Dubrovnik, Croatia, March 5, 2020 - EPIC 2020. Europe's first patient experience and innovation congress has been postponed as a precaution due to the coronavirus. 

It was - and will be - one of the best health tourism conferences on the calendar, with an A-list set of speakers due to appear in Dubrovnik from the very top of the healthcare industry. Collaborative international presenter Cleveland Clinic, one of the biggest names in healthcare, had no less than 5 speakers heading to Croatia, Mayo Clinic had three, with other speakers including senior representatives from the Disney Institute, Cisco and the editor of International Medical Travel Journal. 

It is a conference which will take place, but now at a later date than the planned March 19-21 gathering, after organisers Bagatin Clinic and Cleveland Clinic made the difficult but sensible decision not to attend due to the current coronavirus situation. The organisers have sensibly decided that the health and well-being of their delegates, sponsors, speakers and attendees is their first priority, and they would prefer to wait for a later date when everyone can travel safely and confidently, without any challenges or risks.

Ognjen Bagatin, CEO of Bagatin Clinic, announced the decision on his social media:

Given the current world situation regarding the coronavirus epidemic, the 1st EPIC - European Patient experience & Innovation Congress, scheduled to take place in Dubrovnik March 19-21, coorganized by the GCR - Global Clinic Rating, Irving Stackpole, Poliklinika Bagatin and our collaborative international presenters from Cleveland Clinic is being postponed to a later date.

I'm very sad to announce this, but the health and well-being of our partners, sponsors and speakers are our priority and we would rather wait for a later date, when we can all travel peacefully, safely and without any fears or worries ?

I would like to thank the whole EPIC team, all the health professionals, our speakers and collaborators for their hard work and effort over the last few months – I am sure it will all pay off, just with a little delay!
 
This is just a small obstacle in our way, from which I am sure we will emerge stronger and that in the very near future, the first EPIC - European Patient Experience & Innovation Congress, will be a great success.

The coronavirus has appeared in Croatia, eleven cases in all (all of which are mild), but they are away from the main tourist hot spots such as Dubrovnik, Split, Rovinj and the islands. 

The decision to stage EPIC 2020 in Dubrovnik was the latest statement from the Croatian medical tourism industry of its rising visibility on the international market. Many industry experts agree that Croatia has the potential to be among the top ten medical tourism providers in the world within ten years, and EPIC 2020 is one of the first major medical tourism conferences to bring the industry's finest minds to learn more about Croatia's potential. 

EPIC 2020 is organised by Bagatin Clinic, with collaborative international partner, Cleveland Clinic. The unlikely partnership of such a global name and a small Croatian clinic which only started operations in one room 12 years ago is testament to the determination and quality of Bagatin's team - the clinic was voted Best International Cosmetic Surgery Clinic 2019 at the annual International Medical Travel Journal awards in Berlin last December. 

For more information about EPIC 2020, including updates on the rescheduled date, visit the official website.

For the latest in the Croatian medical tourism story, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

December 30, 2019 - The impression interest in EPIC 2020, the first European Patient Experience and Innovation Congress introduces its latest high-profile supporter, none other than Cleveland Clinic CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic.  

It has been a real education watching this build up from the sidelines, as well as a lesson in what can be achieved if you aim high. 

My introduction to Croatia's medical tourism industry just over two years ago was through a meeting request from Bagatin Clinic CEO Ognjen Bagatin, who wanted to show me not only what his own clinic was doing, but also other leading healthcare providers, such as St Catherine's Specialty Hospital and Svjetlost Eye Clinic. I wrote my first impressions in Heath Tourism is Coming Home: Why Zagreb is the Next Big Medical Tourism Destination. 

It is an industry I have followed very closely since, including interviews with several global experts who spoke at conferences in Croatia, who all concluded that Croatia had the potential to be in the world's top ten medical tourism destinations in Europe within 10 years if its stakeholders could unite. 

The success of St Catherine's (the first European partner for the Mayo Clinic co-sponsored OneOme pharmacogenetic RightMed test) and Bagatin has been a particular pleasure to watch - and it was an honour to be in Berlin earlier this month to see Ognjen pick up the International Medical Travel Journal 2019 International Cosmetic Surgery Clinic of the Year award for Bagatin Clinic. 

Always an ambitious guy, I thought he had gone a little too far a few months ago when he showed me a flyer for a new conference his clinic was organising: EPIC 2020, the first European Patient Experience and Innovation Congress, to be held in Dubrovnik from March 19-21. 

