THIS WEEK IN MEDICAL TRAVEL TODAY
Volume 4, Issue 3

by Amanda Haar, Editor

Greetings,

These are interesting times in medical travel.

The news is filled with stories of new international partnerships being forged and efforts to simplify financial transactions for patients traveling abroad (see INDUSTRY NEWS).
Based on those stories, one might think that the majority of growth opportunities exist beyond patient's home borders.

However, there's one organization that's rethinking its practice of sending patients abroad for lower costs when comparable options can be found at home (see SPOTLIGHT).

I guess when it comes to medical travel, opportunities exist where and when you create them.

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

Cheers,

Amanda Haar, Editor
ahaar@cpronline.com

SPOTLIGHT UPDATE: Mobile Surgery International Adds Domestic Option

Arnon Krongrad, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, Mobile Surgery International

Editor's Note: Medical Travel Today first interviewed  Arnon Krongrad, M.D., of Mobile Surgery International (MSI) in April of 2009. At that time, our conversation focused on MSI's practice of sending patients and members of their Mobile Surgical PPO™ for surgery abroad. Recent news of MSI's first domestic mobile surgery case prompted us to reach out to him and learn what prompted the addition of a domestic option.

Medical Travel Today (MTT):  Let's start with the recent and exciting news of your first domestic mobile surgery case. Tell us about that.
Arnon Krongrad (AK): Mobile Surgery International’s mission is to help patients preserve treatment choice and quality. To achieve this mission requires that we help them overcome economic, cultural, and geographic barriers. We thus develop Centers of Excellence with Global Convenience™ that are cost-efficient, culturally suited, and geographically distributed so as to minimize logistical burden and maximize convenience.

For many Americans and Canadians, a Center of Excellence with Global Convenience™ in the United States is better positioned to overcome barriers than our options in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our aim was to develop a domestic Center of Excellence with Global Convenience™ and that is what we did.

The case to which you are referring involved an English-speaking, uninsured American from South Carolina; he had never been out of the country. The case involved a surgical team from Florida and a well-equipped operating room that we sourced in Kansas to which we sent the patient and the surgical team.

Could we have sent the patient and team to an operating room in Trinidad or Mexico? Of course we could have. However, the usual reason for outbound travel -- cost -- had been eliminated because we have equalized cost across geography. We did this by eliminating surgical waste, sharing some portable gizmos, and helping the hospital develop new excess capacity. Moreover, the patient had expressed personal preference to stay in the U.S. Among his reasons was fear of flying; he drove from South Carolina to Kansas.

In this case, as in another case, a domestic choice served to overcome barriers to treatment choice.

MTT: In terms of outcome, logistics, and working with a new operating room in Kansas, how would you say it went?

AK: Surgery went smoothly, the key to which is the surgeons – always. The logistics also ran smoothly. MSI’s administrative staff coordinates with the host facility to make sure that it does, and it did. The hosts, by the way, are also quite energized by this. For one thing, at the human level, most hospital personnel really like to rise up to the opportunity to host patients from far away and to be useful and friendly. For another, they understand that surgeon-driven mobile surgery brings new service delivery options.
MSI takes the burden off the hospitals – we develop capital-risk-free relationships with them and put them in a position of being recipients of patients, surgeons, and revenue. We also eliminate the clinical learning curve, fill gaps in services, and eliminate the time to market. The hospitals work with us because we make it easy for them.

MTT: Which types of procedures are you currently performing with this model?

AK: MSI has proven service with large cancer operations (e.g., minimally invasive radical prostatectomy) and large orthopedic procedures (e.g., total knee replacement), for which we have established Centers of Excellence with Global Convenience™ in Kansas, Florida, Mexico, Panama, and Trinidad.

Our platform has geographically equalized quality by using the same highly experienced surgical teams at all locations. It has also geographically equalized cost efficiency in some cases. For example, our minimally invasive radical prostatectomy service is priced equally at all our domestic and foreign sites. So in some cases, we have arrived at geographically equal high quality and low cost, and we can let the client choose the location that is most convenient for him.

MTT: Can you handle types for which you do not currently have ongoing programs?

