and a half of wowing customers, Jon moved into Zappos Insights. His first role with Insights was presenting to groups of visitors and leading a team of ‘Culture guides’ that host tours of the corporate offices. With a welcoming and knowledgeable attitude, Jon has helped the tours grow to an average of over 1200 visitors each month. Jon currently speaks to companies with a focus on culture and customer experience and why it is an important area of focus for business today. Jon has presented at meetings and conferences for companies from around the world, including Samsung Electronics, Eli Lilly, the Professional Beauty Association and the BAI Retail Delivery conference.

Come learn how to Zappos creates fun and a little weirdness all while being profitable at the 6^th World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress this November in Las Vegas.

Jeff Tomschin
VP of Human Resources
Phillips Service Industries, Inc. (PSI)

With rising healthcare costs, employers are looking at new cost-saving approaches. By allowing employees to travel to other hospitals within the country and in some cases outside the country, employers can achieve more affordable costs for surgical outcomes.

People like to speculate about how and why employers implement medical tourism programs, but the best way to understand is by listening to the employer explain it himself.  That’s why we are thrilled to announce that Jeff Tomschin, Vice President of Human Resources for Phillips Service Industries, Inc. will be presenting a case study of his company’s new medical tourism program at this year’s 5^th World Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare Congress that will take place October 24^th-26^th in Fort Lauderdale/Miami, Florida.

In his session, you will hear a case study about how Livonia-based Phillips Service Industries Inc. is rolling out a surgical travel option to 500 full-time employees and another about 750 dependents nationally in addition to the company’s health insurance. PSI is among a small number of companies operating in Michigan that are publicly talking about medical travel.  He will explain why the company chose to implement the program and how it will benefit both the company and its employees.

According to Jeff, PSI is offering the option to try to improve surgical results — such as lower readmissions and infection rates — and lower costs.  Click here to read an article about it in the Detroit News.   Don’t wait to register so that you can meet him at the conference!

That is the question that Fred Lee answers in his best-selling healthcare management book, If Disney Ran Your Hospital; 9 ½ Things You Would Do Differently.  Using examples from his work with Disney and as a senior-level hospital executive, he challenges the assumptions that have defined customer service in healthcare. You might be asking yourself, “What do Disney and hospitals have in common???” Mr. Lee asserts that both provide an “experience,” not just a service.  In the same way that Disney can earn the trust and loyalty of their guests and employees, so can hospitals!

The Medical Tourism Association™ is thrilled that Mr. Lee has agreed to explain the 9 1/2 principles that are key to enhancing both the experience of the patients and the hospital’s employees at the 5^th World Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare Congress that will take place this year in Ft. Lauderdale/Miami, Florida.  With his guidance, any hospital team can gain the extraordinary competitive advantage that comes from being seen as “the best” by their own employees, consumers, and community.  Attendees will have two opportunities to hear him present—-an in-depth workshop on Wednesday, October 24^th or a shorter overview on Thursday, October 25^th. Either presentation will be an invaluable opportunity to learn how to bring your healthcare services to a whole new level of excellence.

According to a 2009 Healthcare Advisory Board report, patient satisfaction scores have been stuck at about 82% for the past 10 years!  If hospitals simply continue their same approach they will certainly never be able to break past this ceiling especially with international patients.  Any hospital treating international patients should pay extra attention to patient satisfaction and always continue to strive for better results in order to stay competitive.

The Medical Tourism Association™ is proud to support the Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA) conference to be held May 8^th-10^th in Miami, Florida, USA.  This conference will give the MTA the chance to educate the hospitality industry about the many opportunities in the medical tourism industry.  Patients traveling for medical care require special care, making the hospitality industry play an integral role in medical tourism.

HOLA is designed to provide an annual meeting place for hotel executives, investors, lenders, developers, and the professional advisory community who are interested in doing deals in one of the world’s hottest hotel markets – Latin America. The conference is sponsored by the top international hospitality organization including, Brilla Group, Marriott, RCI and Wyndham.

The conference will address top issues in the industry and perspectives from the various countries in the region, including many government officials.  Pablo Breard, Vice President, International Research for Scotiabank, will address a topic that is on the mind of many– the economy. With the global economy in the headlines, many are looking for new alternatives to better prepare themselves for the future.  For example, many hotels are adding looking to attract medical tourists by developing a medical concierge package.

To learn more about HOLA, click here.