Publisher’s Note:For those readers who would like to know why General Marks has the nickname ?Spider? scroll to the end of the interview and learn from this amusing story! Retired Maj. Gen. James Marks, Chairman, ADVON Healthcare James ?Spider? Marks (JM): The thing that makes Advon so appealing is that it facilitates the requirements among the three healthcare touch points: medical/healthcare facilities, doctors and patients — providing access to world-class care that wouldn’t otherwise be available either locally or elsewhere. Medical Travel Today (MTT): Why is the Advon business model answering a market need? The real issue is that when you discuss medical care, everyone assumes that it is in terms of what is available immediately around the corner. In this increasingly flat world, the definition of what the corner looks like has changed dramatically. You could have medical care almost anywhere, so it really goes beyond medical tourism and looks more like generating maximum usage and facilitation among those three separate points. MTT: Are the existing facilities sufficient, or is more development required?JM: Many of the facilities that exist in developing places around the globe are, in fact, world-class. However, they are not populated by sufficient quantities of qualified medical doctors and lack a robust, experienced staff with eclectic blends of capabilities. But this can be achieved in a very smart way by identifying and marrying together doctors who are available to participate. This will require different functionality and skill sets, ranging from primary care to specialists such as orthopedics, gynecology, epidemiology and others. The patient base is available and the demand exists. MTT: The objective is to really maximize the capabilities of an existing infrastructure?JM: The goal is to establish partnerships at the hospital department level so that a very thick bandwidth of relationships is in place. The next step is to identify the patient-client base that has specific requirements — and you marry them up. The idea is to put the right engine in the middle and drive the activities. In essence, Advon becomes the ?Intel inside? of medical care. MTT: So this could be in any location in the world?JM: Yes, it could be. But we are being careful not to dilute our resources and chase after every potential opportunity. Where there are facilities that have certain existing capabilities and reputations, it is feasible to drive occupancy without concern. For example, many point to Thailand as a perfect place to get a hip replacement. This might be exactly what the individual wants and needs, because Thai hospitals utilize new scientific techniques and Thailand is the place to have it done. What we don’t want to do is chase after business needs that are already being met by others. Our model is not Doctors Without Borders. Concierge medicine more aptly describes the high-end part of our platform, and it provides an incredible niche for our business model. But it really is separate and distinct from what we’re trying to describe here. MTT: Who are your potential customers, your clients? How would you describe your market?JM: The term medical tourism may not be completely accurate to describe our target market or clientele. We are talking about the ability to move in a direction with a very specific target in mind to solve a medical problem. This requires access and abilities that wouldn’t be available to everyone. MTT: Are there three distinct services that you are providing – telehealth, concierge medicine and, of course, developmental work in those areas — that may require a higher level of medical and healthcare expertise?JM: Yes. Very specifically, the concierge medicine platform can essentially stand on its own as a business model, one that would require very aggressive marketing to make sure you are touching the right folks. But the definition and its core make eminent sense. For developing areas that have a long-term requirement for enhanced medical care through the creation of the medical infrastructure, the process begins with acknowledgement by the population that there is, in fact, a problem. The development of an infrastructure allows you to address the issues, and then the population of that infrastructure sustains it. MTT: Does concierge medicine work for every type of environment?JM: I think it is a model that makes tremendous sense, but it starts where government dollars and government intervention get in front of the model…?
