But these aren’t the only reasons to visit this country. There is another reason tourists come to visit Costa Rica, and it isn’t necessarily a vacation. It is called “Medical Tourism” as many tourists are coming in to Costa Rica as part of this industry. In recent years more and more medical tourists have been entering the country for the main purpose of undergoing medical treatments in Costa Rican hospitals.

It may surprise some, but in recent years Costa Rica has become a popular medical tourism destination, as medical centers in the country have realized the potential of the medical tourism industry and are constantly investing funds in keeping the medical system modern and keeping up with the latest medical technology up to par with American hospitals. Some have even been awarded the prestigious Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation.

Medical Tourism
Let’s have a quick look at the general medical tourism industry before we go into the medical tourism industry in Costa Rica. What is medical tourism? This term describes a phenomenon of patients traveling across national borders, from their home country, in order to receive medical treatment of any kind. It may seem that this is a new industry that has developed recently, but this is not the case as it is documented that patients have been traveling to undergo different health treatments for centuries.

We owe the latest surge in the medical tourism industry to the internet, which is constantly shrinking our globe brining us closer together and to the improvements in the global travel means, making easier and shorter to mobilize from place to place.
These two factors have suddenly made medical tourism possible for people who need it. People who do not have proper medical insurance (or any at all) and could not afford surgery in their home country, patients who are placed on long waiting lists, forcing them wait for surgery for months and even years and also patient who would rather travel to another country where better and more advanced medical technology and research is available.

For all these reasons, combined with the fact that North America and Costa Rica aren’t so far away (just a few hours by plane) and the advance medicine being practiced in the country, there is no surprise Costa Rica has become a popular choice for Americans not only as a vacation destination, but also as a medical tourism hub.

Medical Tourism in Costa Rica
As the medical industry started to develop and blossom in recent years, so have medical centers in Costa Rica. They realized the need of global patients to travel to other countries for medical purposes and have worked to raise medical standards and practice medicine at the highest level. In addition, three major hospitals have received the JCI accreditation, assuring they are up to American medicine standards, in all aspects.

In addition to these private state-of-the-art medical facilities, the finest doctors in Latin America are working in the country and have been through western medical training. These doctors and medical staffs also speak English, assuring no barriers exist between them and the patients. Patients also have the option of being hospitalized in first class accommodations, as the medical centers offer private suites and for their medical visitors.

Finally, one must not forget that after the medical procedure, patients are free to enjoy a vacation in the country and can choose from a relaxing vacation at the beach or explore the country’s beautiful and exotic nature, or combine both.

Medical Tourism Services in Costa Rica
Medical tourists can visit Costa Rica for just about any medical procedure available. However, there are several medical treatments that health travelers more commonly reach Costa Rica for. The first popular treatment is dental surgery, as this is an important part of our external appearance and a fairly minimal medical procedure. Many patients come to Costa Rica for reconstructive dental treatments improving their looks and boosting their self-confidence.

A second popular treatment in Costa Rica, which is also designated to enhance your external look, is cosmetic surgery. Regularly, the recovery for these kinds of procedures is not as tough as others and patients will choose to undergo just about any type of plastic surgery, starting from breast augmentation and enlargements to complete facelifts and tummy tucks.

In addition to these, open heart surgery and orthopedic joint replacement surgery are also popular in Costa Rica. As these are very necessary and very expensive surgeries in western countries, they are arguably the most popular treatments in the global medical tourism industry.

In addition to all treatments mentioned, medical tourists can undergo surgery in any other medical field they choose, including gastroenterology, ophthalmology, organ transplants, urology, neurology, neurosurgery, oncology, rheumatology, endocrinology, pediatrics, dermatology, dentistry, gynecology, psychiatry, General Medicine & General Surgery.

There are many private hospitals in Costa Rica, serving medical tourists from around the world in the highest medical standard possible. “La Clínica Católica Hospital”, that has a first class hotel inside its facilities, is just one of many advanced medical centers that provide western standard medicine.

If you are looking into receiving medical treatment abroad, be sure to check Costa Ricanian hospitals in your medical tourism research. Good luck.

