Florida Now Marketed as Global Medical Tourism Destination

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After decades of promoting Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Florida's beaches and cruise ships, Florida is trying a new tourism angle - medical tourism.
 
The Sunshine State's tourism marketing body, Visit Florida has recently announced a new $2.5 million grant program to help state businesses promote themselves to potential medical patients around the world.
 
One Orlando hospital, UF Health Cancer Center - Orlando Health, is making news for its lymphedema treatment, amongst other breakthroughs, which is sought by both domestic and international patents.
 
Patient Amy Caterina came to Orlando from her home in San Diego to undergo the vascular lymph node transfer (VLNTx) procedure, which involves removing healthy lymph nodes from one part of the body and transplanting them into the diseased area.
 
Richard Klein, MD, Section Chief of the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Center at the UF Health Cancer Center - Orlando Health, says, "When we do that, quite often new lymphatics will grow in the surrounding tissue and restore function of the lymph system.
 
"It's been a life-changer for a lot of our patients. Basically, they're almost back to normal and don't even realize that they've ever had lymphedema. It's just amazing.
 
"There are very few places that are offering this type of comprehensive approach to lymphedema, so more and more people are flying into Orlando for this operation. In fact, we've been performing this surgery just over a year now, and in that time we've already consulted with patients from 22 different states about it."
 
Patients are increasingly inquiring about the procedure. "From social media to the internet, they're finding us in a variety of ways. I think we're going to become more and more known for this type of procedure and we hope people are going to fly in from, not only around the country, but from around the world as well."
 
Miami-Dade County's Jackson Health System serves an average of 2,500 international patients a year, says Sonia Valdez, marketing manager for the public hospital network's international department.
 
It averages $78.3 million in gross charges each year from international payments, and the program even includes an exclusive 2,000-square-foot room at Jackson Memorial Hospital, designed to look like an upscale airport lounge.
 
For Florida's growing population and visitor numbers, including many retirees, health care is an increasingly important factor, says Garrett Kenny, Chief Executive Office of agent and developer, the Feltrim Group.
 
"Florida hospitals have some of the best healthcare in the world and it is an important factor for many people buying holiday homes, retirement property and for those renting property."
 
You can't get much closer to medical care than one Florida development being marketed by Feltrim International. Park Lake at Parsons, Brandon, which includes one-bedroom condos from $56,995 (£35,725), is across the street from Brandon Regional Hospital.
 
Other developments include Lake Nona, a 7,000-acre development by Tavistock Development Company in southeast Orlando, which is highlighted by a 600-acre life sciences cluster known as Lake Nona Medical City, which contains a medical university, research university, children's hospital, nonprofit medical research institute and future Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center and national simulation training center.