WASHINGTON & SINGAPORE | The International Medical Travel Association (IMTA;www.intlmta.org) has solidified its leadership position among all stakeholders in the worldwide medical tourism marketplace, establishing offices in both the U.S. and Singapore, and adding numerous international hospitals, healthcare providers and business stakeholders to its membership roster. The IMTA, a not-for-profit association, represents the broad and diverse interests of medical travelers and the medical travel industry, including healthcare providers and medical travel facilitators from around the world.

The IMTA will make its U.S. debut at the Health Care Global Summit, May 4-7, 2008 at the Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas, holding an open meeting on May 6, 2008, 7:45 PM in Galileo Room # 904.

According to Purvi Maniar, a Member of Epstein Becker & Green P.C. in its Global Health Practice, "The development of the IMTA and its expansion from Singapore to Washington, D.C. is an indication of the maturing of the medical travel industry and will help to foster the development of international industry standards and best practices. Given its patient-focused mission, the nature of its leadership and elected governance structure and its strategic presence in the United States and internationally, the IMTA is uniquely situated for these purposes."

Epstein Becker Green is a U.S. law firm with one of the largest and most respected health care and life sciences practices in the country. The firm's Global Health Practice focuses on international projects and transactions in the health care and life sciences sectors.

Steven Tucker, M.D., a leading U.S. board-certified medical oncologist and president of the IMTA says, “IMTA began as a regional association, and now brings together all stakeholders in medical travel to build an economically sustainable, high quality and ethical medical travel industry. IMTA is the only global association with this scope of commitment, an elected governing board and a dedicated mission to preserve and protect the doctor-patient relationship – all in the interests of the international patient."

As global healthcare choices expand, Dr. Tucker says that patients will increasingly travel across the world for access to better and more affordable healthcare. Regardless of whether patients are seeking advanced care not available in a “home” country or less expensive care than their “home” country can offer, industry resources go beyond hospitals and doctors. Patients need qualified experts across the medical and travel industries.

“The IMTA works to promote and protect the safety and well-being of patients through the development of industry networks, creation and distribution of knowledge, sharing of best practices and establishment of standards,” says Dr. Tucker. “Eventually, the IMTA may create quality guidelines for members and promote industry self-regulation.”

Bringing both American and international perspectives to the IMTA, Dr. Tucker is medical director for the U.S.-owned West Clinic International, with centers in Singapore and Shanghai. He earned his MD at the University of Missouri-Colombia and completed postgraduate training at the UCLA Center for Health Sciences. Before moving to Singapore, Dr. Tucker was Director of Prostate and GU Oncology at The Angeles Clinic & Research Institute in Santa Monica, California.

The need for such an organization became apparent at the 2007 Pacific Asia Travel Association conference in Singapore as industry speakers expressed concern about disconcerting trends of patients viewing medical travel as an extension of the tourism industry. Patients were choosing their doctors and hospitals from Web sites without the advice of their own doctors, traveling without adequate preparations and support, with some paying the price of botched surgeries and other mishaps.

“IMTA reaffirms its commitment to patients and the medical tourism community with a goal to boost public confidence in medical travel,” he adds. “The introduction of new industries, practices, and businesses of a foreign nature are always going to be followed with a natural level of uncertainty, mainly because U.S. laws and regulation do not apply abroad. Our mission is to ensure patients that rigorous regulation and accreditation processes are being held for hospitals overseas engaging in medical tourism, and to help foster the right relationships among providers, insurers and third-parties involved in medical travel and global healthcare.”

About The IMTA | The IMTA brings together the healthcare and travel industries to help create a high quality, ethical and economically sustainable medical travel industry as well as to preserve and protect the doctor-patient relationship, all in the interests of the international patient. Visit .

Melody Barbosa
201-641-1911 x51
International Medical Travel Association (IMTA)

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