“The Minister of Health has nowhere to sit,” was a worried phrase repeated more than twice at the last Ministerial Summit in 2011. With standing room only, the size of the room was clearly underestimated as the room was wall to wall with over 60 attendees representing 25 countries for the 2nd Ministerial Summit on Medical Tourism.
The Summit was invitation only, but a large number of last minute participants prompted us to make accommodations for these very important attendees. The 3rd Ministerial Summit is expected to double in size, and we will be prepared.
The MTA now has a dedicated staff member to organize this Summit and the golf outing the following day, which means increased participation and seats for everyone!
Hospitals, tourism boards, hotels and travel agents in different countries may be partaking in medical tourism in their own form. Some peoplehave launched businesses. Hospitals have developed international patient departments with the purpose of attracting international patients to increase revenues.
But what if these single entities had governmental support? What if instead of just one hospital spending a majority of their marketing budget or spending none at all it becomes a country effort? On the other hand, what about the countries that simply cannot accommodate the healthcare needs of its population?
Where do they go? While most countries are striving to improve their healthcare, it will not happen overnight and these patients need somewhere to go in the meantime.
The 5th World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress, October 24th-26th, at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Florida will be home to the 3rdMinisterial Summit on Medical Tourism.
This is one of the few events in the world that brings together Ministers of Health, Tourism and Economy as well as Trade Commissioners, Consul Generals and VIP international officials; to share best practices in order to further promote medical tourism in their countries.
They will be sharing information about existing programs and gathering ideas to improve them or create new ones. They will have the opportunity to develop initiatives and design strategic alliances that generate revenue for their respective countries, while at the same time improving the medical care and access for their own population. Through all the deals that are made, this Summit has a role in changing healthcare globally.
“The Summit is like no other, empowering decision-makers with important information about some of the top players in the medical tourism industry, while simultaneously putting people with other persons whom they would not ordinarily encounter,” explained Dr. Kevin Bowe, Deputy Director for the National Insurance Board of Bahamas and attendee of the 2011 Ministerial Summit.
This year the Summit will have presentations and discussions on the following topics:
- Innovation in Management and Reduction of Healthcare Costs
- Wellness and Engagement Programs
- Public-Private Partnerships
- Value-Based Healthcare Design and Insurance
- Healthcare Investment and Development
- Disease and Catastrophic Condition Management
- Medical Tourism to Boost Local Healthcare Infrastructure
- Legal Healthcare Issues
- Research on ROI and Country Brand Development
- Regional Healthcare Collaboration
Ministerial Golf Tournament
Since the conference is in sunny South Florida, known for sandy beaches and expert golf courses, the MTA will be hosting a golf tournament for attendees of the Ministerial Summit. This will provide the dignitaries a unique opportunity to continue networking with top government officials in a more casual and relaxed environment.
