Category Archives: Medical Tourism/Health Tourism

Courage, leadership, investment needed to effectively push medical tourism here, experts say

Posted on August 23, 2014 | Comments Off

Mikayla Whitmore From left, Douglas Geinzer, CEO of Las Vegas HEALS; Ann Lynch, chairwoman of Las Vegas HEALS’ board of directors; Stowe Shoemaker, dean of UNLV’s college of hotel administration, / Mikayla Whitmore

When people fly out of town for medical care, they often go abroad for low-cost surgery or head to such world-class centers as the Mayo Clinic for care they can’t get at home.

They don’t usually think of coming to Las Vegas for massages, face-lifts and lap bands — but business boosters are trying to change that.

Las Vegas is severely short on almost every kind of doctor and can’t compete with U.S. cities whose top-flight medical centers get patients from around the world. To boost medical tourism, advocates want to promote the dozens of resort spas on the Strip and the valley’s plastic surgeons, bariatric specialists and certain other care-providers. Boosters also want to lure more medical conferences to a city teeming with corporate conventions.

If they succeed, they will overcome Las Vegas’ medical shortfalls to capture a larger share of the $50 billion to $60 billion global medical-tourism sector, a long hoped-for but elusive goal.

“We need to look at this in a different way,” said Ann Lynch, a former longtime executive at Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center. “We’re not going after a Mayo or a Johns Hopkins; we’re going after a Las Vegas tourism-style of medical care.”

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, UNLV and industry advocate Las Vegas HEALS released a report this month outlining how the valley can boost medical tourism. Among other things, Las Vegas needs locally based medical schools, more training programs for medical-school graduates, more industry meetings and more travelers seeking spa treatments and outdoor recreation, the groups said.

Promoting Las Vegas as a hub for critical, specialized care doesn’t add up. The valley has a steep shortage of physicians, and locals often head to Southern California or elsewhere for treatment.

Efforts are underway to produce more doctors, but in the meantime, Las Vegas still can lure health-seeking travelers, boosters say.

Doug Geinzer, CEO of Las Vegas HEALS; Stowe Shoemaker, dean of UNLV’s college of hotel administration; Michael Vannozzi, director of public policy at the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance; and Lynch, chairwoman of Las Vegas HEALS’ board of directors, spoke Tuesday with the Las Vegas Sun’s editorial board about medical tourism.

Edited excerpts:

Geinzer: We have pockets of excellence in bariatrics, weight management, plastic surgery, orthopedics, cancer, brain health. Patients can travel here and bring a loved one who stays at, say, Green Valley Ranch Resort. When the patient gets discharged, they can spend a couple extra nights with their family in Las Vegas while going through rehab. If someone wants to get plastic surgery, what better way than to travel here, protect their anonymity, and come back from a vacation looking very vibrant and alive.

Can people enjoy a vacation after receiving medical treatment? Aren’t they laid up for a while?

Geinzer: It depends on the procedure, and keep in mind, many times you have a companion who’s traveling with them. This is a great place to recover, from a post-operative standpoint, and a great place to come before the surgery, because you’re able to enjoy the amenities.

Las Vegas has a steep doctor shortage. How can you convince people to come here for medical treatment?

Geinzer: We do have a doctor shortage; can’t argue that. But if you look at medical tourism, it’s not primary care. It’s at the specialist level.

But there’s also a big shortage of specialists in Las Vegas.

Geinzer: Certainly, and those are ones we’re not promoting. We have a wealth of cardiovascular thoracic surgeons, for instance, some of the best in the world. That’s what medical tourism is about — getting world-class doctors to come here, to take advantage of the 40 million visitors who travel through here each year.

One thing you mentioned in the report is promoting resort spas and medical conventions. People here are already doing that. How is what you’re proposing different?

Geinzer: With spas, you’re right, it’s occurring. But more and more people are seeking wellness treatments. We’ve got 45 world-class spas on a three-mile stretch of land. No other destination has that. They can see about 1,000 patients an hour, and they are in fact patients. I’ve been battling skin cancer for 20 years. What’s the best way to defeat that? Early detection. How do I see spots on my back? Imagine you’ve got someone on a table; imagine the types of preventative care you can deliver. With meetings, we have a wealth of business professionals who come to Las Vegas two or three times a year. We know they’re coming in, so we’re able to get repeat visitors, talk to them during a spa treatment, and coordinate care for a return trip. Age management, weight management — all of that comes out of that spa environment.

