Best Hospitals in Panama

By Ilene Little on Saturday, January 28, 2012

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Hospital Punta Pacifica in Panama Central America

Hospital Punta Pacifica – Centro Medico Paitilla – Clinica Hospital San Fernando -

Great Reasons Why You Should Visit Panama, Central America, for Your Health

Close proximity to the USA, US dollar economy, great hotels and resorts, and exceptional doctors are key factors for considering medical surgery in Panama.

Panama is a tropical paradise with more beaches that we can count, or name.  It has off-shore islands, great spas, jungle resorts, the Panama Canal, mountains and super nice people who welcome any visitor.  In addition to its eco-friendly designation, Panama offers value shopping, great food, exceptional medical and dental professionals and a keen desire to help you spend your money.

Another great benefit is its very reasonably priced real estate market, and the inclusion of the American money system which makes for a robust economy.

You will feel right at home, because there are many friendly English speakers within this country.

But, of all the enticing reasons to visit Panama, the greatest benefit is the profound health care sector that includes many well-educated physicians and modern hospitals!

The Top Medical Facilities in Panama

This dreamy country is a wealth of information, booming with technology and specially trained medical doctors to meet your needs, no matter what they are.

The medical sector of Panama is actually led by four flagship hospital facilities:

• Clinica Hospital San Fernando (affiliated with Jackson Memorial Hospital) is a private hospital established in 1947.
• Centro Medico Paitilla, (a.k.a Pie-tiya Medical Center affiliated with Cleveland Clinic) was established in 1970,
• Hospital Punta Pacifica,(affiliated with Johns Hopkins Hospital) was established in 2005, and offers the amenities of an ultra-boutique hospital.
• Hospital Santo Tomas (Largest Trauma Center in Central America)

Most beneficial of all, however, are the large numbers of English speaking physicians who have actually studied abroad, obtaining only the best medical knowledge, and have since made Panama their home.

Hospital Punta Pacifica (Affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medicine International) is managed by an American CEO that is an employee of Johns Hopkins Hospital International.

The hospital has a large group of well-trained physicians and is a center of excellence for minimally invasive cardiac surgery, general surgery, neuro-surgery, urology procedures, reproductive OB (fertility treatment) and ophthalmology.

It also has an exceptional outpatient rehabilitation program and reputable allergy and immunology experts.

Clinica Hospital San Fernando is a family-owned hospital. As Panama’s first private hospital (est. 1947), it has a great tradition of excellence and commitment to compassionate care.

This hospital is well known for its state of the art inpatient pharmacy, as well as for its diagnostic imaging, orthopedic, vascular surgery, general surgery and critical care programs.

Centro Medico Paitilla (a.k.a Pie-tiya Medical Center affiliated with Cleveland Clinic) is an excellent quality, very busy, general hospital in the heart of Panama City.  CMP is a top choice hospital for tertiary care.

They have excellent diagnostic imaging, good cancer treatment program (radiation, general surgery and chemo) and solid cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedics, ENT and internal medicine programs.

You may be questioning how foreign health care and travelling abroad works?

Top Procedures and General Prices in Panama

At all three leading hospitals, you can expect prices of procedures to be upwards of 70% lower than the same quality procedures in the States.  Consider a vacation that combines a comprehensive physical exam, cardiac evaluation, or dental procedures.

Pricing is secondary to quality outcomes, however, which is where Panama scores very high in value, as we stress in our book “How to Plan a Successful Medical Tourism Trip”. Panama’s proximity to the U.S. is another plus, as travel distance is a factor emphasized in our index of treatment destination choices.

The wide range of medical expertise available in Panama is sure to meet your needs.  You can trust that all your health and safety needs will be meet with exceeding quality at these leading hospitals.

The Top Doctors in Panama

The medically trained physicians available to you to help you obtain your health goals will meet you with an open mind and will be ready to listen so that they can tend to your health needs

Read “Best Doctors in Panama”.

It all boils down to quality care, and Panama is a safe medical destination.International Triage, a medical tourism company recommended by Traveling4Health and Escape Artist, is positioned as a friendly gate keeper to the best doctors and hospitals.

Shai Gold, CEO of International Triage, has managed some 3,000 cases and $150 million dollars in international medical services, and is the former founding Vice President of the International Medical Services Department at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Fl.

