Although it is not considered odd for the public to want to look like their favorite actor or celebrity, due to globalization, it seems like there is an increasing number of people are requesting to look like a difference ethnicity.

In an article found in a popular Turkish online newspaper, Dr. Ibrahim Oskui states that he has had an increase in patients traveling from Iran, Bulgaria, Iraq, and Arab countries specifically so they can look like an actor from their favorite Turkish television show. Turkish television reaches many bordering countries and many people from the Middle East are taking extreme measures to look like those actors they see on their screen weekly.

This is not a new discovery; I personally noticed this trend many years ago. While I was watching a television series on plastic surgery, one patient really caught my attention. She was a young Asian-American woman who wanted to have eyelid surgery to create a crease on her eyelid so her eyes would look more open. She mentioned that it’s a common procedure to have in the Asian community since most do not have a crease naturally. She defended herself and said her reason for surgery was not to look “more Caucasian”, but thought the additional feature would improve her overall beauty.

Then there is the infamously titled procedure “The Brazilian Butt Lift” to also consider. Lately, more and more women are using implants to enhance their rear end rather than just their chest. Typically a larger rear is found in exotic, ethnic woman such as those from countries in South American. Now, a somewhat exclusive feature is available for all ethnics to attribute by the means of plastic surgery.

Does this mean that eventually strong ethnic features that set us apart will become obsolete? It seems that as each year goes by, features thought of as beautiful are becoming more standardized than “in the eyes of the beholder” and plastic surgery is becoming the key to unlock this universal beauty.

The Medical Tourism Association announces the Hotels Bridging Healthcare Conference held at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz in Switzerland on June 16^th-19^th, 2012. This event will be hosted by the University of Delaware, featuring the hotel industry, wellness and medical tourism entrepreneurship.

This event will bring in the leading medical tourism experts from Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, and Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, as well as The Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, Medical Tourism Association™, and University of Delaware to meet, identify and address global trends in medical and wellness tourism. This conference will present a distinctive model on how effectively hotels and hospitals could strategically connect, share experiences, and provide quality services to patients, their families and guests.

To register and for details please visit:
http://www.lerner.udel.edu/departments/hrim/h2hconference

Please note a special rate for members and friends of Medical Tourism Association™.

We would like to extend a special invitation to employers, insurance companies, governments and insurance agents who send patients overseas or are interested in doing and wish to attend the 5th Word Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress.

The event is the largest international networking and educational platform in the world where you will meet the decision makers in the industry to network, build strong relationships and increase the ROI for your organization.    

 Benefits from attending the Congress     

•  Gain full access to all sessions and workshops
  Learn from our renowned speakers the best practices in different areas of medical tourism and global healthcare by attending dozens of hours of educational sessions including keynote presentations, discussion panels and workshops which will address ways to lower healthcare costs effectively while improving quality for your organization.

• Get access to the exhibit hall with up to 140 sponsors and exhibitors. Access the list of 2011 sponsors

• Enjoy coffee breaks, lunches and cocktail receptions
  Network with existing contacts and grow your business opportunities.

• Increase your networking opportunities through our improved networking software and mobile app
  Network months before the Congress with the top healthcare providers from around the world and schedule one-on-one meetings with the decision makers you want to do business with.

We are looking forward to seeing you in South Florida!

For more information regarding the Buyers VIP Program or for general Medical Tourism Congress inquiries please contact:

Cristina Cardona

Global Congress Manager 

Cristina@medicaltourismcongress.com  

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to a couple of conferences that were not directly related to medical tourism. Upon introducing myself and the Medical Tourism Association™ (MTA), the listeners interest was immediately sparked.  Most of these were either in the hospitality industry, a tourism board or even a translation service…I did not put a limit on the companies I was trying to attract. Some had never heard of it, others kind of knew what it was and some had even thought about implementing this as a new target market. The overall response I received was “how so I get involved in this industry on a smaller scale, in order to find out if it would work for my company?” Companies new to the industry are just looking to get more information and do some networking. At the office we receive several calls a month from people wanting to work in medical tourism but have no idea where to start. I’m sure that most people in this industry get similar inquiries…the MTA is the perfect platform for people to discover the ins and outs of this niche market.  Here are some things the MTA can offer for all the newcomers wanting to tap into this versatile and limitless industry.