This Article has been written by Stuart Ben, A professional medical tourism facilitator. You can read more about medical tourism in Costa Rica here: Hospitals in Costa Rica : TicketMed

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Por Richard Barone

El primer Congreso de Bienestar y Medicina Global de Latinoamérica se llevará a cabo este Abril, del 26 al 28 en San José, Costa Rica en el centro de convenciones del Hotel Ramada en Plaza Herradura. Habrá más de 400 participantes, 75 mesas de exhibición y sobre 750 reuniones de negocios en este evento de presentación premier del grupo PROMED.

¿Qué es PROMED? PROMED es El Consejo para la Promoción Internacional de la Medicina de Costa Rica. Es una organización privada sin fines de lucro que asegura la calidad de los servicios que presta la industria de la salud en Costa Rica. PROMED impulsa la coordinación entre el sector privado y el público, labor que cumple en su papel de contraparte privada del Clúster de Turismo Médico y fortalece la oferta de servicios de turismo de salud para alcanzar mayor competitividad internacional.

PROMED supervisa la calidad de los servicios prestados a pacientes de turismo médico, con el fin último de garantizar el crecimiento sostenible de esta industria.  Con el apoyo de organismos internacionales PROMED desarrolla normas regulatorias y promueve la certificación y capacitación de certificadores y prestadores de servicios locales.

¿Cuán justo a tiempo es este evento? Solo considere algunos datos relevantes de Costa Rica en relación al tema de la salud global y lo verás.

Datos de turismo de salud:

Gastos anuales de salud alrededor del mundo: $60 billones

Para el 2010 será $100 Billones de dólares

Para el 2015: 220 millones de personas sobre 50 años ocuparán atención médica

Un cuarto de millón de americanos viajó a otros países para atención médica en 2007

Para el 2010 6 millones de Americanos viajarán a otros países para atención medica

Datos sobre el rango del servicio de salud de Costa Rica muestran el enorme potencial de crecimiento en esta industria. Aquí hay algunos datos notables que lo harán pensar:

• Costa Rica es número 36 en sistemas de salud mundiales, Estados Unidos es 37. Ref.; The World Health Report 2000 – Health systems: Improving performance
• Costa Rica tiene el rango más alto en estabilidad política y ausencia de violencia en Latinoamérica. Ref.;World Bank, 2007
• San José es primero entre países latinoamericanos en el Índice Mundial de viajes de negocios. Ref.;Worldwide Business Trip Index The Economist Intelligence Unit 2006
• Es número 1 en exportación de alta tecnología. Ref.; High Tech Exporter of Latin America, 5th worldwide World Economic Forum.  Global Information Technology Report 2007 2008
• Costa Rica tiene el mejor sistema educativo de Latinoamérica, #36th en el mundo. Ref.; World Economic Forum. The Global Competitiveness Report 2007-2008
• La más alta Tasa de Alfabetización, 94.9%. Ref.; World Economic Forum. The Global Competitiveness Report 2007-2008
• San José es cuarto entre las ciudades con la mejor calidad de vida de Latinoamérica. Ref.; The Economist Intelligence Unit, Liveability Rankings 2008

La popularidad de Costa Rica en el turismo de bienestar y salud mundial está aumentando rápidamente y PROMED está llevando la delantera. Vean la página web de PROMED para más información www.globalmedicinecongress.com

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The first Latin American Global Medicine and Wellness Congress will take place this April 26 through 28 in San Jose Costa Rica at the Ramada Hotel Convention Center in Plaza Herradura. There will be over 400 participants, 75 exhibition stands and over 750 business meetings held in this premiere presentation of the PROMED group.

Image: promedcostarica.com

Who is PROMED? PROMED is the Congress for the International Promotion of Costa Rican medicine. It is a private nonprofit organization

that assures the quality of medical services provided by the Costa Rican health industry. PROMED promotes and coordinates public and private sector health care providers. Health tourism offers greater international market competitiveness. With the support of International organizations, PROMED supervises, develops and promotes health care provider certifications to bring the highest standards to Costa Rica’s medical tourism industry.

Just how timely is this event? Consider some relevant facts about Costa Rica in relation to global health and you will see.

