Editors Note: A lot of the recent news in medical travel has centered around new partnerships involving organizations based in different countries or even different sides of the globe. So when I heard about MedBrick and Penfield Care Management, two companies not only based in the same country but also the same city, I took note. I also reached out to the leaders of each organization to learn more about the partnership and their respective corporate goals for it. Heres what they had to say.Medical Travel Today (MTT): What prompted you to partner at this time?Steve Zatylny, President, Penfield Care ManagementSteve Zatylny (SZ): I have known Pablo for quite some time. Weve both been in the industry for 10 years and, in fact, at one time worked for the same organization. I know that Pablos strength lies in Latin America and the many deep-rooted relationships he has there. Penfields original focus was on the Caribbean and major medical being directed into the US and Canada. Over time we expanded our offering to include finding care solutions for Canadians wishing to travel to the US, and for Americans looking for alternative care options, both in and out of the US. We also deal with international travel companies that is, insurance companies that offer an emergency medical travel component to their policies. We coordinate those care needs as they arise. However, in the recent past we started getting so many requests for care outside US that I knew I needed a partner that could provide a solid network, was intimately familiar with the facilities, and shared the same standards of care concept that we held. Given all that, choosing to work with Pablo was a no-brainer. Pablo Castillo (PC): My story is much the same as Steve described it. MedBrick is very strong in Latin America and the Caribbean. Coming at it from the opposite side, we have prospective clients looking for care options in the US and Canada. Steve has a great network of facilities, and great connections. Knowing him as I do makes it possible for me to trust the services and quality of care that hes offering and I, in turn, offer to my clients. So far its been an excellent match. MTT: So were you both looking for a partner at the same time?PC: Yes and no. We werent actively or desperately looking, but it was getting bigger and bigger on our radar of things to address. As they say, it was like a ring to a finger. The fit was there and here we are. SZ: For Penfield, when we first launched we werent sure the need was there but as business developed it became clear this was a path we were going to have to take to grow. Pablo was always in the back of mind. The fact that we both operate out of offices in Quebec certainly facilitated discussions, but more important was the fact that we hold the same belief in providing quality care at affordable costs. MTT: What were the individual corporate criteria for choosing facilities to include in your network and how have you married those two together?SZ: Penfields a bit unique, I think. We never direct a patient to specific facility. Rather, we give prospective patients the resources they need to make an educated choice in terms of where to go. That said, our network is built on quality standards. As you know, there are a lot of quality organizations that rank various aspects of care delivered in the US. From my perspective, the Carechex program put out by the Delta Group is the most extensive ranking system out there. They have a number of evaluating criteria that address everything from safety and outcomes to readmits and internal processes. I subscribe to a number of those ranking systems and use the data they provide to educate members. Ultimately, the patient needs to rank their own priorities in making a choice. Is it outcomes? Proximity? Specific type of treatment or device? If you can educate a member as fully as possible, nine times out of 10 theyll choose the best personal outcome option and limit their out-of-pocket expense. When you design a network made up of quality facilities members get excellent choices. Pablo Castillo, Chief Executive Officer, MedBrick, Inc.PC: From the MedBrick perspective, basically for every prospective customer seeking care outside the US, we have a network of centers that we call MedBrick Centers of Excellence (MCE). These include facilities in several countries in Latin America that are highly renowned for their healthcare development. A number of the facilities are JCI credentialed, but for those that arent they are accredited by their local health department or boards that, in all cases, have stricter regulations and parameters than JCI. Theyre actually quite a bit tougher to meet. With those rigid standards in place we have confidence the MCE facilities can provide care of an extremely high quality. In terms of aligning ourselves and standards, the only thing we needed to do was to gain a general familiarity with the facilities with which we each work. We have a level of trust and confidence in each other that allows this to work. MTT: Apart from a simply expanded array of facility offerings, is there any particular aspect of the partnership that is immediately working well?SZ: I can speak to that. Having a Latin American network is a particularly nice enhancement to Penfields preventative care offerings. We provide an executive physical product that can be done in a top US facility, but can also be done elsewhere. Its of great appeal to couple the exam with a golf weekend, say, for four executives, or to marry it with a spa option for a couple. Our list of options really widens with Latin America on the list of possible destinations. MTT: If youre comfortable answering, Im curious why you partnered rather than merged?SZ: We actually had some preliminary conversations about the two approaches. However, I decided that since my company is relatively new, I wanted to develop and grow it more in order to make it more attractive to Pablo. PC: The partnership is working well. Its been relatively seamless and were each working to our strengths. Maybe a merger is possible in the future but we need to see how we grow