Shoemaker: MGM Resorts has just put in “stay-well” suites, and they charge a premium for them. They have specialty lighting, citrus-infused shower heads, air purifiers. This is a trend that’s happening already.

Will there be a point where medical providers partner with hotels for promotions? Stay at our resort and get your knee fixed, for instance.

Geinzer: There are rumors — I won’t confirm or deny them — that folks from the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins have been in town talking to the Shops at Crystals and other organizations about that. These are world-class brands looking at Las Vegas.

Could Las Vegas ever compete with the likes of Mayo or Cleveland clinics?

Vannozzi: We could get there, but it’s going to take investment, some courage, and some leadership. We are looking at what we have, creating incentives for new doctors to come in, and we need to build out the medical schools being planned at UNLV and Roseman University of Health Sciences. We need to do a lot of work, but it’s conceivable.

Shoemaker: It’s going to take a long time for this to develop, but we have to start somewhere. We do have specialists here; let’s promote those. Over time, that will bring more specialists. Is it going to happen overnight? No. Are we going to become a Texas Medical Center right away? No. But we do have certain things that work very well. And that’s how we’ve approached this. It’s defining health and wellness travel where medical procedures are just one part of it.

source: http://www.vegasinc.com / Vegas Inc / Home / by Ell Segall / Wednesday – August 20th, 2014

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Posted in Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Others, Reports,Features, Statistics

New Initiative for Medical Tourism Unveiled

Posted on August 15, 2014 | Comments Off

Most destinations that position themselves as medical tourism centers have world-class health-care facilities that Southern Nevada would never be able to match.

But that hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of a group of organizations that sees economic opportunity for the region if it capitalizes on its medical tourism assets instead of lamenting its weaknesses.

Instead of recruiting medical specialists from places that those experts aren’t likely to leave, local leaders instead will focus on local attributes and redefine their mission.

The Las Vegas Regional Strategic Plan for Medical and Wellness Tourism was unveiled Wednesday evening at a meeting of health care and tourism professionals, organizations and nonprofit groups. The event was sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, Las Vegas Health, Education, Advocacy and Leadership in Southern Nevada and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Medical tourism is considered a lucrative economic engine, estimated to generate $50 billion to $60 billion a year. Recent reports indicate that the industry will grow to $100 billion a year in the next decade and that the combination of medical and wellness tourism could eclipse $500 billion annually.

A handful of Southern Nevada medical specialists have built practices around serving wealthy clients that jet into Las Vegas from anywhere in the world to receive treatment.

“This is about taking what our community already does well and collaborating to forge new and unexpected economic opportunities in medical and wellness tourism,” said Tom Skancke, president and CEO of the Global Economic Alliance, an economic development advocate.

So instead of wooing the world’s best medical specialists, Southern Nevada should market its medical training infrastructure, its menu of wellness offerings — including more than 45 world-class resort spas — and its team of service industry professionals that can steer prospective clients to medical specialists few people know are based in Las Vegas.

Wednesday’s announcement, attended by 100 people in the medical and tourism industries, was made at the 5-year-old Oquendo Surgical Training Center, a facility with surgical stations and telecommunications systems that enable groups to view and learn medical procedures.

A summary of the plan was presented by its co-authors, Douglas Geinzer, CEO of Las Vegas HEALS; Stowe Shoemaker, dean of UNLV’s College of Hotel Administration; Michael Vannozzi, director of public policy for Global Economic Alliance; and Cheryl Smith, medical and wellness tourism manager for the Convention and Visitors Authority.

Thousands of people travel to Las Vegas for medical conferences at which they learn about new procedures that can be demonstrated for large groups.

The report notes that wellness and prevention are key components to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and Southern Nevada’s spa industry is well-suited to serve the wellness tourism market.

“I think there is an assumption that wellness is only defined by things like cholesterol check-ups and executive physicals,” said Smith, co-author of the report.

“That’s the medical aspect of it. But there’s a proactive side, prevention,” she said. “Our spas contribute to overall health and well-being, stress reduction and destination for visitors to experience wellness differently then perhaps they can at home.”

The Affordable Care Act has placed a heavy emphasis on electronic medical records, and Southern Nevada’s high concentration of ultra-secure cloud and data storage facilities has attracted new firms and talent to the region.

The plan also envisions wellness travel agents and medical concierges that can identify resources and introduce Las Vegas’ list of client offerings.