Health tourism facts:

Annual health care spending worldwide $60 billion

By 2010 it will be $100 Billion

By 2015 220 million people over 50 will need medical attention

A quarter of a million Americans traveled to other countries for medical attention in 2007

By 2010 6 million Americans will travel to other countries for medical attention

Facts about Costa Rica’s health care ranking show enormous potential for growth in this industry. Here are a few notable ones to think about:

• Costa Rica is 36th in ranking of the world’s health systems. The United States ranks 37. Ref.;The World Health Report 2000 – Health systems: Improving performance
• Highest rank in Political Stability and Absence of Violence in Latin America. Ref.; World Bank, 2007
• San José is first among Latin American countries in the Worldwide Business Trip Index. Ref.; The Economist Intelligence Unit 2006
• Number 1 High Tech Exporter of Latin America, 5th worldwide World Economic Forum. Ref.; Global Information Technology Report 2007 2008
• Best educational system in Latin America, 36th worldwide. Ref.; World Economic Forum. The Global Competitiveness Report 2007-2008
• The highest Adult Literacy Rate 94.9% Ref.; World Economic Forum. The Global Competitiveness Report 2007-2008
• San José ranks 4th among the cities with the best quality of life in Latin America. Ref.;The Economist Intelligence Unit, Livability Rankings 2008

Costa Rica’s popularity in world health care and wellness tourism is growing quickly and PROMED is leading the way. Check out their web site at www.globalmedicinecongress.com

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On May 23rd, La Republica reported on a new strategy to help Costa Rica to build growth in commercial services.

Incentives are planned for sectors such as medical tourism, audiovisual services, architecture and communications as a means of kick-starting the nation’s economy.

The first project to boost the new strategy will be the Costa Rica Services Summit June 3rd and 4th, and approximately 200 foreign companies are expected to take part.

I’m excited to participate in next week’s summit and will report back on the experience on a later blog post.

Pura Vida!

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I am amazed, inspired and excited about the fact that there are people who live that long, and have an indescribably quality of life to go along with it. I may have to move to Costa Rica, well, maybe just visiting will help! These wellness principles are consistent with the community, La Joya Perfecta, Costa Rica, “The Center of Wellness” being developed in the Osa Peninsula. Be sure to check out La Joya Perfecta.

- Rose Cole, Author of “Audacious Aging”, and owner of www.wellnesswithrose.com.

Dan Buettner’s book, The Blue Zone: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, is in bookstores now.

How To Live To 100 – Nine Healthy Habits

Originally posted on: Huffington Post – April 3, 2008 | 07:00 PM (EST) by Dan Buettner

Somewhere in the remote Nicoyan peninsula of Costa Rica, a 101-year-old great-great-grandmother is making you look bad. Her name is Panchita, and by the time you finish your morning blog rounds, she has already cleared brush, chopped wood and made tortillas from scratch. And here’s the best part: she’s not alone. 

For the last five years, I’ve been taking teams of scientists to five pockets around the world where people live the longest, healthiest lives. We call these places the Blue Zones. We found a Bronze-age mountain culture in Sardinia, Italy, that has 20 times as many 100-year-olds as the U.S. does, proportionally. In Okinawa, Japan, we found people with the longest disability-free life expectancy in the world. In the Blue Zones (Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, Calif.; and the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica), people live 10 years longer, experience a sixth the rate of cardiovascular disease and a fifth the rate of major cancers.

How do they do it? Forget fad diets, crazy workouts and syrupy selfhelp clichés. The world’s longevity all-stars practice simple, common-sense habits as a natural part of their daily routine. We think of these habits as the Power9:

1) Move naturally — be active without thinking about it. Identify activities you enjoy and make them a part of your day.

* Inconvenience yourself: ditch the remote, the garage door opener, the leaf-blower; buy a bike, broom, rake, and snow shovel.

* Have fun, be active. Ride a bike instead of driving, for example.

* Walk! Nearly all the centenarians we’ve talked to take a walk every day.

2) Cut calories by 20 percent. Practice “Hara hachi bi,” the Okinawan reminder to stop eating once their stomachs are 80 percent full.

* Serve yourself, put the food away, then eat.

* Use smaller plates, plates, bowls, and glasses.

* Sit and eat not in the car or standing in front of the fridge.

3) Plant-based diet. No, you don’t need to become a vegetarian, but do bump up your intake of fruits and veggies.

