October 7, 2019 - A hands-on collaboration between Croatia and its diaspora via ACAP to bring one MBA student to Croatia for medical research.
Ties between the Croatian medical tourism industry and the diaspora are strengthening, particularly in Cleveland, where the recent ACAP diaspora conference included a medical tourism panel. Also announced at the same time was the first-ever European Patient Experience and Innovation conference in Dubrovnik next year, which will be organised by Bagatin Clinic from Zagreb with a presentation by Cleveland Clinic.
But there are several other initiatives strengthening ties and bringing mutually beneficial rewards. Among them is an initiative to fund an MBA student to visit Croatia for Medical Tourism research and study, and a fundraising campaign is currently underway and will last another 7 days. More information on the project below:
Healthcare has proven to be the biggest struggle in many countries. Croatia, the vacation destination on the Adriatic, is no exception and shows great promise to providing affordable healthcare to both its citizens and visitors. The country's modern clinics and pristine beaches have the potential to draw tourists for exceptional medical care, at modest prices, with phenomenal results. The ACAP Medical Tourism Task Force has spent countless hours discussing and organizing a manner in which we, as Croatian diaspora, can support our homeland. We are now moving forward with multiple ongoing initiatives, including a project in the works with a group of Ivy League MBA students to help us develop the plan for launching pilot Health and Wellness programs in the coming three years. Help us take advantage of this cost-effective consulting resource to provide us with a vacation destination that can cure us both mentally and physically at a reasonable price.
Croatia, known as a breath-taking paradise, has taken the world by storm as a top vacation destination. The beautiful coast and never-ending local hospitality add to the allure of the small country on the Adriatic Sea. Over the past decade, Croatia has made strides towards a better country, and world-class health care. As the people of Croatia continue to work towards these goals, we ask that you help us, friends of Croatia, make just as great of an impact. The Association of Croatian American Professionals (ACAP) Medical Tourism Task Force (MTTF), in conjunction with students from an Ivy League MBA program, are laying the groundwork for a better Croatian healthcare system. Please help support this cause.
ACAP is a member-driven, non-profit organization that focuses on sharing knowledge and expertise around matters that are of concern to Croatian and Croatian-American organizations. The ACAP MTTF was established in 2016 by a group of volunteers to advance initiatives aligned with both member expertise and issues of strategic importance to Croatia, and its citizens.
Two key initiatives involved are: helping establish Croatia as a go-to destination for medical tourism and establishing a comprehensive cancer center. Croatia—attracting more than 18 million tourists yearly—has great potential to grow in medical tourism but has not had the proper foundation. Furthermore, in 2018 there were a total of 25,221 new cases of cancer among men and women in Croatia. The Croatian cancer center would aim to increase Croatia’s five-year cancer survival rates by 20%.
After years of planning, researching, and organizing, the MTTF has found the perfect organization to lay the groundwork for both medical tourism and cancer center initiatives. An Ivy League research university has provided MBA consulting expertise to corporate, government and non-profit clients in 60 countries since 1997 through a highly competitive program. The team, along with their faculty advisor, will spend 1000+ person-hours to provide us with in-depth analysis and recommendations to help make our ideas a reality.
Focus areas would include:
Identify, define and understand the target markets for these services; roughly quantify the demand for services based on the needs of the target market.
Map the medical tourism ecosystem in Croatia to identify critical interdependencies, existing capabilities, risks, and potential partners.
Define the initial set of services to be offered. The focus will be on taking existing work, extending it and "packaging" it for key target audiences (patients, investors, and partners).
Provide insights through relevant case studies of organizations who have successfully (or unsuccessfully) implemented similar programs. Define partnership needs and criteria for identifying and evaluating potential partners (specifically private clinics); test criteria through initial vetting of potential partners.
Delineate the phases of development and resources required for scale-up over three years; identify the next steps of work to be done following the completion of this project.
Project Outline - October 2019 to January 2020
5 students, 1 faculty advisor
Required travel: December 2-20, 2019
Costs will cover lodging, flights, meals and incidentals allowance and ground transportation
For more information, and to donate, click here.
To follow the latest from the Croatian medical tourism industry, click here.