Las Vegas has niche disciplines within the health-care industry — such as fertility, plastic surgery, age management, bariatric and orthopedic surgery, diagnostic imaging and dental — which attract both domestic and international travelers to Southern Nevada.

Organizers also hope to position Southern Nevada as a location for clinical trials. The Governor’s Office of Economic Development awarded a Knowledge Fund grant to UNLV to start a Quantitative Clinical Trials Center at the university.

Experts say that if private and academic partners can build capacity for clinical trials, it should drive additional visitation to the area by patients seeking innovative experimental treatments.

The report issued Wednesday was developed by the founding partners after meetings that began more than a year ago with 147 businesses and organizations.

“Although we have made significant progress over the past 10 years,” the report said, “the medical and wellness tourism market in Las Vegas has yet to take off. Our region needs a more robust strategy to capture a healthy slice of the medical and wellness tourism market and after more than a year of meetings and outreach, the project partners have developed a strategy that begins to address the systemic issues that are holding our medical and wellness tourism economy from realizing its full potential.”

lvrj.com

source: http://www.capstonebrokerage.com / Capstone Brokerage / Home> News Articles / by Richard N. Velotta (Las Vegas Review Journal) August 2014 / August 07th, 2014

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Posted in Healthcare/Medical Insurance/ Loans, Medical Tourism/Health Tourism, Travelling For Surgery Abroad / Medical Surgery Overseas, Uncategorized

Gujarat set to emerge as a medical tourism hub: PHDCCI

Posted on August 11, 2014 | Comments Off

Highlights the vast medical and wellness tourism opportunities exist in states like Gujarat & Maharashtra in western India

While it is estimated that Indian medical tourism expected to touch $6 billion by 2018, in India the total share of medical tourist arriving is 2-3 per cent only with countries like Thailand getting a major share. As the industry is expected to grow at 20 per cent CAGR through 2014 to 2018, Gujarat is all set to emerge as a medical tourism hub with low cost treatment offerings in place.

In a recent study done by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) on Medical and Wellness Tourism opportunities in India, it is estimated that Indian Medical Tourism expected to touch $ 6 billion by 2018. The report further highlights the vast medical and wellness tourism opportunities exist in states like Gujarat & Maharashtra in western India.

According to the report, India had made to top five spots because of hosting a nearly 166,000 medical tourist from all over the word in 2012. India is more popular among medical tourists interested in wellness, orthopedic and cardiac procedures.

However, the number of medical tourist arriving percentage is much higher in Thailand with number one position. In India the total share of medical tourist arriving is 2-3 per cent only. The report further stated that while170,000 medical tourists arrived in 2012, the figure will touch 430,000 medical tourists by 2014.

The chamber, however, adds that the Indian medical tourism segment in value terms would be growing at CAGR 20 per cent between 2014 and 2018.

Currently, the size of the segment in India in value term is estimated at little over $ 3 billion with tourist arrivals estimated at 230,000.

Apollo Hospitals, Gandhinagar, which now gets around 5-10 per cent patients from overseas, is eyeing to take that up to 35 per cent of net patient admissions over the next few years. Another hospital chain, Sterling Hospitals is planning to set up representative offices in key countries like countries like Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda apart from the UK to get more patients. Another major city-based hospital, Shalby Hospitals gets around 10-12 per cent of its patients from African countries mainly for joint replacement surgeries.

Apollo handles around 20 international patients every month who mainly come for transplant surgeries, cardiac and cancer surgeries.

Abhijat Sheth, director, medical services, Apollo Hospitals, Gandhinagar said, “The cost of these surgeries is around ten times more in major western countries.”

He further added that while a knee replacement surgery costs around $4,500 (Rs 2.8 lakh) in Ahmedabad, it would cost in the range of $35,000-45,000 overseas (Rs 21.8- 28 lakh).

“Ahmedabad has already earned a reputation as preferred knee replacement surgery destination, and on an average, around 5,000-7,000 such surgeries happen in the city per year,” Sheth said.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Economy & Policy> News / BS Reporter / Ahmedabad – August 03rd, 2014

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Posted in Medical Tourism/Health Tourism

New initiative for medical tourism unveiled

Posted on August 10, 2014 | Comments Off

Tom R. Skancke, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, speaks with the Review-Journal editorial board on Monday April 28, 2014. (Mark Damon/Las Vegas Review-Journal)