AK: Yes, we can help in individual cases too. Please remember that our Mobile Surgical PPO™ is composed of highly experienced surgical sub-specialists. For example, we have depth in hand surgery, spine surgery, and cardiac surgery. This means that we can, in addition to offering pre-produced large surgery packages, help in individual ad hoc cases. For example, we just got individual inquiries about a torn labrum and a volar plate injury; we can handle those. So if you are a patient and/or facilitator dealing with an individual problem for which we do not have a multi-focal platform and ongoing service, we may still be able to help you.

MTT: Did you mean to imply earlier that the price for surgery in Florida is the same as in Trinidad and Mexico?

Yes. There is excess operating room capacity all around us, both abroad and here: You have to know how to shop for it, how to develop it where it does not exist, how to negotiate for it, how to eliminate what is not needed, and how to construct a value proposition for its owners that makes them cooperative. So yes, we’ve in some cases gotten prices in some generally very expensive regions down to levels you’d expect in foreign destinations. That’s a result of letting surgeons, who are the subject experts, shop for surgery.

MTT: So just how flexible is the model? What are its limitations?

AK: At the operating level, our surgeon-driven mobile surgery model opens new doors and ideas. For example, a Canadian facilitator asked me recently where we offer our knee replacement service. I asked where she wanted it offered. It took her a minute to realize I wasn’t kidding and that I was asking her to customize the service she would get.
Does this mean we can be all things to all people? Of course we cannot. But surgeon-driven mobile surgery clearly offers new levels of client service and convenience.

MTT: What's the best way for an employer, payer, or hospital administrator to contact you about working together?

AK: Employers, payers, and hospital administrators looking for a business relationship should contact me by email: ak@laprp.com

For patients and case managers looking for individual surgical choices, the best choice is help@emeseye.com

Everyone can also stay in touch by joining the Manny Mobile, MD Facebook page.

About Arnon Krongrad, M.D.
Dr. Krongrad, founder and medical director of the Krongrad Institute for Minimally Invasive Prostate Surgery, has been performing surgery for 25 years. He is co-founder and medical director of the not-for-profit Prostate Cancer International. In 2009 Dr. Krongrad led the surgical teams that performed the foreign and domestic mobile surgical cases that inspired Mobile Surgery International, a Mobile Surgical PPO™ that helps patients and payers overcome economic, geographic, and cultural barriers to treatment choice, and quality.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Rating the MTQA's Top Ten Rating

This week the Medical Travel Quality Alliance (MTQA) released its first-ever Top 10 World’s Best Hospitals ™ list.  Click here to view.

As stated on the MTQA's site, the list is designed "to help patients, hospitals, and medical travel agents better understand the important factors that create an outstanding medical experience for a medical tourist."

As with any rating system, it bears looking into what motivated the list's development, what were the criteria used, how were hospitals chosen for inclusion, and how truly meaningful is it to the consumer.

Ian Youngman of the IMTJ Online did an excellent job of bringing greater understanding to some of these factors in his recent piece The top ten hospitals for medical tourism: Fact or fiction?

While ratings and lists are nice go-to devices for marketing purposes (and there are plenty of them out there), it's important that we don't let individual self-serving efforts do a disservice to the entire industry. Consumer trust and confidence are and always have been the ultimate drivers of success. If we confuse the message or, at worst, consciously attempt to deceive, the only thing we'll succeed in driving is failure.

Dubai Health Authority Announces Opening of First 'Samsung Medical Center'

Dubai Health Authority has announced the opening of the first Samsung Medical Center in the Middle East in Dubai next March under the patronage of Dubai Health Authority and in collaboration with Index Holding as the first center of its kind outside Korea.

The announcement was made during a meeting held today at the Dubai Health Authority attended by His Excellency Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, Director General, Dubai Health Authority, Professor Han Yong Choi, M.D., president and chief executive officer, Samsung Medical Hospitals in Korea, and Abdul Salam Al Madani, president of Index Holding.

Samsung Medical Center Dubai in collaboration with Index Holding is the first of its kind for Samsung Medical Center outside Korea. The opening decision was made based on the agreement signed last October between Index Holding and Samsung Medical Center. The two parties are confident that Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the ideal venue to host such an international medical center. Samsung Medical Center Dubai in collaboration with Index Holding will provide advanced medical services for Emaratis and residents in Dubai, the UAE, general gulf countries (GGC), the Middle East, and North Africa region. The center will be established on more than 5,000 sq. ft. in Dubai Health Care City.