Step 1 – Research

The MTA has books and magazines dedicated to educating readers with the most up to date information in the industry. Reading through some of this information could give you some insight on how you could become involved. I’ve given a few examples below.

This article provides a quick overview of the terms and markets for medical tourism.

This article gives an example how a company involved in the travel industry could implement this concept.

Many hospitals and clinics have or should have international patient departments in order to cater to the needs of a foreign patient, this article gives an example of why this is so vital to the success of the industry…it also serves as an example of another important market in this industry…language translation.

For more detailed information on these topics you can purchase the books written by the president of the MTA…an expert in medical tourism. 

Step 2 – Start networking and asking questions

The MTA has its own social network, Medical Tourism City…you can join this network and become connected to other experts and members of our association, find out what is going on and how others are actively participating.

Step 3 – Keep learning and networking!

The World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress is the best way to maximize on knowledge and networking. It will also give you a chance to see just how huge this industry is. The Congress brings in around 2000 people from 87 different countries, including Ministers of Health, hospitals, doctors, buyers of healthcare, tourism boards, insurance companies and others. We invite experts to share best practices and case studies for the medical tourism industry.  The Congress also features advanced networking software which allows you to schedule one on one networking meetings, this is your opportunity to see who is coming and meet with them face to face to get all the information you need or a new possible business opportunity.  Take a look at our agenda to see the sessions and speakers for the 2012 Congress in South Florida.  Also, if you register before July 1^st you save $500 on the registration fee.

There are so many ways the MTA could assist you in becoming part of the medical tourism industry…please contact us if you or someone you know needs help in getting started!

Olivia@MedicalTourismAssociation.com

The 5th Annual World Medical Tourism & Global Health Congress is pleased to announce the list of preliminary speakers at the conference to be held on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale/Miami on October 24-26th, 2012.

The Medical Tourism Association™ is proud to welcome our keynote speakers who will share their expertise and insights about cutting edge business practices in different aspects of the global healthcare industry.  Breckon Jones, Director of Health & Benefits, American Express EMEA, and John Casey, Director of International Benefits from Google, who will come back this year after his acclaimed session in Chicago, will be some of our keynote speakers. In addition, Kevin McCarty, President of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) will present in a cross over session with the Employer Healthcare & Benefits Congress; and the Disney Institute will share its insight on Disney’s approach to business excellence. Furthermore, Peter Carmel, the President of the American Medical Association (AMA) will share AMA concerted effort to help doctors help patients among other key issues.

The preliminary list of confirmed speakers includes the following renowned industry experts:

•   Bernie Knobbe, Sr. Director, Global Benefits, Yahoo!
•   Karen Timmons, Global Patient Safety Officer, DNV
•   Dr. Paata Ratiani, Founder, “medtourgeorgia”
•   Jeffrey Chen, Executive Director | Insurance & Benefits,  Insurpro
•   Nina Meyer, President & Chairman of the Board, American Society of Travel Agents
•   Robert   DiCianni, Senior Vice President, Pan-American Life Insurance Group
•   Arthur L. Diskin, MD, FACEP, Vice President and Global Chief Medical Officer, Royal Caribbean Cruises
•   Renée-Marie Stephano, JD, President of the Medical Tourism Association
•   Frank Lasee, State Senator, Wisconsin State Senate
•   David Reisman,  Professor of Economics, Nanyang Technological University
•   Marc Fetscherin, Associate Professor, Rollins College
•   Sabina    Marotta, Vice President Employee Benefits, L-3 Communications Corporation
•   Dr. Mona Khanna, Medical Contributor, FOX Chicago News
•   Phil Borden, Compliance & International Benefits, Kohler Co.
•   Alex Piper, President, OneWorld Global Healthcare Solutions
•   Mark Semple, President, Passport Medical
•   Muna  Almuallem, Benefits Manager, Amway
•   Emin Çakmak, Founding Chairman, Turkish Healthcare Tourism Development Council
•   Carolyn Nye, Director of Digital Interactive Group, USADATA
•   Selin Peker, Executive Vice President, Exec.Comm.Member, Dünyagöz / World Eye Hospitals Group
•   David Bryan, Global Benefit Consultant, Xensell
•   Mohammed Saeme, MD. PhD., International Expert on Maritime Health & Wellness
•   Scott Edelstein, Partner, Squire Sanders
•   Patrick Goodness, CEO The Goodness Company

