Min-Sheng attends health fair in Beijing

Min-Sheng General hospital was one of four Taiwanese hospitals that recently attended a health fair in Beijing, where they promoted their core specialties and other services of interest to the Chinese public. The initiative was supported by TAITRA, the government body in charge of developing external trade, with the aim to attract more Chinese patients to Taiwan's top hospitals. The quality of care of Taiwanese hospitals is well known in China and the prices charged here are also very competitive. Moreover, since language and culture are quite similar, Taiwan makes for a more convenient alternative to other countries in the region.

 

 

Many Chinese tour operators already include some kind of medical activity - usually a health screening or a light cosmetic procedure - in their packages in order to qualify for a medical tourism visa, however, since independent Chinese travelers are now also allowed to travel to Taiwan, some are looking for other procedures. Min-Sheng General Hospital has this year welcomed several patients from the Chinese mainland who traveled to Taiwan to undergo weight loss and metabolic surgery.

Min-Sheng General Hospital launches new English website

Min-Sheng General Hospital has launched a new English website (www.missioncare.com.tw) aimed at providing foreign expats in Taiwan and medical tourists the tools and information they need to facilitate their access to health care in Taiwan.

Building on years of experience dealing with foreign patients, Min-Sheng General Hospital’s International Healthcare Center has designed a new English website that wishes to be informative and practical for local foreign patients visiting the hospital, as well as a marketing tool to promote Mi-Sheng’s specialties to overseas patients. Local English speaking patients will find all the practical information they need regarding the hospital and the services it offers, and the on-line registration procedure to make a doctor appointment has been simplified.

Since the majority of patients traveling to Min-Sheng General Hospital from abroad do so either for weight loss, orthopedic, or cosmetic surgery, or for a health screening, the website has been constructed to reflect this trend. Each of these specialties has its dedicated “mini-site” that introduces the services proposed as well as their delivery process. The mini site covering weight loss and metabolic surgery actually contains such a wealth of information that it could be spun off as a standalone website. The new English website also incorporates social media; there are links to the Min-Sheng International blog, to a brand new facebook page, and patients’ testimonials videos have been uploaded on YouTube.

Min-Sheng General Hospital has long been at the forefront of international healthcare in Taiwan, and the new website reiterates the hospital’s commitment to providing outstanding service to foreign patients.

Minnesotan travels a long way from home for hip surgery

In many ways Doug’s story is representative of the situation many people in North America find themselves in. Self-employed or running a small business, they live a reasonably comfortable life yet they are unable or unwilling to pay for healthcare insurance. When disaster strikes or their health deteriorates, they are usually faced with a tough choice: either find the financial resources to cover the cost of treatment, or delay treatment with potentially dire consequences.

Doug runs a small business installing air-conditioning and central heating units in Minnesota. Years of lugging around heavy fixtures and moving up and down ladders have taken their toll on his body, leading to a limping gait and other musculoskeletal problems. Doug had been putting off the inevitable for as long as he could, but things had gotten so bad that it impaired his ability to work and therefore earn an income. The people who saw him walk would invariably say “You need a hip”, and it wouldn’t be long before it got too late.

Like more than fifty million Americans Doug doesn’t have health insurance, and he is still years away from qualifying for Medicare. For people without health insurance, a total hip replacement will cost $40,000 on average in the United States. So Doug started looking for alternatives outside of his home country, and after a process of elimination that took into consideration total cost, reputation, safety, and other geopolitical factors, he decided that he would travel to Taiwan for hip surgery. After contacting and dealing with various hospitals there, he elected to have the procedure done at Min-Sheng General Hospital in Taoyuan.

Min-Sheng General Hospital has long been a leader in the field of medical travel in Taiwan, and has acquired a lot of experience dealing with patients from western countries. Moreover, the hospital’s proximity to the country’s main international airport makes it a convenient choice for those traveling from abroad. The International Healthcare Center at Min-Sheng made all the arrangements for and coordinated Doug’s stay and treatment in Taiwan. Before proceeding with a total hip replacement, Doug who hadn’t seen a doctor in a while and is overweight had a comprehensive health screening. He also met with his surgeon and anesthesiologist to discuss the procedure and the type of implant that would be used; Doug was impressed that the artificial hip that would be used was one of the latest models of a famous American brand.