The center will have highly specialized medical and nursing personnel in addition to the medical visits by consultants from Samsung Medical Centers and Hospitals in Korea. Samsung Medical Center Dubai, in collaboration with Index Holding, provides specialized medical services in the treatment of cancer, cardiology, nephrology, urology, gastroenterology, women health, and family medicine.

Samsung Medical Center Dubai, in collaboration with Index Holding, aims at attracting medical tourism to the region and to the exchange of knowledge and experiences.

"We are pleased that a world-class center like Samsung Medical Center has decided to open its first medical center in the region in Dubai,” says His Excellency Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, director general, Dubai Health Authority. “The decision reflects the investors' trust in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates and in the vision of the wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president, Prime Minister of UAE, and Ruler of Dubai and the continuous support of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai Minister of Finance, president of Dubai Health Authority. The Dubai Health Authority extends its support for such initiatives. This project that was initiated by Index Holding under the patronage of Dubai Health Authority is a new achievement added to the ongoing successes in the medical sector in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.

"We have decided to invest in this project after an extended study and analysis of its importance for the medical sector in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. We intend to continue the efforts in collaboration with Samsung Medical Center in the medical sector and to extend our projects in the future. The unremitting support provided by Dubai government and its entities for such projects is a major factor in attracting international,leading institutions to Dubai and for us to achieve the best.

"We have decided to open the Samsung Medical Center, the first of its kind outside Korea, in collaboration with Index Holding in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, due to the trust we have in this city and its capabilities in providing all the requirements for establishing this project. The emirate offers world-class facilities and infrastructures that compete with those in the largest developed countries around the world. In addition, the UAE leadership's vision and the continuous support to the medical sector is an incentive to us to invest in this project, as we will be able to provide advanced medical services for patients in the Middle East, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and North Africa. Dubai, under the wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has a worldwide outstanding reputation and the two countries enjoy a steady friendship and business relations."

Samsung Medical Center was established in Korea in 1995 and currently includes three specialized hospitals in Seoul and other provinces. The hospital ranked first for eight years consecutively and is known to be the best specialized-hospital in Korea. Samsung Medical Center hosts more than 40 specialized departments and units in all medical specialties and employs more than 10,000 employees including 5,000 specialized medical staff and is considered as one of the largest advanced medical complexes in Korea. Samsung Medical Center is a designated teaching hospital for Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine. Samsung Medical Center produces outstanding future leaders in health care.

Samsung Medical Center currently maintains Korea's largest medical cooperative network that includes some 70 cooperative hospitals and 700 member clinics. These hospitals and medical clinics transfer critical cases to Samsung specialized Hospitals.

South Korea, Egypt Sign Tourism Accord

SEOUL, Jan. 22 (Yonhap) -- Egypt vowed to step up security for foreign visitors on Friday as it signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea on promoting bilateral tourism.

Zoheir Garranah, tourism minister for the Middle Eastern nation, said his country will bolster anti-terrorist measures across the country, addressing concerns over violence by Muslim extremists there.

"The government of Egypt is making its best efforts to ensure the safety of foreigners not only in tourism attractions but in the entire country," the visiting minister said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency.

The accord signed between Garranah and Yu In-chon, South Korea's minister for tourism, sports and culture, calls for the governments of the two countries to facilitate greater tourism, boost related investments, and simplify visa processes.

Known for its historic pyramids, bustling markets, and newly developed golf courses, the largest share of Egypt's gross domestic product comes from its tourism industry, which accounts for an annual US$11 billion in added revenue for the Muslim nation. But fears of possible terrorist attacks persist in the region, with the latest such incident occurring on Jan. 7 when six members of the minority Coptic Christian community were gunned down in a drive-by shooting in the south of the country.

"Egypt implements anti-terror measures on a pan-governmental level and is making its full efforts for the safety of not only locals but also foreigners," the minister stressed.

Garranah said Korean television dramas and movies have gained "huge popularity" in his country, creating a booming interest in Korean culture.

