America’s New Export: Hospitals And Medical Schools
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I often cringe when I see charts displaying parallel growth lines of these two variables: the number of American fast food restaurants in a given country and local obesity rates. The bad news is that our unhealthy eating habits have been exported successfully to foreign countries. The good news is that we’re going to export hospitals and health services next.
I spoke with Emme Deland, Senior Vice President of Strategy at New York Presbyterian Hospital, about the globalization of healthcare and the exportation of American health technology and expertise. You may read my summary of our discussion, or listen to the podcast here:
[Audio:http://blog.getbetterhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/deland.mp3]
Dr. Val: Where does New York Presbyterian Hospital stand in terms of the global marketplace for medical tourism?
Deland: We’ve spent the last couple of years reviewing our strategy regarding medical tourism because we want to be a part of the global healthcare economy. There is a growing market for hospital development overseas, particularly in India, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and China. The US offers the most advanced medical care in the world, and it’s only natural that other countries want to begin importing it. Whether it’s minimally invasive surgery, infertility techniques, or prenatal diagnostics and care – America is among the global leaders in health technology and services.
Dr. Val: What do these countries want to import exactly? Providers, infrastructure, physical plants, data systems, consultants who can advise on ways of doing things to reduce errors and improve quality?