The surgery and ensuing recovery went very well. Patients undergoing invasive surgeries are advised not to fly for a period of at least two weeks after surgery to minimize the risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) associated with long periods of immobilization, and since Doug had travelled to Taiwan alone the staff at Min-Sheng had insisted he stay in the hospital until his departure. Doug was a model patient and followed his doctor, nurses, and physiotherapist instructions scrupulously. He also endeared himself to everyone by showing a keen and genuine interest in the local culture and customs.

By the time Doug left the hospital and Taiwan, he was already walking steadily. He was also convinced that he had made the right choice by traveling to Min-Sheng for treatment. Things were looking up for Doug and before leaving he announced:”I will see you again in a few years…for the other hip!”

Min-Sheng General Hospital and UnitedHealthcare International enter direct billing agreement

Min-Sheng General Hospital and UnitedHealthcare International have entered an agreement that will enable UnitedHealthcare’ Global Solutions members to enjoy cashless services for emergency treatment and hospitalization in Taiwan. UnitedHealthcare is one of the largest private health insurers in America, but only recently introduced a policy integrating medical, wellness, and employee assistance programs for international assignees. It has opened an office in Beijing and pitches its Global Solutions program to international companies with staff based in, or often traveling to the Greater China Region. UnitedHealthcare is also developing a network of preferred-providers to service its members in the region and it chose Min-Sheng General Hospital to be one of its first contracted partners in Taiwan.

Min-Sheng General Hospital has acquired a strong reputation dealing with international patients and has entered similar agreements with many insurance companies. Yet, this agreement is particular in that it allows for members based in China to choose to have medical treatment or services (like the yearly preventive health screenings often offered as incentive to personnel deployed overseas) at Min-Sheng General Hospital in Taiwan, even if they are not based in Taiwan, after eligibility has been confirmed.

Min-Sheng General Hospital enters agreement with Chinese medical tourism company

Min-Sheng General Hospital recently signed an agreement with ZION Health Control and Youth Rejuvenation Center (Zion), a Guanhzhou based company specializing in cosmetic and anti-aging treatments in upscale facilities in China. The company offers a membership program and targets affluent customers in China’s main urban centers.

As part of the agreement, ZION will send its members to Taiwan for yearly check-ups and tests that cannot be performed locally. The first groups of patients sent by ZION have already been services at the VIP Health Screening Center located on the 21^st floor of Min-Sheng General Hospital.

Free screenings for four types of cancer available at Min-Sheng General Hospital

The Taoyuan Branch of the Department of Health of the ROC has appointed Min-Sheng General Hospital to participate in its cancer prevention campaign. All those, including foreign residents, who are enrolled in the National Health Insurance program and meet the criteria can now receive a free screening for gastrointestinal, oral, breast, or cervical cancer.

Men and women aged 50 to 69 are eligible for a free screening for gastrointestinal cancer once every two years. Those interested will be provided with a special container to collect a stool sample that should be returned to the OPD laboratory on the second floor of Min-Sheng’s Ching- Kuo Campus.

Smokers and people chewing betel nut aged 30 or more can apply for an oral cancer screening at the dental and ENT clinics on the third floor.

Women aged between 45 and 70, and those aged 40 to 45 with a family history of breast cancer, can receive a free breast cancer screening once every two years at the radiography center located in the second basement.

Finally, all women aged 30 or more can receive a free Pap-smear once a year to help detect cervical cancer at the OB and GYN clinics on the second floor.

A special window is open at the Clinics Registration Counter to register and provide information to all those interested in this free service. Present your NHI card and mention the type of screening that you’d like to undergo, and the attendant will provide you with instructions. Oral, gastrointestinal and cervical cancer screenings are available from Monday to Saturday; breast cancer screenings can be done every day.