Egyptians are also interested in the fast-growing medical tourism industry in Korea, the world's 13th largest economy, where foreign visitors often receive advanced medical care at a fraction of costs seen in other advanced countries, the minister said.

The two countries mark their 15th year of diplomatic relations this year.

Treatment Abroad Partners with Foreign Exchange Specialists, HiFX to Save Medical Tourists Money

Medical tourists can save pounds as Treatment Abroad partners with HiFX to secure the best foreign exchange rates

Treatment Abroad, the UK’s leading online health information guide for medical tourism, has partnered with leading foreign exchange specialists, HiFX, to enable medical tourists to get the best possible exchange rates and save money when paying for treatment overseas.

In a partnership set up to make life easier for those travelling overseas for medical treatment, patients can now pay for their treatment through a foreign exchange specialist rather than through the mainstream banks. HiFX offers excellent rates of foreign currency exchange and can save patients up to four percent on the exchange rate. In addition, their online international money transfer service allows Treatment Abroad customers to transfer up to £50,000 to pay for treatments and access discounted exchange rates and live exchange rates. The service is fast and highly secure, giving clients complete peace of mind.

Patients arranging medical travel through the Treatment Abroad website can organize payment to clinics and hospitals directly through the Treatment Abroad website.

The foreign currency experts at HiFX can provide patients with the help and guidance they need to get the best exchange rate and save money when paying for their treatment. HiFX has operations in Europe, North America, and Australasia, working for 2,000 corporate clients in over 100 different industry sectors. They help over 20,000 people buy and sell currency annually and last year handled almost £20 billion in foreign exchange receipts. HiFX has been listed in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For and was featured for three consecutive years in the Virgin Atlantic Sunday Times Fast Track 100.

Keith Pollard, managing director of www.treatmentabroad.com, says, “At Treatment Abroad we aim to help medical tourists make informed choices about treatment options abroad by providing as much information about all the practicalities of arranging treatment abroad. This collaboration with HiFX will make it even more cost-effective and easier for patients to arrange and pay for their treatment overseas both on and offline.”

Daewoo Electronics, Daewoo International America, and Woori America Bank Sign Medical Travel Benefit Contract with Patients Without Borders (PWB)

Boston, Mass., January 19, 2010 — Patients Without Borders (PWB), a Boston-based medical travel facilitator, has signed an agreement to provide a medical travel benefit option to Woori America Bank, Daewoo Electronics, and Daewoo International America employees. The contracts were completed through Econo Agency of New Jersey, the benefits consultant and brokerage agency for both companies. The medical travel service offering was built with the help of PWB partner the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), a government organization dedicated to building the international presence of that country’s health industry - a key economic driver there.

Medical travel is a fast growing business that sends U.S. patients abroad for more cost-effective medical procedures at accredited hospitals and medical centers. The role of medical facilitators like PWB is to act as a single source for patients by coordinating referrals, medical record transfers, travel, lodging, guidance in the host country, and follow-up care back in the U.S.

As a key player in the market for employer-driven medical travel, Patients Without Borders brings experience and strategic relationships to bear in working with plan sponsors to deploy this new employee benefit. The medical travel benefit provided by PWB gives Woori America Bank, Daewoo Electronics, and Daewoo International America employees access to the world-class medical centers in Korea.

“Our employees are our greatest asset,” says Gyun Bae Shin, director of Human Resources at Woori America Bank. “We want to offer them the best benefits for their health. The opportunity to do so while helping to expand the reach of Korea’s finest hospitals is an honor and one of the key reasons we decided to offer this medical travel option.

Dong Hwa Choi, general manager of Daewoo Electronics, adds, “Daewoo Electronics has always been an innovator in our industry. We want to offer our employees as many options as possible for health care. The fact that we could do that with Korea’s finest hospitals while reducing our overall health costs is an opportunity that we could not pass up.” “Our industry requires forward-thinking business leaders who embrace new ideas,” says Sang Chul Shin, director of Human Resources at Daewoo International America Corporation. “With increasing health care costs, we have a need to introduce low-cost options without compromising quality. Allowing our employees to receive medical care in Korea seemed like a natural extension of our corporate culture.”

