Isles launching bid
for medical tourism

$2.1 million in private
and public cash kick off a
multifaceted effort

By Russ Lynch
Star-Bulletin

A $400,000 federal grant, backed by $1.7 million in private money, is about to launch Hawaii's bid in Asia to become a center of health care knowledge, a provider of exported medical equipment and a place that people can come to with their families for health care.

The keys are CIBER -- the Center for International Business and Research at the College of Business Administration at the University of Hawaii -- and OEDB, the city's Oahu Economic Development Board.

They have obtained the federal grant, conditional on it being matched at least two to one with private money, to fund a project to export health care services, management systems and medical devices from Hawaii and the western states to Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The project will conduct seminars on the mainland, where the big sources are, on how to export equipment, services and knowledge said Jack Godwin, associate director for external relations and program development at the business school.

The mainland training in marketing in Asia is only part of the program, however, Godwin said.

Kaiser Permanente, Queen's International and Healthcare Association of Hawaii, all experts in providing and insuring health care, are private participants.

They kicked in some $1.7 million. There is some $85,000 from the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism for the first year.

"They have different markets they want to go after. They're competitors, but for this project they are going to cooperate," Godwin said.

There will be trade missions to the target countries selling all aspects of health care knowledge and service.

Gov. Ben Cayetano has said that health care for foreigners could be a major industry here, and the tourism sector agrees.

"For a while we've been trying to get people to understand, when they're talking about diversification in the Hawaii economy, they should be talking about tourism diversification," said Keith Vieira, vice president and director of marketing for ITT Sheraton Hawaii.

That's because tourism is the only industry we have, Vieira said, and health care could become a significant part of that, particularly on the neighbor islands.

"Hawaii is a very healthy place to live. It is a great place to rejuvenate yourself. What has been lacking to some extent is the facilities, but I think it is an excellent opportunity," Vieira said.

"What Hawaii can become is kind of a home away from home and that will bring a lot of economic activity," he said.

The program will conduct extensive market research to select target markets, Godwin said. The coalition of the university's business education and research division, DBEDT, the three big medical providers and the city's OEDB will set out to establish Hawaii as the health care center of the Pacific, Godwin said.

Goals include encouraging Hawaii health care providers to join in the effort to develop new business from overseas, he said.

The $400,000 in federal seed money is coming from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Training seminars will be held in Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Phoenix and Los Angeles over the next three years.