Medical Tourism: Destination Greater Gainesville
Medical travel has increased substantially over the past decade — so much so that medical tourism is now a subcategory of travel. Medical tourism, or medical destination, generally applies to medical treatments outside of your locality, state or country for a precise medical treatment. People are in search of better healthcare, making medical travel a multi-billion dollar industry. North Central Florida is a medical destination for critical care including cardiac care, oncology and pediatric specialties; dental procedures; rehabilitation; general health and wellness, such as fitness and spa services; elective procedures including cosmetic surgery; and veterinary procedures.According to the University of Florida, it is all in the numbers.
Nine hospitals, two animal hospitals, nine research centers, two regional campuses, 2,404 faculty and more than 100 physician practices at UF alone shape the medical terrain. Included in the landscape are centers of excellence and internationally ranked health and wellness facilities. Inside Sales Executive at Change Healthcare Jacob Wychulis said that a medical destination also includes medical migration, both making a large contribution to the local economy.
“The intention of traveling for long-term care, or moving for weeks or months for physicians or rehab defines medical migration,” he said. “This generally includes the rest of the family visiting for weeks or months.”
3 Top 100 U.S. Hospitals
UF Health Shands, North Florida Regional Medical Center and UF Shands Children’s Hospital bring people to the area from Florida’s 67 counties, all 50 states and dozens of countries. Greater Gainesville also has one of the largest and fastest growing veteran’s hospitals in the nation, the Malcolm Randall Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
“UF Health is one of only a handful of academic health centers in the country that feature the full complement of medical colleges, research facilities and hospitals,” said David R. Nelson, M.D., president of UF Health and senior vice president of Health Affairs at UF. “Landmark research has an almost immediate effect on people’s lives, translating directly into care.”
The academic health centers enrich the local economy through several ways, including research dollars, staffing and home sales.Responsible for the oversight of UF Health Shands Hospital, UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital, UF Health Shands Psychiatric Hospital, UF Health Shands Rehab Hospital, CEO Ed Jiminez agrees.
“When people have the most complex of issues in one of our many domains, we have the foremost experts. When you do all of these things well, you end up being a destination,” Jiminez said.
NFRMC, part of North Florida Regional Healthcare, is a full-service medical and surgical acute care center that is dedicated to quality healing. NRFMC offers comprehensive cardiovascular care, oncology, orthopedics and other areas that draw medical patients furthering the area’s medical destination status. UF Health and NFRMC both offer cutting edge, minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic surgery via the state-of the-art da Vinci Robotic Systems. Used in advanced, high volume surgery, the result is less pain, smaller incisions and less time in the hospital.
“Hospitals and research facilities are responsible for recruiting the best in their domains, to the area,” Jiminez said. “Along with top research practitioners come millions in research dollars to the community.”
Other specialties
Specialties and subspecialties within domains with worldwide recognition like Tyler’s Hope for a Dystonia Cure are programs that encourage people to travel to Greater Gainesville. Dystonia is the third most common movement disorder after Parkinson’s disease. UF is prominently working on research and has programs for children and families within this program. With recent advancement in autism research and related disorders, patients and families come to Greater Gainesville for the UF Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment Disorders in search of resources. The Center provides various services such as clinical, accelerated research, university training programs, community outreach and advocacy and an inclusive community offering support and transition into adulthood.
The UF Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment Disorders has provided a variety of services since its opening in February 2020, including clinical services, accelerated research, university training programs, community outreach, advocacy efforts and support for patients through their transitions into adulthood.Other area specialties include: the Lewy Body Dementia Association, Parkinson’s Foundation, Tourette Association, The Huntington’s Disease Society, Cure PSP Center of Care, Pediatric Asthma Center, Pediatric Cardiac MRI/CT, UF Health Transplant Center and so many more.
Economic impact
Both locally and globally, medical tourism has a major impact on the economy. The American Journal of Medicine in 2019 put the number of those traveling for both spa tourism and medical destination between $74 to $92 billion annually by 2024. North Central Florida is reaping the benefits of medical destination travel. With more than 1.2 million patients in the UF Health system, two thirds come from all 50 states and around the world.(return here)
“The impact on the economy is great. With top-level research staff bringing millions of dollars into the economy per project, recruitment has become a major economic contributor,” Jiminez said. “With researchers come family and staff and NIH (National Institutes of Health) grants. This number compounds and compounds as monies are spent in the local economy.”