Through a collaborative partnership with the Bern Hotel Group, patients of International Triage and their families can choose from a wide variety of leading international hotel brands, or rent a condo with maid service on a long term basis, to provide you and your family only the best quality care.

How to Schedule Your Trip with International Triage

To get information about scheduling a procedure, contact International Triage to initiate a phone call and consultation for free.  For your own peace of mind, get the advice you need before you go:  Ask about a 2^nd medical opinion, or get helping planning your medical tourism trip.

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IVF Vacations in South Africa? Buyer Beware!

By Ilene Little on Monday, January 16, 2012

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Risks associated with IVF Vacations in South Africa

IVF Vacation in Africa – In vitro fertilization – Medical Tourism Report on IVF

A press release announcing a new IVF Vacation Center in South Africa is marketing South Africa as “A New Option For Infertile Couples and Singles Looking To Save Money In Beautiful Vacation Destinations.”  (Source:  Retrieved from http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=151385 )

The challenge is, press releases aren’t designed to give you both sides of the story; the risks, as well as the cost-advantages, even supposing the medical services are indeed excellent.

So, I’m here to give you a heads’ up; not to discourage you, but just so you can make an informed decision about where to go. (more…)

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Most Affordable Hospital Care in Costa Rica

By Ilene Little on Monday, December 26, 2011

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Medical staff at Metropolitano Hospital in Costa Rica

Health Care in Costa Rica – Colonoscopy in Costa Rica – Gastric Pill Cam in Costa Rica

Exclusive Interview with Dr. Felipe Herrara, MD, Director of the International Patients Department of Hospital Metropolitano in Costa Rica

Tim Morales of Costa Rican Medical Care (CRMC) arranged the following interview with Dr. Felipe Herrera, MD, Director of the International Patients Department and son of Roberto Herrera, MD founder of Hospital Metropolitano, the newest ambulatory hospital in Costa Rica.

Managed by a Family

Ilene Little (IL): Dr. Herrera, I’ve looked at your website and it looks like this is a family-owned business.

Dr. Felipe Herrera (FH):  Yes, it was at the beginning.  Now, the Hospital is part of a very strong local business group, but still a family and warm facility.  Dr. Herrera Sr. has more than 20 years of experience and the rest of the family is fully involved.  Our main location is in the hospital district of downtown San Jose, where all the public hospitals are located.   We’re about 15-20 minutes away from the International airport, and about 10 minutes away from the Hyatt Hotel and the shopping mall area.

(IL): I see you also have two clinics on the West and East side of San Jose in Heredia and another in Tibás.

(FH): Yes, that’s for the convenience of people who live on the outskirts of San Jose.  The clinics have everything that the main hospital has, except for the operating rooms and in-patient rooms.

Metropolitano Hospital Leadership (more…)

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In Search of Superior Health Care Overseas

By Ilene Little on Thursday, December 22, 2011

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Expanding the discussion of traveling for surgery

Medical Tourism Report – Health Articles – Health Travel

Overseas medical travel

An article dated 12/16/11 by Fran Golden for MSNBC addresses many of the “why on earth would I do that” questions, quite nicely, albeit incompletely.   (Source:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45702566/ns/travel-news/t/medical-tourismis-it-worth-it/).

Beyond an error in reporting that the organization that accredits international hospitals is the same organization that accredits U.S. health care facilities, I found the article useful in terms of opening up topics for discussion.

I will expand on each of Golden’s talking points, and add the practical wisdom expressed by medical professionals queried in hundreds of interviews compiled in the book How to Plan a Successful Medical Tourism Trip.

If you wouldn’t drink the water in some foreign countries, why would you consider going overseas for a risky procedure—with a doctor you’ve never even met?

Golden’s answer was, “In general, it isn’t all that hard to find a doctor overseas who follows U.S. standards, and if you’d prefer, who was trained at a medical school in the U.S.”

Reality check: Medical care in the U.S. is so compartmentalized that it is rare that one can expect a doctor “you know” to be your surgeon, especially for a risky procedure.

