In a rapidly growing medical tourism market, Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic has begun collaborating with two Chinese organizations to draw international patients to the states, according to a Minnesota Public Radio report.
One company Mayo is working with is MediSun, a company that will offer door-to-door concierge services for Chinese patients traveling to the U.S. to receive treatment at Mayo for complex conditions such as cancer, neurological disorders and cardiac problems.
MediSun is currently completing work on its space in Rochester's newest building, the H3 Plaza. When completed, it will be the first international concierge service in Rochester.
As part of the collaboration, Mayo has developed culturally sensitive services to accommodate Chinese patients, including educational materials that have been translated into Mandarin Chinese and a cadre of Chinese interpreters, according to the report.
Previously, Mayo offered such services for patients from the Middle East as well as Spanish-speaking patients, Medical Director of the Mayo Clinic Care Network David Hayes, MD, told MPR. The clinic also recently launched a Chinese language website.
"As we look down the road, I would see this population of [Chinese] patients developing to be similar or greater to what we're currently seeing from the Middle East," said Dr. Hayes.
Mayo also entered into a joint venture with Hillhouse Capital Group, a Chinese investment firm that intends to provide services to health providers in China through a new company called HM Healthcare Management Services. Mayo will license a portion of its health information, content and algorithms to HM Healthcare, according to the report.
On average, the Mayo Clinic sees about 300 Chinese patients a year, but that number has grown considerably in the last few years and the system expects even stronger growth in the future.
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