The 4th World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress will open its doors to all key players in the healthcare industry from October 25-28th in the city of Chicago Illinois. With a special focus on bringing buyers of healthcare from different parts of the world the 4th edition promises to provide the perfect platform for buyers providers and governments to connect and learn about global healthcares latest trends.
Experience Chicagoland
Chicago is a city of big business it houses many of the largest employers in the world such as United Airlines Motorola and Walgreens. In addition to being a hub for business this multicultural city welcomes its visitors with a rich history architecture and a wide variety of recreational options. Chicago is well known for being a leader in reforming public schools enhancing public safety and security initiatives providing affordable housing in attractive and economically sound communities ensuring accessibility for all and fostering social economic and environmental sustainability.
Bringing all Key Healthcare Players Together
This year Chicago will be the witness host and active participant of the 4th World Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare Congress the largest Congress in the industry which will contribute to the citys diversity by welcoming healthcare industry players from all parts of the world.The theme of this 4th edition of the Congress will be Patients in Emerging Markets. Regions such as Russia Ukraine CIS Countries China Japan the Middle East GCC regions and Africa which are going through significant economic and development growth are also experimenting a boom in medical tourism.
With the goal of getting all the key players in the industry together the Congress will be the perfect platform to educate and present the latest trends in global healthcare.Employers Insurers and Governments who are greatly concerned about rising healthcare costs are facing the challenge of providing the best quality healthcare while trying to reduce their costs.
Considering the growing diversity of the workforce multinational companies are exploring different options among which one of them is international healthcare. This Congress will offer an opportunity to connect with other employers and international insurers who have implemented medical tourism and global benefits programs in order to discuss challenges opportunities and best practices in this field.In addition healthcare providers are more than ever forced to compete more effectively and to foster innovation in multiple areas in order to attract more patients to their facilities due to the globalization of healthcare.
According to the Deloitte 2011 Survey of Healthcare Consumers patient willingness to engage in managing their healthcare is evolving and they also believe there are opportunities for their healthcare system to improve in the areas of cost efficiency effectiveness and clinical effectiveness. These two factors are driving healthcare providers to compete more effectively and to build a brand in international healthcare.
The 4th World Medical Tourism and Global HealthCare Congress will be the perfect networking platform to meet with insurance companies employers governments medical tourism facilitators medical tourism companies and other key players from across the world in order to learn strategies on how to attract domestic and international patients.As a result of a growing number of patients that are traveling overseas looking for quality of healthcare the Hospitality Industry is also growing faster.
Research suggests that patients traveling overseas travel with a companion and they usually spend as much as five times more than a regular patient. This has opened valuable new business opportunities for hotels resorts and spas which offer the perfect environment for rehabilitation and relaxation after a surgery or other treatments. The Congress will facilitate the connection with buyers of healthcare and hospitality providers in order to develop new business relationships and long term partnerships.
The Power of Networking
Networking is much more than shaking hands introducing yourself and talking about your business or organization. It is a people business. Its about establishing long term relationships looking for ideas that can bring people together and add value to all parties involved.As Thomas Friedman advanced in his book The World is Flat there has been a perceptual shift required for countries companies and individuals to remain competitive in a global market where historical and geographical divisions are becoming increasingly irrelevant.
The Internet and social networking sites have created a global platform for multiple forms of collaboration.One of the main advantages of this Congress is the networking software which is specifically designed for the attendees to aid in connecting with other participants. The number of face-to-face meetings that any attendee will be able to hold in three days of the conference would take years of traveling to different countries and cities to accomplish.
This tool will allow attendees to pick and choose who they would like to pre-schedule a meeting with and to create a profile with photos bios and organization information. It will also provide integration with other social networks such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Lastly attendees will be able to use the software through their own iPhone Blackberry or any other mobile device as well as to receive on time email notifications for cancelled or re-scheduled meetings.
The Heart of the Congress
Speakers are the heart of the Congress bringing with them extensive knowledge and a vast experience in their respective fields of expertise. From business professionals to worldwide recognized doctors including human resource experts Ministers of Tourism and Health from different countries as well as directors of international patient departments the Congress will gather an outstanding array of speakers.
