Julia Shawn Page Manager of International Services & Relationsdx.confex.com › dx › 10 › webprogram › Handout › Paper2949 › TMC... · 2010-10-17 · Medical tourism is

Julia Shawn Page

Manager of International Services & Relations

Strategic Community Partnership, Julia Shawn Page -Tucson Medical Center

To create a positive patient experience by improving

communication, healthcare outcomes and ensure patient

satisfaction for limited-English-speaking patients in

Southern Arizona & beyond


Tucson Medical Center

The University of Arizona

CyraCom



Medical tourism is a term initially coined by travel agencies and the mass media to describe the rapidly-growing practice of traveling across international borders to obtain healthcare.

Also called medical travel, health tourism or global healthcare.


TMC is the largest acute-care facility in Southern Arizona

(642 adult, pediatric and psychiatric beds)

TMC is the only community-owned, nonprofit hospital in

the region

45 minutes from the Mexican border

Tucson’s current population is 38% Hispanic

6% of our inpatients only speak Spanish

By 2035, projections show 51% of Arizona’s population

will be Hispanic


Our mission is to deliver caring, personalized,

quality healthcare to patients and their families

in an environment that is supportive, education-

focused and compassionate.

The only hospital in Southern Arizona with an

International Services department catering to

the needs of the Spanish-speaking patients.


Established in 2003

Facilitates communication between patients and

hospital’s clinical and non-clinical staff

High-quality interpretation and translation

Utilizes long-lasting relationships locally and

internationally to increase awareness of the

hospital services, physicians and specialties


Trained and qualified face-to-face Spanish

medical interpreters for patients, TMC staff and

physicians

Advocacy for Spanish-speaking patients and

families

Spanish translations of educational documents,

brochures, consent forms, discharge instructions, etc.


Physician referrals for Spanish-speaking patients

Coordination of international patient care,

including specialist referral, assistance with

appointments, hospital tour & lodging options

Content management for our Spanish-language

website www.hospitaldetucson.com


TMC contracted with CyraCom in 2000

It provides 24/7 over-the-phone interpretation

Three-way line where the provider, interpreter

and patient can communicate over the phone in

more than 100 languages

American Sign Language is also available

through CyraCom


In March 2009 TMC & UA joined in an educational collaboration integrating students who are studying foreign languages and are considering careers as interpreters or translators or both.

Benefits:◦ Real-life experience for students ◦ Improvement of professional communication

between providers and patients ◦ Expansion of TMC’s translation and interpretation

services


Develops, administers benchmark programs for

the federal courts, interpreter certification

exams, the Agnese Haury Institute for

Interpretation, and the UA bachelor’s degree

program in Translation and Interpretation

Complements Tucson Medical Center’s efforts

by providing training, testing assistance

Supports UA-TMC internship for aspiring

medical interpreters


Strategic Community Partnership, Tucson Medical Center

This strategic community partnership takes into consideration the region’s

multicultural needs, effectively improves healthcare outcomes,

increases patient satisfaction and makes significant contributions for the

greater good of the community

Education & Development

UA

Hospital

TMC

Language Services

CyraCom


Consideration for patients who are at a

vulnerable time in their lives

Increased awareness of the social and cultural

needs of patients

Qualified interpreter services build patient loyalty

and make sense financially

Continued education for staff


Openness to change Flexibility & Adaptation

An International Services Department

Identified market segments

Strategic marketing

Working with physicians

Self-pay packages

Concierge services

Interpretation & Translation

Spanish-language website

Toll-free number to call from Mexico


Develops trust, clarity and loyalty

In 2009 our survey results showed that 80.5% of

our Spanish-speaking-only patients

recommended TMC to others

Allows providers to communicate more

effectively

Able to make quality improvements

Improve outreach programs


Develop a tracking system to measure your

diverse populations’ perspectives of hospital care

Know your region’s growth expectations

Establish strategic community partnerships and

work together to proactively define the present

and future needs of your community

Consider the input of your physicians and hospital

staff to improve the services


Phone: (520) 324-3229

E-mail: [email protected]


Documents

Julia Shawn Page Manager of International Services & Relationsdx.confex.com › dx › 10 › webprogram › Handout › Paper2949 › TMC... · 2010-10-17 · Medical tourism is