* Use beans, rice or tofu as the anchor to your meals.

* Eat nuts! Have a 2-ounce handful of nuts daily (it’ll stop you from digging in the chip bag).

4) Drink red wine (in moderation)

* Keep a bottle of red wine near your dinner table.

* Keep the daily intake to two servings or less.

5) Plan de Vida: determine your life purpose. Why do you get up in the morning?

* Write your own personal mission statement.

* Take up a new challenge learn a language or an instrument.

6) Down shift — take time to relieve stress. You may have to literally schedule it into your day, but relaxation is key.

* Don’t rush – plan on being 15 minutes early.

* Cut out the noise – limit time spent with the television, computer, or radio on.

7) Belong / participate in a spiritual community.

* Deepen your existing spiritual commitment.

* Seek out a new spiritual or religious tradition.

Put loved ones first / make family a priority.

* Establish family rituals (game night, family walks, Sunday dinners).

* Show it off: create a place for family pictures and souvenirs that shows how you’re all connected.

* Get closer: consider downsizing to a smaller home to promote togetherness.

9) Pick the right tribe — the people surrounding you influence your health more than almost any other factor. Be surrounded by those who share Blue Zone values

* Identify your inner circle. Reconsider ties to people who bring you down.

* Be likable!

Sound too simple? Remember, simple doesn’t mean easy; I don’t recommend trying to change all these behaviors at once. Pick two or three of the Power9 to work on at a time. Research has shown that if you can sustain a behavioral change for six weeks, you should be able to sustain it for the rest of your life. Which, as the world’s centenarians have shown us, should be a long, long time.

Dan Buettner is a writer, holder of three Guinness world records in long-distance cycling, and leader of multiple international adventures. His latest book, The Blue Zone: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, is in bookstores now.

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“Turn Back The Clock With Anti-Aging Remedies”
Certified Nutrition Coach Rose Cole has a new book out, Audacious Aging, and 100% of the proceeds are being donated to charity, so if you haven’t gotten a copy yet, now is a great time.

She’s hosting a special charity teleclass fundraiser next Thursday, April 9th, 2009  5 PDT/8 EDT. If you buy a book, you can tune in LIVE for free!

The topic is “Turn Back The Clock With Anti-Aging Remedies”.

This class is normally $75, but you come for free when you purchase the book. Look and feel younger, and help empower women all over
the globe with your purchase! It’s for a good cause!

Each Donation Includes:
~1 hour teleclass filled with tips and tricks to look and feel
younger (it’s recorded, so you get to keep a copy)

~20 Minute live Question and Answer segment with Rose
following the segment

~A $100 off coupon towards her upcoming “7 Weeks To Super Skin”
course

~An autographed copy of her new book, Audacious Aging. It’s an
amazing book featuring rockstars in their field. The contributors
include Deepak Chopra and Andrew Weil.  Rose is donating 100%
of the proceeds to the charity CARE.org.

The class is limited on space. Sign up today for only $29.97. Click here.

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This blog is one method we’re using to share information about what we’ve learned and are still discovering.  As we build our highly eco-friendly wellness community development from the ground up in the midst of a rainforest, we’re digging deep.  We’re learning about the confluence of benefits around a wellness vacation home ownership in Costa Rica, the real estate investment advantages, the tax advantages and the overall health and wellness aspects a country like Costa Rica offers.

We’ll be talking about what’s happening with key trends that make a difference to boomers and to 30-somethings as well.   We’ll keep you up to date on advances in medical tourism, wellness, real estate investment in IRA and Roth Solo (k) plans and environmentally responsible development. These are all topics that we’re investigating as we progress along the road of developing our resort community.

This blog is for also international travelers that share our passion for wellness and an active Costa Rica coastal lifestyle.  It’s for adventure travelers that love the idea of finding a resort home with endless ocean views and value wellness as a means to (affordably) look better, feel better and live longer.

Stop by often as we share the exciting (and rapid) development of Costa Rica as a highly viable alternative for a luxury and healthy vacation home lifestyle.  Let us know your thoughts and your feedback about all things Costa Rica, real estate and wellness.

As they say in Costa Rica,

Pura Vida

Bret G. Dudl

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