Large deductibles mean that patient will pay out-of-pocket for many of their medical expensive. As more and more Americans are tightening their belts, they will be looking elsewhere to lower their medical cost. This will raise demand for diagnostic tests (colonoscopies, endoscopies, CT scans, MRI), overall health screenings (Executive Wellness Exams) as well as other procedures, such as orthopedics, ophthalmology and others. Global healthcare can help to fill in the gaps to provide solutions to help families struggling with rising healthcare costs.

Chihuahua Cathedral

MedVoy visits the Chihuahua Medical Cluster

The Chihuahua Medical Cluster in Chihuahua Mexico (less than a two hour flight from Houston), is a collaboration of the government, business, and medical community to provide high-quality medical care and to become a global leader in international healthcare.

With a strong colonial heritage, Chihuahua has a legacy of three centuries of hospitals and plans are already underway for additional hospitals. Meetings with Chihuahua Mayor Alvaro Guillermo Madero MuÒoz and Secretary of Tourism, Minister Hector Valles also unveiled plans for future tourism initiatives – a highlight being a Swiss-made tram being installed in Copper Canyon later this spring. Copper Canyon, a group of canyons twice as deep and five times longer than the Grand Canyon, is an unspoiled gem with breathtaking scenery.

For more photos of hospitals and Copper Canyon, please click here.

CIMA Hospital Chihuahua

CIMA Hospital is an international partnership of US and Mexican investors and the 150 physicians who practice at CIMA. Already ISO 9000 certified, CIMA Hospital is undergoing the JCI accreditation process, to be completed in June 2010.

Executive Wellness Screenings utilize GE Millennium MG Nuclear Imaging Environment (GENIE), which provides an intuitive user interface that goes well beyond the nuclear stress test. The General Health Council recently awarded CIMA Chihuahua the most important recognition in Mexico – recertification as a high-specialty hospital – and the Mexican Association of Private Hospitals has also recognized it as a Hospital of Excellence. Other specialties are: Bariatrics, Plastic Surgery, Cardiology, Angiology, Endoscopies, Orthopedics, Angioplasty, Lung and Heart Transplants.

Oncology Center of Chihuahua

Part of the CIMA Hospital Center, Oncology Center of Chihuahua is a brand-new, holistic, state-of-the-art cancer treatment center that is part of an international collaboration with Southwest Oncology Center of Scottsdale, Arizona.

The only TomoTherapy machine in Latin America, at a cost of $2.8M USD, fuses CT, MRI, and PET Scan simulations for contouring and allows for the most precise angles to be used, which can pinpoint tumors previously thought untreatable. With an on-site psychologist, nutritionist and private suites, treatment options include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

Clinica Cumbres

Clinica Cumbres, an American-designed Ambulatory Surgery Center, was built in cooperation with the JCI to follow the current US trend where 70% of clinics are for outpatient care. Clinica Cumbres has been JCI accredited since its inception in 2008, providing multi-year transparency, 100% electronic files and the ability to work with insurance providers.

With private rooms and an English-speaking staff, the average stay is six hours and patients are monitored every ten minutes. Specialties include: Angiology, Anesthesiology, Angiology, General Surgery and Gastroenterology, Plastic Surgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Otolaryngology, Pathology and Urology.