Patients Beyond Borders Focus On: Bumrungrad International. Josef Woodman
Contents
Internationally Recognized Doctors
International Patient Resources
What JCI Accreditation Means to You
Continuity of Care—Critical to Success
Patients Beyond Borders Focus On: Bumrungrad International Hospital is a 2011 collaboration between Healthy Travel Media and Bumrungrad International Hospital. Special thanks to Mack Banner, Kenneth Mays, Scott Minteer, and all the wonderful staff at Bumrungrad, whose efforts have made this publication possible.
The Patients Beyond Borders® series offers comprehensive information for patients considering medical tourism. Less about travel and all about healthcare choices, Patients Beyond Borders provides practical answers for the increasing number of healthcare consumers seeking access to the best, most affordable hospitals in the world.
Copyright © 2011 Healthy Travel Media
All rights reserved. This publication may not be duplicated in any way, either in books, digital form, or any other medium, without the expressed written consent of the publisher, except in the form of brief excerpts or quotations for the purposes of review.
PISBN: 978-0-9843880-9-7
Cover art and page design: Anne Winslow • Developmental editing: Faith Brynie • Copyediting: Kate Johnson • Proofreading: Barbara Resch • Ebook conversion: BW&A Books • Communications: Judy Orchard
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LIMITS OF LIABILITY AND DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY
This publication is intended as a reference guide and should not be used as a substitute for advice from a medical professional. While the intent of Patients Beyond Borders Focus On: Bumrungrad International Hospital is to provide useful and informative data, neither the publisher nor any other party affiliated with this publication renders or recommends the use of specific hospitals, clinics, professional services, third-party agencies, or any other source cited throughout this publication.
Introduction
As a patient, I seek high-quality healthcare at an affordable price. When I’m on the job representing Patients Beyond Borders, I explore and assess world-class medical facilities that serve the global patient. I have visited Bumrungrad both as a patient and as a spokesperson. From both perspectives, I’ve come away convinced that Bumrungrad is a model for patient-centered care, competitively priced for the worldwide market.
My personal story began with a torn rotator cuff in my left shoulder; I was in so much pain that buckling my seatbelt in the car was a challenge. Physicians at home suggested that I needed an MRI and “probably surgery.” One concern was that these surgeons might be somewhat too eager to operate. Did I really need surgery? I wasn’t sure. Second, my health insurance policy carried a US$2,000 deductible. I knew the MRI alone would cost more than that.
So, on my next business trip to Bangkok, I sought advice at Bumrungrad. In a matter of hours, I had an MRI of my shoulder and two consultations with one of Thailand’s best orthopedic specialists—for a total cost of US$467. My Bumrungrad specialist advised against surgery, and instead recommended a program of physical therapy back home. Today I’m pain-free and enjoying full range of motion in my shoulder. While I can’t guarantee that every patient will have a comparable outcome, I can predict with confidence that other patients will be treated at Bumrungrad as fairly, effectively, and inexpensively as I was.
Returning to my role as a Patients Beyond Borders emissary, I see four major areas in which Bumrungrad has set a high bar:
1. Healthcare. Bumrungrad has demonstrated some of the highest clinical success rates and lowest infection rates in the world.
2. Patient service. Bumrungrad has the fastest response time in the business. Patient inquiries are typically answered in 24 hours or less.
3. Facilities and technology. The hospital is ultra modern and beautiful and its technology is state of the art.
4. Multiculturalism. Bumrungrad is a truly global service facility, with an infrastructure to match, attracting and successfully serving patients from 190 countries.
Bumrungrad International is today, in my opinion, a candidate for the title of “Hospital to the World.” Its management team has worked nearly 15 years to attain a balance between quality, customer service, and price. As more international hospitals around the globe work to achieve this enviable position, we’ll begin to see a truly globalized provider community, one that patients can trust to offer top-quality medical services, cost and outcomes transparency, and excellent customer care. Speaking as a patient and a healthcare consumer advocate, that’s good news.
JOSEF WOODMAN, North Carolina, US, 2011
About Bumrungrad
In 2010 Bumrungrad celebrated its thirtieth anniversary of service to the Thai people and to patients from virtually every country in the world. “The top three goals of our company,” says chief executive officer Mack Banner, “are to satisfy patients, to satisfy doctors and staff, and [to pursue] continuous improvement. When we start our annual planning or when we evaluate ourselves, we always