This is the one event per year where employers, self funded health plans, insurance companies, government officials and medical tourism facilitators that are looking to outsource healthcare overseas have the opportunity to meet with top international hospitals and medical tourism companies, network,  and build strong relationships with key industry partners.

This year the Medical Tourism Association™ has allocated a budget to bring in up to 400 buyers of healthcare that includes global multinational employers, insurance companies and health insurance agents. The conference will be integrated with the Employer Healthcare & Benefits Congress, one of the largest US health insurance and healthcare conferences in the United States, and the Global Benefits Conference focused on international employers and insurance companies. The annual MTA Congress will welcome approximately 2,000 attendees from over 90 countries, up to 140 exhibitors and sponsors and over 100 speakers.

The Congress is the dedicated annual event of the Medical Tourism Association™, the nonprofit trade association in the Medical Tourism industry,   http://www.medicaltourismassociation.com and media partner Medical Tourism Magazine, http://www.medicaltourismmag.com the only dedicated magazine for the medical tourism and global healthcare industry, and by Medical Tourism City, http://www.medicaltourismcity.com, a social network for the medical tourism and global healthcare industry with over two thousand participants from all over the world.

If you would like more information about this event, please email Cristina Cardona at: cristina@medicaltourismcongress.com  or call 001-561-792-6676

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.

The Medical Tourism Association™ is excited to participate in the upcoming Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) on May 7^th-8^th in no other than Miami, Florida. This central location is the perfect destination to unite investors and important decision makers in the Caribbean hotel and resort investment community.

The opportunity in the Caribbean is growing therefore CHRIS is inviting owners, lenders, developers, hotel chain/management company executives, investment bankers, vacation ownership executives, financial advisors, real estate & financial intermediaries, builders, consultants, lawyers, architects & designers, government tourism officials, and media to participate in this event.

CHRIS immediately precedes another conference, Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA). This allows the hotel investment community to be a part of two important conferences back to back.

For more information, please click here. We hope to see you there!

The Medical Tourism Association will participate as supporter of the Hotel Opportunities Latin America Summit (HOLA) during May 8-10 in Miami.

In the hotel & hospitality industry it all comes down to the guests’ overall experience. When catering to guests undergoing any level of medical treatment or procedure, there are several factors that must be taken into consideration in order to deliver an exceptional and safe experience. Medical tourism presents a tremendous opportunity for the hospitality industry, with a set growth of 35% for at least the next couple of years.

HOLA brings together the leaders in the hotel industry to discuss important trends, to network, to identify new opportunities, and to do deals through a combination of plenary sessions, breakout panels, and interactive development workshops.  Program tracks on hotel investment in Mexico, Brazil, South America, and Central America are featured.

We hope you can join us in Miami!

The Medical Tourism Association invites employers, insurance companies, governments, employers and insurance agents who send patients overseas or are interested in doing so to be a part of our exclusive VIP Buyer Program and obtain a free pass to the 5^th Word Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress, the largest international networking and educational platform in the world where you will meet the decision makers in the industry  to network, build strong relationships and increase the ROI for your organization.  

What would employers, insurance companies and insurance agents gain by attending the Congress?