Bup-Wan Kim, M.D., PH.D., president of KHIDI, says, “We are pleased to be working with Patients Without Borders. Their industry-leading products and Daewoo Electronics’ forward-thinking have added to the list of Korean-owned businesses taking advantage of medical travel in Korea.” “Medical travel is rapidly becoming the leading option for managing health care costs without compromising quality or safety,” adds Jeffrey Carter, CEO of Patients Without Borders. “Over time, all of these benefit plans will see a significant reduction in health care expense as more and more employees choose Korean hospitals for their medical care.”

The medical travel benefit has been available to employees of all three companies since September 1, 2009.

Provider Survey Shows Continued Growth in Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan has recently completed a global survey of hospitals and surgery centers providing plastic surgery. The survey, Growth Opportunities in the Global Plastic Surgery Market, reveals that plastic and cosmetic surgery continues to post some of the strongest procedural growth year-over-year of any surgical specialty. This detailed, quantitative, global assessment finds significant growth in select procedures and shows how opportunities vary widely by country.

"Boosted by rising income levels in developing countries, medical tourism, and growing cultural acceptance, plastic surgery is a critical segment for any company targeting the surgical market," states Frost & Sullivan's vice president of Customer Research Dan Colquhoun.

The results of this research will help business planners and strategic decision makers within the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. The survey highlights which countries represent the greatest opportunity for companies in the plastic surgery market, which plastic surgery procedures represent the greatest opportunity, the number and identities of hospitals and clinics performing these procedures, and the degree of use of anesthesia and sedation in these procedures.

For this survey, 753 individuals in 15 countries participated in the project. Respondents were individuals who had plastic or reconstructive surgical procedures performed at their facilities and had one of the following roles in their organization: chief/head of plastic or reconstructive surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgeon, administrator, or nurse. The research was conducted in both public and private clinics and hospitals.

If you are interested in more information on the study, please send an e-mail to Johanna Haynes, Corporate Communications, at johanna.haynes@frost.com with the following information: your full name, company name, title, company telephone number, company e-mail address, city, state, and country.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation, and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses, and the investment community from 40 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com.

Plastic Surgery Practices in California Seeing More International Patients

One plastic surgery practice in California is turning the medical tourism trend upside-down by becoming a choice destination for plastic surgery patients from outside the U.S. Board-certified plastic surgeons Grant Stevens, M.D., and David Stoker, M.D., of Marina Plastic Surgery Associates (www.marinaplasticsurgery.com) say they are seeing a marked increase in the number of international patients coming to the practice for cosmetic surgery procedures.

"We've always had a high number of fly-in patients compared to other practices, but recently we've just been seeing a lot more patients from places like India and the U.K.," explains Dr. Stevens. "We really pride ourselves on providing world-class results, and it's great to see that our reputation extends this far."

While Marina Plastic Surgery offers a "fly-in" plastic surgery program that has been popular with U.S. patients for years, they have seen a spike in interest from international patients only recently. The surgeons attribute part of the rising interest to the rocketing popularity of their signature procedures like Laser Bra breast lift and reduction, but say that their new international clientele is not limited just to breast and body contouring patients.

"One big trend we're noticing with our international patients is a much higher interest in facial surgery," notes Dr. Stoker. "I would say we're getting just as many requests for information on our Los Angeles face lift and rhinoplasty procedures as for the big-name surgeries like the Laser Bra."

The surgeons' long track record of success is a big attraction for many international patients, but for facial surgery in particular many patients may seek out a practice because they want remarkable results. Both rhinoplasty and face lift procedures require a high degree of training and an artistic eye, and Dr. Stevens and Dr. Stoker say that many international patients are seeking out a Los Angeles plastic surgeon specifically because of worries that lower-quality work in their own country will lead to complications or a poor cosmetic outcome.

To handle the increasing numbers of "fly-in" patients, Marina Plastic Surgery recently instituted a "virtual consultation" system which allows patients to receive a preliminary evaluation of their needs by e-mail, without having to travel to the practice in person. Both U.S. and international patients can also speak with the practice's patient coordinator for personal help in making travel arrangements.

"We take the time to make the whole process simple and comfortable for all of our patients, and we felt it was important to extend these benefits to our patients from overseas," Dr. Stevens explains. "Patients frequently tell us they've traveled thousands of miles because they want the best, and this is just one of the many steps we take to help them achieve it."

