A medical tourism program has officially launched in San Diego, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Here are five things to know about the program.
1. The program, DestinationCare San Diego, aims to bring patients to the city for healthcare.
2. Four area healthcare organizations — UC San Diego Health System, Scripps Health, Sharp Healthcare and Rady Children's Hospital — are all part of the program, according to the report. The San Diego Tourism Authority is also collaborating with the healthcare organizations on the effort.
3. Joe Terzi, the tourism authority's president and CEO, expects other healthcare providers to join DestinationCare San Diego in the future. "The goal has been to start with this nucleus, because they are the primary (healthcare) institutions in the San Diego," Mr. Terzi said, according to the report. "So once we start to move out, there is a discussion about where do we extend, and how far. Because we want the treatment to be rated very highly."
4. Initial funding for DestinationCare San Diego is coming from the tourism authority as well as veteran philanthropist Malin Burnham, who donated $100,000 to the initiative.
5. Eventually, though, the program is anticipated to sustain itself, possibly through commissions hotels take in from visiting patients, hospital payments or other sources, Mr. Terzi said in the report.