• Gain full access to all sessions and workshops. Learn from our renowned speakers the best practices in different areas of medical tourism and global healthcare by attending dozens of hours of educational sessions including keynote presentations, discussion panels and workshops which will address ways to lower healthcare costs effectively while improving quality for your organization.
•  Get access to the exhibit hall with up to 140 sponsors and exhibitors. Look at the list of past sponsors
• Enjoy Coffee breaks, lunches, and cocktail receptions. Network with existing contacts and get new business opportunities
• Increase your networking opportunities through our Improved Networking Software and mobile app. Network months before the Congress with the top healthcare providers from around the world  attendees and schedule one-on-one meetings with the decision makers you want to do business with.
• See the list of past participants

There is a limited number of Free Passes so please submit your application: http://medicaltourismcongress.com/en/vip.html in order to get a free pass. You can also contact us directly:  Cristina Cardona: cristina@medicaltourismcongress.com

We hope to see you in South Florida!

Patient experience is based in part upon the quality of the services, good medical outcomes and good value for the patient. For each patient there are different factors which will weigh heavier in their decision making process. In the end, the value proposition and delivery must be completely to their satisfaction. We can take the words of people in the industry – good and bad – in an effort to improve upon this patient experience. This is the crux of the ability for growth.

We need to take steps to do it through training, education, sharing of data, reassessment and development. There is little productivity offered in badmouthing or discrediting people or organizations. Whether numbers sound better because they have been paid for or whether someone is perceived to be an expert is irrelevant. Evident biases and obvious personal opinions interjected prior to any comment inevitably discredits what is attempted to be offered anyway and certainly does not provide what is needed for us as professionals to build sustainable business models. I believe this is what most of us are looking to achieve?

There are experts in every part of the chain of service. Professionalism is expected at all stops along the patient management process. And then there are those few that stand on the sidelines making observations. Those who have never assisted a patient inquiry, attended to a patient, received a patient complaint and helped them through a nightmare experience – those groups may not be the best fit for building stepping stones. From the inquiries received daily from patients, together with complaints about providers and services, and in some cases reports of preventable bad outcomes, you can really see where the needs of the industry are essentially not being met. Ranking on a facilitator’s top ten list of countries should not be the primary goal. Delivering good patient outcomes should be.

My recent blog post specifically was a call for standardization of metrics and collection of data and for a better attitude. MTA has never provided a report of the number of patients traveling specifically because they are not standardized enough to benchmark country to country. We do not create our own numbers, and we do not hold value in published numbers from less than credible sources. We also do not “froth at the mouth” when we hear numbers disputed as we regularly dispute them ourselves. It will come – in due time and until then, we advise our partners to keep their information and reporting flowing, as the industry really needs it.

There are plenty of available academic reports from trusted peer reviewed journals, which have been reviewed and can be found on the MTA member’s pages of our website. There is however a lack of implementation of the metrics recommended therein and, accordingly, a call for action should be reiterated.

Obstacles should be used as stepping stones and progress should be made. We are taking what we have learned from the patients to put best practices in place at the healthcare provider level. We organize educational workshops in cities throughout the US for employers and recognize the need for education to their employees of not only opportunities to travel for healthcare, but also the need for education about prevention which inevitably provides for opportunity in advance or instead of “last resort care.” We have developed an official lobbying organization called International Healthcare Consumers Coalition to lobby the US government for reimbursement of overseas healthcare services for Medicare as a starting point. We created alliances for consumer education through very large consumer networks. As a trade association, this is for the benefit of the industry as a whole.  We cannot act as a trade association and patient advocacy as it may create conflicts of interests. However, by operating under best practices, we as members of the trade association, providers of healthcare, stakeholders and facilitators, need to be the advocates for patients by giving them the best care. Let’s not lose sight of that most important fact which can get lost in all the “murky water.”

And for David whose response to my blog post was that of Stonehenge and Druids imagery  – brilliant, I see it as well. These are progressive times and what we leave behind in healthcare should not be a mystery. Not much was known about the Druids as they were nomadic and did not leave anything behind. So I suppose perhaps a good take away is that we all should to do something to leave a meaningful and impressionable mark – not only for own benefit, but directly or indirectly in the lives of the patients and their families.