At Marina Plastic Surgery Associates (www.marinaplasticsurgery.com), board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. Stevens and Dr. Stoker offer innovative plastic surgery procedures including breast augmentation, face lifts, and abdominoplasty. After earning his medical degree with honors from Washington University Medical School in St. Louis, Dr. Stevens trained extensively in both general and plastic surgery before establishing his successful Los Angeles plastic surgery practice. Dr. Stoker graduated with honors from Stanford University and the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. He completed his general surgery and plastic surgery residencies at New York University Medical Center. Dr. Stoker and Dr. Stevens have both published extensively in clinical research publications showcasing some of the latest developments in plastic surgery procedures, and have gained recognition as pioneers in new techniques for procedures including liposuction and breast reduction.

Turkish Airlines Supports Medical Tourism

The medical tourism market in the world has been rapidly growing in recent years. In order to increase share of Turkish Health Care establishments in the market and support the national economy, Turkish Airlines has prepared a support program for health care establishments that invest in medical tourism.

The program offers special discounts and incentives for those who come to Turkey for medical treatment purposes. Protocols have already been signed with the majority of Joint Commission International (JCI)-accredited health care establishments in Turkey.

Along with 32 JCI-accredited hospitals, substantial cost advantages help Turkey become one of the most preferred countries in medical care. Turkey offers savings up to 75 to 90 percent compared to treatment costs in the U.S. Turkish Airlines hopes to see Turkey become one of the leading destinations for medical tourism.

In this context, they are offering medical travelers and their companions who travel to Turkey:

• From the U.S.: Up to 25 percent discounts (1) on initial business and economy class fares
• From other countries: 20 percent discount (1) on initial business and economy class fares(2)
• 10kg excess luggage allowance(3) will be issued
• No rebooking penalty if the rebooking is required because of medical complications(4)
• A maximum of two companions traveling with the patient are entitled to the same discounts and rights

Passengers travelling for medical purposes are required to present an acceptance letter from their receiving health care facility in order to take advantage of the discounts. (Patients travelling from the U.S. are also allowed the discount by presenting a referral letter from a health care facility in the U.S.) Discounts are only applied at Turkish Airlines offices unless otherwise specified.

(1) Discounts cannot be combined with other discounts. No discounts on promotional fares. No discounts for a stretcher.
(2)Flights must be TK only. Code share flights are not included.
(3) Piece concept (such as U.S. to Turkey): 2Pc, 32Kg per piece maximum luggage allowance on Turkish Airlines flights only.
(4)Passengers will be charged if upgrade is necessary or other fees are required.

DESTINATION

Seoul Plans to Make-over the Cosmetic Surgery Brigade in South Korea 
by Melanie Nayer

The Seoul government is seeking tourism dollars in unique ways, namely through the efforts of cosmetic surgery. 

Thanks to an increase in vanity, Asian women from China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, and Hong Kong are flocking to Seoul for a few nips and tucks. According to the International Medical Travel Journal, the new trend sweeping through Seoul is cosmetic surgery — everything from facial bone contouring to rhinoplasty — and Seoul intends to offer its medical services to the rest of the world.

Reports show Asian women are paying up to three times more for surgery in Korea than they would in America, making Seoul one of the top drivers of South Korean medical travel today. The new “Korean Wave,” as it’s being called, could mean big tourism dollars for Seoul, especially if people from around the world are willing to travel and pay up to three times more than they would in China or neighboring countries.

It’s not American travelers Seoul is seeking. The Seoul government has been tasked with boosting tourism in 2010 and has aggressively set their goal at an additional 10 million foreign tourists this year. That means a lot of doctors, and a lot of new noses. Thanks to the loosening of visa regulations, Seoul is working with the medical tourism industry to educate potential patients on the concepts of plastic surgery, and increase the number of medical tourists to over 50,000 in 2010 (almost 20,000 more than the recorded 37,000 medical patients in 2009).  

How will Seoul generate interest? 
According to city plans, the Seoul government is working with hospitals, doctors, and medical personnel to set up educational classes and support programs for foreign medical tourists. The new medical tourism campaigns will focus on safety and recovery, but also include information for first-time visitors including where to dine and the top tourist attractions in Seoul. In addition, Seoul is working with doctors based in China to educate patients on the costs associated with these procedures, as well as the emotional and physical changes that might take place after the surgery. The focus is to improve rules and regulations in an effort to reinvigorate medical tourism in a city dependent on tourism dollars. 