"We will have some really top guys, it will be quite a show and really put Croatia on the medical tourism map. You will see."

EPIC brings together some of the most influential physicians, MedTech startups and health professionals from Europe & beyond to the table to improve how your patients will experience healthcare in the near future.

As technology continues to help us achieve previously unattainable results in healthcare, join us for an insiders’ look at which technologies, ideas & innovations are improving the patient experience with some of the leading clinics & healthcare companies of the world so that you can stay ahead. 

Bagatin has been true to his word, some REALLY top names are already confirmed as speakers at EPIC 2020. Three international speakers from EPIC 2020 collaborative international presenter, Cleveland Clinic, two from Mayo Clinic, the Disney Institute, the Editor-in-Chief of International Medical Travel Journal are already confirmed, with many more on the way. And then there are the video endorsements from supporters of the initiative who cannot make it. 

A personal video message from Cleveland Clinic CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic! Mihaljevic is himself a Croat, and the Cleveland Clinic has been taking a more active interest in Croatia in recent years, following a visit to Cleveland by Bagatin in 2018, as Cleveland Clinic International Patient Experience Director Joe Sweet explained to me in an interview in Zagreb earlier this year. 

And it was rather a pleasant surprise to find TCN nestled in the middle of the video with Mihaljevic's message. 

To learn more about EPIC 2020, check out the official website. 

To follow the latest from the Croatian medical tourism industry, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

September 23, 2019 - A huge boost for the profile of Croatia's medical tourism industry, as Bagatin Clinic announces the first European Patient Experience & Innovation conference, to be held in Dubrovnik. 

Last year I was invited to a press conference at St Catherine Specialty Hospital in Zagreb, one of the Leading Hospitals in the World. I was more than impressed when I learned that the reason for the conference was the announcement of a partnership between the Croatian hospital and OneOne, co-founded by Mayo Clinic, to become the first European partner to make available in Europe the revolutionary RightMed pharmacogenetic test. You can read more about that here. 

A Croatian hospital, the only place in Europe where this groundbreaking test was available. Impressive. And a partner of a project co-founded by Mayo Clinic. Prestigious. 

And just as Mayo Clinic is one of the top names in global healthcare excellence, so too is Cleveland Clinic. 

And Cleveland Clinic is also coming to Croatia with a European first... 

On March 19-20, 2020, to be exact. Croatian medical tourism pioneer Ognjen Bagatin, CEO of leading regional clinic, Bagatin Clinic, announced from Cleveland the first European Patient Experience and Innovation Conference, to be held at Valamar Lacroma Hotel in Dubrovnik, organised by Bagatin Clinic with collaborative international presenter, Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland Clinic hosts its own patient experience programme each year, and this will be the first of its kind in Europe. 

The relationship between Croatia and Cleveland Clinic is not new and is one which has been personally fostered by Bagatin, whose efforts to learn from the best are bringing international ideas and expertise to the Croatian medical tourism industry. Bagatin was responsible for bringing Joe Sweet, Cleveland Clinic's International Patient Experience Director to Zagreb earlier this year to speak at the 5th Annual Medical Tourism Conference. TCN interviewed Sweet (you can read the interview here) where he explained how why he had come to Croatia:

Firstly, our CEO Tom Mihaljevic is Croatian. But actually the reason I am here is driven by Ognjen Bagatin of Bagatin Clinic who came to see us in Cleveland to learn about the patient experience and our Patients First initiative. I met with him almost a year ago now, and we really hit it off from that first lunch we had together. I learned more about his personality, his drive and what he is trying to achieve. That was very impressive. And then this opportunity came up with Euro Events to come over and share our story, and Ognjen really connected that, making it happen.

We are interested in spreading the news of who we are and what we do and forming those connections around the world. So we see this as an opportunity to do that, to get out there and build more of those relationships.

We will bring you more details of the conference as it develops, but in the meantime, you can catch the latest from the Croatian medical tourism story in our dedicated section. 

March 15, 2019 - The 5th Annual Medical Tourism Conference in Zagreb brought together a rich collection of international experts, including Cleveland Clinic's Director of International Patient Experience, Joe Sweet. 

It has been another important week in the Croatian medical tourism story, as the 5th Annual Medical Tourism Conference in Zagreb, organised by Euro Events, brought a very international group of stakeholders to the Croatian capital for two days of conference followed by a B2B workshop today, as TCN reported earlier. 

