BWH has made some significant inroads in attracting international patients, generating a 13 percent increase in the total number of patients seeking care in FY 2000. The program has generated a 46 percent increase in inpatient admissions, 21 percent increase in outpatient encounters and a remarkable 76 percent increase in payments.
Gilbert Horton Mudge, MD, program director at BWH, credits the work of a centralized and supportive environment led by Chris Collins and Kerin Howard. The hospital, working with Partners International, expects to build upon its success in 2001 with a projected growth of 25 percent, due in large part to an improved infrastructure to support outreach efforts.
The program is consistent with the hospital’s strategy to direct less acute care cases to Faulkner Hospital and backfill BWH beds with higher acuity cases. Providing the right care, at the right place, at the right time is central to BWH’s ability to sustain continued growth and meet margin targets.
The program, which has attracted patients from the Middle East, Europe, South America and the Caribbean, works with U.S. Embassies, self-pay and insured patients. BWH efforts have allowed it to compete with hospitals such as the Cleveland Clinic, the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins who have longstanding international programs. Expansion of new patient beds and ICUs will enhance the hospital’s ability to attract more patients in the coming year.