In the past few years, the patients were largely from China, Hong Kong, and Singapore, but Seoul sources say the patients have started to diversify and now include travelers from Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and America - and that’s exactly where Seoul hopes the trend continues. According to the International Medical Travel Journal, visitors spent more than US $60 million in Korea for medical treatment during the first nine months of 2009. The Bank of Korea says health care travel revenue between January and September jumped 29 percent from the same period last year while health-related outbound travel expenditures recorded a 35 percent drop at $69 million. Foreign patients in Korea reportedly spend twice as much as non-medical Japanese tourists, and this type of spending has allowed Seoul to up its strategies and position itself as a medical travel hotspot. 

While the first set of promotional campaigns and tourism ads will target Chinese tourists, the American market isn’t far behind on the campaign list. For 2010, Korea as a whole seeks to attract around 60,000 medical tourists, with a steady increase to 14,000 by 2015. 

About Melanie Nayer

Melanie Nayer is an award-winning editor and writer for various travel and online publications with a focus on women's health and travel. Melanie’s goal is to bring readers the best inside information on travel, food, and culture from her experiences around the world. She is a frequent guest on national radio shows and an expert in planning travel for every type of personality and budget. Previously, Melanie was a business, community and political/economics reporter for leading newspapers including The Boston Globe. She also contributed articles to magazines and online publications including Fortune Magazine, Boston.com, NYT.com, and currently writes for various in-flight airline magazines. You can learn more about Melanie on her Website: http://www.melanienayer.com

UPCOMING EVENTS

 Medical Tourism comes to MITT

The Moscow International Travel & Tourism Exhibition, which takes place in March 2010, will feature a section dedicated to medical tourism for the first time. Over the last 16 years, MITT, Russia’s leading travel and tourism exhibition, has grown and developed alongside the industry. The introduction of a medical tourism sector this year comes in response to exhibitor feedback and increased consumer demand for medical tourism.

A conference focusing on medical tourism will also take place alongside the exhibition, providing delegates with valuable information about the sector. The 1st Moscow Medical & Heath Tourism Congress will take place on March 18, 2010,  with draft topics including:

1. Medical and health tourism as a profitable business
2. The effect of the economic crisis on medical and health tourism
3. Increasing the profitability of tourism companies through medical and health tourism
4. The role of travel agents in medical tourism
5. Increasing competitiveness
6. New ways to attract clients
7. Insurance and supplementary services

Event Director, Maria Badakh, comments, “Medical tourism is becoming increasingly popular. In fact, the Deloitte Center forecasts growth of 35 percent annually for the sector from 2010. As a relatively new market, medical tourism in Russia offers excellent potential for growth. Although the sector has been represented at the show in previous years by individual companies, it has not had its own sector and individual promotion. We are looking forward to introducing medical tourism as a lucrative new revenue stream to Russia’s travel agents and tour operators.”

The sector will include spas, which are extremely popular among Russian travelers. According to Sergey Sinitcyn of the Federal Agency of Tourism, “ten to 15 percent of Russians travel abroad for spa treatments annually”.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

National Newspaper confirms support for Health & Medical Tourism Show
The Independent Newspaper has confirmed support of the forthcoming Destination Health exhibition, which is set to take place on 17 - 18 April 2010 in London.

Destination Health is a brand new exhibition designed exclusively for people planning to travel abroad for all types of treatments.

If you are involved in any aspect of health tourism, then you should be exhibiting at Destination Health.

For everything from heart disease to hip replacements, breast implants, and medical spas, Destination Health is dedicated to every area of health tourism. It brings together thousands of patients and medical providers under one roof and offers an exclusive platform to meet people who are ready to invest in their personal health, body image, and well-being.
Whatever the size or nature of your business, if you want to promote and increase awareness of your health and medical travel services in a focused and dedicated environment, you should be at Destination Health.

To find out more, visit the Destination Health website or call us on + 44 (0) 20 8230 0066 or email sales@destinationhealth.co.uk

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
                                 

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