Visit Gainesville/Alachua Tourism Development Manager Jessica Hurov said a study UF completed in 2019 explains reasons behind the high visitation to Greater Gainesville.
“Economic Contributions to Florida 2017-2018 study deciphers what drives visitors from across Florida, and around the nation and world, to our region… including the area of tourism,” Hurov said.The study says UF Health Shands had over 775,000 visitor days.
“Multiply this by the industry standard of 165 visitor dollars per day and this equals a $128 million direct impact for the medical sector — food, lodging, ground transportation and incidentals (no airlines),” Hurov said.“Every year the number of research dollars grow,” said Greater Gainesville Chamber President Eric Godet. “UF is always up there with MIT and Harvard in terms of research dollars. All of the medical research and the commitment is the key, putting us just shy of a billion dollars in research and growing.”
Rehabilitation, general health and wellness
Rehabilitation and health and wellness are another component to the medical destination status. After an orthopedic procedure, quite often rehabilitation is necessary and exercise encouraged. With follow-up appointments necessary, that patient is usually here longer term, using local facilities.
One such place, ReQuest Physical Therapy, is part of the acclaimed fitness empire owned by Joe Cirulli. With offices in Gainesville, Newberry and Alachua, a variety of services are offered, including back pain, hip and knee, neck and shoulder, lymphedema and pre- and post- surgical. All ReQuest Physical Therapy locations treat back pain, hip and knee pain, neck and shoulder pain and lymphedema and provide pre- and post-surgical therapy.
Cirulli is also the owner of three globally ranked fitness centers under the brand of Gainesville Health & Fitness. These fitness centers offer a total of more than 900 classes of all varieties. Cirulli is also responsible for making and keeping Gainesville “The Healthiest Community in America.”
“With enough information that’s come out over 42 years in the business. I think a lot of people think that getting in shape is the best alternative to being sick,” Cirulli said.
Gainesville Health & Fitness is a main draw for fitness in the county.
Innovation continues
Progress Park is an impressive setting for many bioscience, tech and other related companies attracted to the vitality of the area. Progress Park borders the 7,000-acre San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park, home to the leading bio business incubators in the nation. One such incubator, UF Innovate/Sid Martin Biotech, has attracted more than $8.9 billion in equity. Moving research discoveries from the lab to the market, UF Innovate/Sid Martin helps foster our resilience as a medical destination.
Rick Staab is president and co-founder of Tyler’s Hope and is also founder and CEO of The InterMed Group, which provides biomedical services and technology management. He said Greater Gainesville is a biomedical hub, and research and development in the biotech industry certainly make an impact.
“I’ve actually talked to very high-end researchers from different institutions asking what we are doing down here because the momentum is awesome,” Staab said. “People want to be part of the medical side of things that didn’t want to be here before.”
Hotel Eleo at the University of Florida
Hotel Eleo is further proof of Greater Gainesville’s evolution as a medical destination. Opening in September of 2020, Hotel Eleo is a 174-room, high-quality hotel for the select purpose of housing medical travelers.
“The families of patients will have a much-needed amenity to make their experience at UF Health hospitals more welcoming,” Dr. Nelson said. “Lodging that is readily available and convenient adds to the patient-care experience by allowing loved ones to be close by during medical treatments.”
With upscale accommodations, high-tech amenities, and personalized service in Hotel Eleo, “We’ve created an opportunity to create convenience for our patients and families,” Jiminez said. “Gainesville and the surrounding area is a medical hub,” said Wychulis, who has a history in medical tourism/destinations.
“We’re not just a hospital system. We’re a great place to visit too. We have 12 months of sunshine a year, a sports-centric community (Go Gators!), nature trails galore for biking and hiking, and a fine arts community second to none. Not to mention, a quaint downtown, and quality shopping and restaurants.”
“Here there is a focus, there is the regional support. We can communicate with the top people who make decisions for medical health care in the world right here from Gainesville,” Staab said. “It also doesn’t hurt that we are known for great health care. Of course UF, but also North Florida. People know that we’re in a health care mecca.”