Both here, and abroad, in most cases you have “met” the doctor doing the procedure, but beyond that, surgeons practicing overseas who cater to international patients are far more likely to give the patient more personal attention and follow-up than doctors in the States.  Follow-up in the States is more likely to be in the form of a report or a phone call from someone other than the surgeon.

Face it, the concept of a “personal doctor”, seems mainly to apply to the general practitioner to whom to go with your colds and annual checkups.  Anything beyond that and Wham … you are being treated by complete strangers.

It still seems like a risk. So why do it?

Golden’s answer:  The savings can be staggering.

Reality check: You should not travel for medical care based on savings alone.  I wouldn’t even start there.  I’d start with finding the best doctor, and the most advanced technology.  I would consider my health when contemplating a long airplane flight.  And finally, after completing my own due diligence, I would be better prepared to have an intelligent conversation with a medical travel company who can take the guess work out of the whole process.

Hint: If you’re comfortable with a medical tourism facilitator whose clients have recommended them, then go that route.  But for complex surgery, and for better over-all case management, I would personally choose to book with International-Triage, LLC, a medical-travel, case-management company that handles the medical quality-control of international patients for insurance companies.  Oh, and the savings will still be staggering.  But you will have mitigated the risk factor to be negligible.

Will my insurance still pay for medical work done overseas?

As Golden says, “Elective procedures aren’t typically covered anyway, so that doesn’t change. But some corporations are starting to encourage their employees to go abroad for surgeries that are covered by insurance because it saves them money.”  As an example, the article states an incentive from Blue Lake Casino in California, “If an employee needs a $50,000 hip replacement, for example, then by going to Thailand, where the cost is only $7,879, he would not only have his deductible fee waived, but he’d also get to pocket $4,212—or 10 percent of the $42,121 saved.”

Reality check:

What I would question here is not the savings, but the advisability of sitting in an airplane for 20 hours on the return trip from Thailand to the U.S.  Do you think that might be a little difficult following hip surgery?  However, there are medical centers of excellence abroad where the flight-time from the U.S. is less than 5 hours; and still the savings are substantial.

How do you plan a trip like this? Can you do it on your own, or are there tours for this kind of “vacation,” too?

Golden quotes Renée-Marie Stephano, president of the MTA, “Some hospitals have international-patient coordinators,” Stephano says. “You can call the facility, get options, and organize the trip on your own.”

Reality check: Have you ever had a poor experience booking your own medical procedure at your local hospital or surgical center?  Were you surprised by the bills for services you didn’t even know you were being charged for?  What if there are complications?  What if your check-out time is delayed?  How’s that going to affect your overall time/money budget?  Did you feel you had any control at all over the costs?

Hint: When Insurance companies send people overseas, they use case-management companies to control the costs as well as the standard of care.  You can actually plan a budget and benefit from the same controls as an insurance company, by booking your procedure through International-Triage, LLC, a company recommended for their case management by T4H members.

Otherwise, you’re on your own – much like you are in the U.S.  And by that I mean the compartmentalization of care in most U.S. hospitals often results in added costs and even dangerously contradictory treatment plans.

Says Golden, “There’s also a fringe benefit to overseas health care: the trip itself.  You can fly to San José, have the procedure, rest up in a hotel, and then head off on a weeklong cruise to spot monkeys and see the jungle.”

Reality check:

Suggesting that you have the procedure done first, and then trot off on a vacation tour is naïve; a concept promoted by the tourism industry but not by most medical professionals.  The time required for healing is not an exact science.  In fact, it can be highly subjective.  For example, you may not feel “up to” your usual energy level or be comfortable going out in public in your post-op days.

Hint: Take the vacation first, before the procedure;  That’s a no-brainer.

What about recovery and follow-up care?

Ah yes, what about recovery and follow-up care?

Reality check:  I seriously recommend you read “How to Plan a Successful Medical Tourism Trip” to make sure you don’t make the common mistakes of choosing a recovery retreat for it scenic appeal, only to risk infection due to exposure to animals, environment, etc. that might otherwise be fine for a healthy person.  And that’s just one example.

Hint: Proximity to clinic, hospital, or other treatment location is crucial to your safe recovery.  Your recovery “retreat” should be within 15 minutes of your treatment location.  This is to reduce post-op stress and to make it easy and low stress to do pre and post op doctor visits.

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