Cliff Orme, President and COO, International Hospitals (CIMA)

Medical Travel Today (MTT): I’d like to start with CIMA’s Medical Value Travel. What prompted its launch and how does it operate? Cliff Orme (CO): Medical Value Travel (MVT) came about when we realized that there were a significant number of people looking for healthcare services abroad. Most people jumped around from site to site, but they didn’t really understand how the experience of traveling for healthcare occurs…what’s involved, what to consider, even just what to ask. That’s what prompted us to create the MVT website. In terms of what MVT provides, I’ll let Balbina speak to that. Balbina Lankenau (BL): Sure. MVT has been in operation since 2008. As it has evolved it’s taken international patient care to a different level than many other facilities offer. And what I mean by that is that patients work with both a nurse coordinator and a medical travel specialist who handle their case from beginning to end. The nurse coordinator, who is an actual RN, guides them through the pre-op process, from imaging to the prep room, recovery and beyond. The medical travel specialist coordinates all communication between the hospital, CIMA physicians and the patient, and handles hotel arrangements, scheduling appointments and any other activities. The doctors in our program are experienced, fully credentialed CIMA physicians, carefully selected to participate with the MVT department, who have received training at some of the world’s most renowned facilities in either Europe or the US. They’re also all completely fluent in English. MTT: From where do most MVT patients originate? And what kind of care are they seeking?All of these things help to make the patient feel very welcome, and create a level of comfort – that we know your case, we’re ready to handle your needs, and that you’re more than another patient. CO: Â The American South and Southwest, plus a few from Central America and Canada. The type of care they receive depends upon which of our locations they go to – Mexico, Brazil or Costa Rica. Without a doubt the areas of orthopedics, cardiology, general surgery, gynecology, bariatrics and plastic surgery are our most active areas. MTT: Do most patients come to you directly or through a facilitator? BL: Â It’s a combination. We work with 15 to 20 facilitators from all over the world with five or so US-based companies being the most active. We’re very comfortable with these folks because they are the established organizations, with a true appreciation for what our patients want and the culture we provide. They have been very successful at promoting our services and guiding patients into our system. But we do also have a number of patients who come to us directly. MTT: I’m curious. Do those “independent” patients have a relationship with your facilities or family in the area that adds to their comfort? BL: I wouldn’t say they have family in the area, but many have been to a region or country before, say Costa Rica, and have a certain level of comfort from having seen the facilities, or they have heard about us. That kind of experience with a place definitely helps drive their choice of destination. Part Two of this conversation will appear in Issue 10 of Medical Travel Today. About Clifton Orme Clifton N. Orme has served as chief operating officer of the CIMA Division of International Hospital Corporation since September 2006, and currently is president and COO of the Division. Prior to joining the company Mr. Orme was administrator/chief executive officer of LifeCare Hospitals of Pittsburgh, which now has 283 beds and four hospital campuses in the Greater Pittsburgh, Penn., area including Bellevue, Natrona Heights, Monroeville and Wilkinsburg. Early in his career he served in various executive capacities including: director of Physician Relations for the HealthTrust Mountain Division, which was subsequently bought by HCA/Columbia; assistant administrator for Columbia Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, a 312-bed general acute care hospital; and, executive director of Valley Hospital Association, now Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, a 74-bed general acute care facility. With over 20 years of experience in hospital leadership, Orme excels at leading turnarounds and continuous improvement at small to mid-size hospitals, has served on the boards of two state hospital associations and was adjunct professor for the University of St. Francis, associate professor at the University of Phoenix and fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He received his M.B.A. from Brigham Young University and graduated with distinction. About Balbina Lankenau Balbina Lankenau de la Garza, regional manager, International Patient Services “Medical Value Travel” department for International Hospital Corporation (IHC). She graduated cum laude from the Universidad de Monterrey specializing in International Marketing. She has an extensive background in international customer service and is a highly qualified manager with experience in the field of medical tourism. Balbina has held the position of general manager for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Mexico and most recently managing director of a global healthcare company specializing in matching international patients with accredited hospitals in Latin America. Also, she has consulted to numerous professionals and physicians, US health plans and American medical tourism entrepreneurs. Since the exponential growth of travel for healthcare, the CIMA and VITA hospitals have found the need to aid international patients by being directly involved with the patient’s personal needs before, during and after they receive care in the CIMA and VITA hospitals located throughout Latin America in Mexico, Costa Rica and Brazil. Balbina is currently managing a staff of bilingual coordinators and nurse coordinators. She manages the day-to-day operations between the MVT offices, its US clients, CIMA & VITA hospitals and their physicians.