individually and how each contributes. Plus, theres the overall shape and health of the medical industry as a whole to consider. MTT: When you say seamless, does that mean that your partnership is invisible to respective clients?SZ: Not at all. I dont want MedBrick or Penfield to be invisible to clients. I think its important for them to know that, where needed, we are outsourcing to ensure that they get the best quality of care. I want them to know that Im working with someone intimately familiar and networked in the Latin American market. Hiding that doesnt serve me or the patient well. PC: I agree. We definitely arent looking to hide the partnership. We want the industry to know that we are two companies working together and that, as such, we can bring added value to them. Building our presence and reach is very important. We are very much up and running and servicing patients. MTT: Have you seen an uptick in interest or business since you partnered?SZ: I think in general the number of request for proposals requiring a Latin American component is up. Most of these are coming from health plans, some self-insured companies, and international insurers needing a travel solution MTT: How about from the employer side?SZ: Theres definitely a growing interest from employer groups and not just TPAs in the US but elsewhere. I think healthcare reform is driving that a bit as its a viable option. I, personally, have had an employer come on board but the conversation is being had more and more. PC: I agree. Theres definitely a growing interest from employers and international insurance companies. The large, international employers see the value of hospitals in different countries. Theyre used to operating in an international arena. This approach suits their monetary needs and provides for the employees in a very responsible way. About Penfield Care Management, Inc. Penfield Care Management, Inc. is an international care management company offering a wide range of healthcare solutions, including claims negotiation and repricing, directional health, actuarial services, wellness and international assistance. Visit www.penfieldcare.com. About MedBrick Inc. MedBrick Inc. was founded in 2010 and provides medical cost containment services, travel assistance, travel insurance and medical tourism for healthcare services throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Visit www.medbrick.com. About Pablo Castillo Pablo Castillo is Chief Executive Officer at MedBrick, a Canadian company specializing in travel assistance, medical cost containment and medical tourism in Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada. In 2000, Pablo graduated from Bishop´s University in Quebec. Since then, he has been involved in the health insurance industry and has developed strong expertise in the medical cost containment and travel assistance fields. Through a growing network of medical providers in Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada, Pablo and MedBrick are reaching out globally, providing specialized and reliable services to insurance carriers, assistance companies, third party administrators and individuals looking for medical services abroad. About Steve Zatylny Steve Zatylny was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and holds a B.A. in Political Economy from Bishop’s University. He has spent the past 10 years managing healthcare costs for clients throughout the Caribbean and Southeast US. During his eight years in the industry, Steve developed cost containment strategies that would effectively reduce healthcare costs for his clients while maintaining a high level of care and service. Steve launched Penfield Care Management in 2012 and has strategically aligned himself with the finest partners in the industry to offer a complete healthcare solution for those seeking medical treatment in the US, Canada and Latin America. Steve currently serves on the board of the Institute of Caribbean Insurance Risk Managers. [email protected] 1.877.791.0529 extension 101
Penfield Care Management, Inc. is an international care management company offering a wide range of healthcare solutions, including claims negotiation and repricing, directional health, actuarial services, wellness and international assistance. Visit www.penfieldcare.com. About MedBrick Inc. 
MedBrick Inc. was founded in 2010 and provides medical cost containment services, travel assistance, travel insurance and medical tourism for healthcare services throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Visit www.medbrick.com. About Pablo Castillo Pablo Castillo is Chief Executive Officer at MedBrick, a Canadian company specializing in travel assistance, medical cost containment and medical tourism in Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada. In 2000, Pablo graduated from Bishop´s University in Quebec. Since then, he has been involved in the health insurance industry and has developed strong expertise in the medical cost containment and travel assistance fields. Through a growing network of medical providers in Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada, Pablo and MedBrick are reaching out globally, providing specialized and reliable services to insurance carriers, assistance companies, third party administrators and individuals looking for medical services abroad. About Steve Zatylny Steve Zatylny was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and holds a B.A. in Political Economy from Bishop’s University. He has spent the past 10 years managing healthcare costs for clients throughout the Caribbean and Southeast US. During his eight years in the industry, Steve developed cost containment strategies that would effectively reduce healthcare costs for his clients while maintaining a high level of care and service. Steve launched Penfield Care Management in 2012 and has strategically aligned himself with the finest partners in the industry to offer a complete healthcare solution for those seeking medical treatment in the US, Canada and Latin America. Steve currently serves on the board of the Institute of Caribbean Insurance Risk Managers.