Panama-based Pacifica Salud Hospital has partnered with marketing consulting company Global Healthcare Resources in an effort to improve its medical travel business.
Global Healthcare Resources launched the Global Provider Network (GPN) in collaboration with the Medical Tourism Association to address challenges faced by referral organisations and healthcare providers.
These issues include limited resources, long contract negotiations and difficulty in identifying providers.
GPN facilitates connections between referral organisations and healthcare providers through pre-negotiated discounts and commissions, with the aim of expanding the reaches and patient bases of participating hospitals.
Global Healthcare Resources co-founder and CEO Jonathan Edelheit said: "It's time for a change.
"The industry needs to adapt and grow, and the Global Provider Network is the solution that will bring the industry together and accelerate the business of medical tourism.
"In the end, everyone will be more successful and achieve better outcomes."
As a member of the GPN, Pacifica Salud will now offer access to its healthcare services to individual consumers, self-funded employers and other stakeholders.
The partnership aims to enable self-funded employers to access cost-effective healthcare at Pacifica Salud.
Rafael Cohen Pacifica Salud CEO said: "As one of the top hospitals in Latin America, affiliated with Johns Hopkins we are positioned to provide much more affordable options for Americans while providing high-quality healthcare.
"We are proud to Join the Global Provider Network, and partnering with Global Healthcare Resources, will launch Pacifica Salud to a global level, boosting our brand visibility, expanding our capacity, rapidly increasing our international patient volume."
Also known as Hospital Punta Pacifica, Pacifica Salud is a JCI-accredited healthcare facility offering services such as surgery and diagnostic procedures to local and international patients.
The hospital serves around 650 medical tourists a year, most of whom are from the US, Canada, Spain, Brazil and Colombia.
