Recent Interviews and speeches

David Williams: This is David Williams, CEO of MedTripInfo.com. At the International Medical Tourism Conference in Washington, D.C. last week, I spoke with Dr. Robert Crone. He was, until recently, president and CEO of Harvard Medical International or HMI.

Over the past several years, HMI has been involved in the development of world class health care facilities outside of the US, including Wockhardt Hospitals in India and Dubai Healthcare City. We spoke about accreditation, the impact of the globalization of health care on the US, and the Medical Tourism Association. Dr. Crone, thanks for being with me today.

David Williams: This is David Williams, CEO of MedTripInfo.com. I am in Washington, D.C. this week, for the International Medical Tourism Conference.

Earlier today I interviewed Curt Schroeder, Group CEO of Bumrungrad International of Bangkok, Thailand.

We spoke about numerous topics, including the magnitude and drivers of cost differences between Thailand and the U.S., the role of information technology at Bumrungrad, and Microsoft's recent purchase of Global Care Solutions, which has partnered with Bumrungrad on software development.

We also discussed the number and nature of foreign patients, outcomes measurements, accreditation, and the future of medical tourism.

Curt, thanks for joining me today.

Curt Schroeder: Great to be with you.

David: Curt, can you tell me what are the basic cost differences between hospitals in Thailand and the U.S.? And, what are the drivers of those differences?

Continued from Part 6: Hanyang University Hospital and trip to Busan

November 29, 2007

Just like the Shilla in Seoul, the Westin in Busan has a large pool that opens by 6 am. I had a good swim there and then had breakfast overlooking the water. I noticed some objects in the water, which at first I assumed to be debris or some kind of animals. As I watched some more it turned out to be swimmers. I counted about a dozen people swimming to shore --not sure where they started from. Some were wearing wet suits, others just regular bathing suits. The air temperature was about 45 or 50 degrees Fahrenheit and I have no idea about the water temp. Before trying this swim yourself you might want to check out whether it's safe. As Stephanie Sulger wandered around town sussing out the local environment she heard from an expat that there were some issues with pollution.

Our first stop in Busan was the Good Gang-An Hospital, a 400 bed general hospital that's less than three years old. They handle more or less everything, but vascular surgery seems to be an area of particular strength. Good Gang-An is part of a six hospital group, and we were told by the head of the International Medical Center, Woo Young Seo, MD, PhD that the hospitals are doing well economically despite a generally poor outlook for hospitals in the region. The building is very nice and has a sweeping view of Busan, including a new 7.4 km bridge, which we were told is the longest in Korea.

David Williams: This is David Williams, CEO of MedTripInfo.com. In 2004, Howard Staab found out he would need surgery for a failing heart valve. Unfortunately for Howard, he was uninsured. Unable to afford the $200,000 cost of surgery in North Carolina but too well off for Medicaid, Howard didn't know what to do. His partner, Maggi Ann Grace tried negotiating with Durham Regional Hospital.