Vernon Hills, Illinois (PRWEB) July 8, 2008 -- As interest in medical tourism (http://www.medretreat.com) heats up in the U.S., more and more medical tourism agencies (MTAs) are popping up to cash in on the emerging industry. But international hospitals should be aware that not all MTAs are created equally. According to Patrick Marsek, managing director of MedRetreat, a U.S. based medical tourism agency, "the best MTAs have trained staff, industry experience, and proven facilitation processes that guarantee a safe and stress-free experience for North American medical travelers." Unfortunately, some MTAs may not possess the qualifications necessary to ensure a positive medical travel (http://www.medretreat.com) experience.

To ensure that the medical tourism industry continues to flourish, overseas hospitals must take great care when choosing MTAs as affiliates. That's because a single patient mishap can effectively put an overseas medical provider out of the health tourism (http://www.medretreat.com) business for good. Even if a hospital has provided superior quality care, it may lose business if a medical tourist who is dissatisfied with the service provided by the MTA speaks to the media about having a bad overseas experience.

The fact that there is no official accreditation agency in place to identify and evaluate quality standards for MTAs makes it difficult for international hospitals to know which MTAs offer top quality. Until such an agency exists, MedRetreat would like to encourage all international hospitals to take the following 5 steps before agreeing to an affiliation with a MTA for the purpose of attracting North American patients.

1. Develop an affiliation approval process.

2. Verify that the MTA is a legitimate business in good standing.

3. Insist that the MTA visit your hospital facility.

4. Ask the MTA to disclose their facilitation process.

5. Determine the level of service the MTA provides.

For more information on what's involved in these 5 steps, visit: http://www.medretreat.com/procedures/hospitals/appeal_to_international_hospitals.html.

In summary, it's important to make sure your business principles and those of the MTA are similar in nature. The MTA is an extension of your hospital and your reputation… choose wisely.

MedRetreat offers 183 procedures in cosmetic, dental and general medical surgeries to 11 destinations in 9 countries around the world.

MedRetreat continues to be the leading medical tourism service agency in the U.S.

For more information about MedRetreat, visit: http://www.medretreat.com.

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