Among the impressive list of speakers was Joe Sweet, Cleveland Clinic's Director of International Patient Experience, whose presentation was entitled Creating a Consistent Approach to a High-Quality Patient Experience. Sweet spoke eloquently about the Cleveland Clinic's patient experience journey, outlining successful methods to create a successful patient experience culture, as well as innovative and digital patient experience approaches. TCN caught up with Sweet before his flight to learn more about his visit to Croatia. 

The Cleveland Clinic in Croatia. This is a great thing for the Croatian medical tourism industry. How did it come about that you are in Zagreb?

Firstly, our CEO Tom Mihaljevic is Croatian. But actually the reason I am here is driven by Ognjen Bagatin of Bagatin Clinic who came to see us in Cleveland to learn about the patient experience and our Patients First initiative. I met with him almost a year ago now, and we really hit it off from that first lunch we had together. I learned more about his personality, his drive and what he is trying to achieve. That was very impressive. And then this opportunity came up with Euro Events to come over and share our story, and Ognjen really connected that, making it happen.

We are interested in spreading the news of who we are and what we do and forming those connections around the world. So we see this as an opportunity to do that, to get out there and build more of those relationships. 

Interesting. Tell us a little about Bagatin. Here the clinic is known for its excellence and being very proactive internationally in promoting Croatia as a health tourism destination. How does it rate on a global level?

I think its an up and comer. I know that Deloitte has ranked it as one of the fastest growing startup clinics. He has been at it since I think 1995, and we are keeping an eye out on Ognjen now, since he approached us, to see where he is going and where they are expanding to. And we're impressed. Impressed with him as a leader, his style, his team. We've seen his facilities and are impressed by the organisation, the cleanliness, the professionalism of his staff. So he is doing impressive things, and I think some great things are coming. 

How does Croatia rate as a medical tourism destination?

I have to be honest, I am not a medical tourism expert. I was here to broaden the Cleveland Clinic story and our patient experience, and how we handle and support our international patients coming in. 

But just from my limited experience of being here these last few days and seeing how it operates and what I have learned at this conference, I see Croatia as a hot spot for people to come and get their healthcare. But then also to enjoy their time here, so potentially to bring their family along, enjoying this wonderful city or visiting the coast. So there are real opportunities and the dual benefit of combining a vacation with medical treatment. I know that there are other beautiful destinations in the world, but Croatia really is a great place to come. 

From the Croatian perspective, the Cleveland Clinic has a Croatian CEO. Can you say a few words about Tom Mihaljevic and the impact he has made at Cleveland Clinic?

Yes, absolutely. He was our CEO for our Abu Dhabi facility for three years. He has been in his current role for just over a year, starting in January 2018. His style is very approachable, he is very relatable, he is extremely sharp and has a great communication style. He is an excellent listener. He listens and responds, but he listens more than he responds. He is very articulate, but he is a team player for sure. You can tell that the team aspect is built into him, and he is very family-oriented. You can feel his style and characteristics emanating across our clinic and how our team is responding. He also has a sense of humour which helps with connecting with people, so you feel comfortable right off from that initial reaction and making you feel like he is listening and respecting you. 

How realistic do you think it is for Americans to come to Croatia for their medical tourism needs?

I think it could be extremely realistic. I think especially with your soccer team and – sorry not yours (correspondent explanation – I am English, and Joe seemed to be referring to some football match between Croatia and Russia last year, and not the latest match between the two at Wembley...). Oh yes, they beat you. But that really put Croatia on the map.

But in my city, Cleveland, we have over 50,000 Croatians. They are a very tight community and that helps with connections as well. So I definitely think there is potential. There are rumblings in the States about Croatia, about how beautiful it is, the coastline, but I think people still think it's not Italy. It's not Greece. But I think if Croatia does more to get imagery of that crystal blue water along the coast, and get that out there into Americans' heads, then they will come. 

Now you also need to figure out how to work with the travel and make it easier. 

We have the first direct flights from Philadelphia to Dubrovnik starting this summer. 

Perfect. Well if you are asking me should Croatia advertise and market itself in the States, then yes. They just need to figure out the best way to do that.

Learn more about the Cleveland Clinic. 

For more on the Croatian medical tourism story, follow the dedicated TCN page. 

Tomislav Mihaljević MD, a cardiac surgeon who currently works in both Abu Dhabi and Cleveland, was named the new president and CEO of the world-class clinic in the US