Honorary Prof. Peter Anyang Nyong Minister of Medical Services of Kenya will speak about the state of healthcare in Africa. Attendees will be able to receive interesting insight about one of the growing upcoming largest growth areas of medical tourism as well as other consumer markets. Jon Casey Director of International Benefits of Google will present the development and execution of Googles global benefits strategy that includes a focus on infrastructure wellness and innovation which will help other companies learn about global benefits from one of the top Fortune 500 companies.
Innovation and good management are two of the main ingredients for success in every industry. Bill Rancic entrepreneur and winner of the First Apprentice TV show hosted by Donald Trump will communicate his vision on how to succeed in business and in life. From the T.V. show Dr. 90210 Dr. Robert Rey a plastic surgeon who specializes in minimal scar plastic surgery will share the latest trends in plastic surgery which is one of the main reasons why patients travel overseas. Dr. Reys valuable experience will attract the interest of doctors and other healthcare professionals looking for the newest procedures in the field.
Four Integrated Conferences in one Congress
Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare is a growing market and a vast industry that involves many players with specific interest in healthcare. The four integrated conferences in the congress will cater to the various key players in the industry.The 2nd Global Benefits Conference will gather employers international insurance companies as well as foreign governments consultants brokers agents travel insurers air ambulance companies and anyone involved in purchasing and providing expatriates with health and travel insurance coverage.
The 2nd Healthcare Development Conference will focus on the development and design of healthcare projects that are green in response to the increasing concern for sustainability which has become a priority for many companies who are dedicated to finding solutions for the sustainability of the planet.As the healthcare industry grows investment in this field also rises with expectations of high returns for investors.
The 1st Health Investment Conference theme Emerging Markets for Healthcare Investment will present international investment opportunities in the healthcare sector.Lastly the 1st Health and Wellness Conference will address topics including integrative medicine corporate health and global spa trends due to the increasing number of people concerned about improving their overall balance in life through healthy eating and activities.
The conference will also discuss how wellness programs at the workplace are progressively being adopted by companies in order to improve the health and well-being of their employees as well as reducing healthcare costs.
Partial Integration with the Employer Healthcare Congress
For the first time the 4th World Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare Congress will have a partial integration with the Employer Healthcare Congress. The latter is one of the largest U.S. health insurance and healthcare congresses in the country that incorporates four conferences.The Self Funding Employee Conference will provide an open forum for employers to present their needs while at the same time providing the opportunity to connect with TPAs PBMs Reinsurers MGUs Brokers agents and consultants.
As the U.S. health coverage environment evolves working Americans are increasingly turning to voluntary employee benefits to supplement core coverage. Voluntary benefits can now offer added financial security to employees with no direct costs incurred by employers. The Voluntary Benefits Conference is aimed to address these issues and more.In addition the Corporate Wellness Conference will address topics such as corporate wellness programs which encourage people to take measures to prevent diseases and to adopt lifestyles that are healthier.
While some corporations have started expensive corporate wellness programs others have attained savings or increased productivity by just implementing a few simple initiatives that promote healthier lifestyles. The Corporate Wellness Conferences theme Creating a Healthy Culture will focus on the importance of creating a healthy culture where employees believe in their wellness program and trust in sharing information with their employers.Lastly the National Healthcare Reform Conference will focus on how U.S. healthcare reform affects buyers and providers of healthcare.
The National Healthcare Reform Conference will be a fast paced advanced educational and networking event focused on providing answers and solutions.The 4th World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress will gather all key industry players in Chicago with the goal of achieving a worldwide collaboration for the advancement of global healthcare.
About the Author
Cristina Cardona is the Global Congress Manager of the World Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare Congress. Ms. Cardona received her Bachelors Degree in Communications from the Universidad Complutense of Madrid Spain and she is currently working towards her MBA at Nova Southeastern University. She has a background in Marketing and Communications having worked in different industries designing successful marketing and customer service strategies.
