Agenda announced for the 5th International Health and Wellness Tourism Congress

• ADTS and AF Comunicación Estratégica presented the agenda for the 5th International Health and Wellness Tourism Congress, to be held on 9 and 10 June 2021 under a biosafety protocol.

Santo Domingo. – The event organisers, Dr. Alejandro Cambiaso, president of the Dominican Health Tourism Association (ADTS), and Amelia Reyes Mora, president of AF Comunicación Estratégica, presented the agenda for the 5th International Health and Wellness Tourism Congress, an ideal space for all players in the health sector to develop ideas, business and synergies and, above all, highlight the Dominican Republic’s competitive advantages as the region’s tourism leader.

The event, to be held on 9 and 10 June 2021 at El Embajador, a Royal Hideaway Hotel, in Santo Domingo, will follow an innovative, up-to-date biosafety protocol in line with the guidelines of the CDC in Atlanta and the World Health Organization. In addition to the strict safety measures provided by the hotel and endorsed by the Ministry of Tourism, health measures and registration, cleaning, disinfection and air circulation protocols will be reinforced.

The event will feature local and international participants

The leading medical tourism event in Central America and the Caribbean will feature strong local representation and renowned international experts, including: Dr. David Vequist, Ph.D., founder and director of the Center for Medical Tourism Research (CMTR); Dr. David Samadi, director of urologic oncology at Saint Francis Hospital; Elizabeth Ziemba, president of Medical Tourism Training; Dr. Javier Morales, president of Best Option Healthcare; and Massimo Manzi, executive director of the Costa Rica Chamber of Health (PROMED), among others.

On the opening day, ministerial representatives, sponsors, the diplomatic community and investors will witness special awards for the sector’s most outstanding institutions. The 3rd edition of the Dominican Republic Health and Wellness Tourism Guide will also be officially launched.

The event will include discussion panels, keynote lectures and networking spaces. The most anticipated topics include “Health Passports and the Role of Vaccines in Relaunching Tourism and the Economy”, “Lessons Learned from International Accreditation and COVID-19 Safety Standards” and “The Contribution of Health Tourism to the Country Brand”. The latter is highly anticipated following last year’s launch of the Country Brand, a public-private effort to project the nation’s image and attractions abroad.

Over its last two editions, the International Health and Wellness Tourism Congress has brought together 800 participants, around 70 speakers and more than 110 sponsors, who have helped keep raising innovation, competitiveness and quality standards in the country’s health and tourism services.

For more information about the event, agenda, registration and sponsorship, visit: https://congresoadts.com

Agenda

Wednesday 9 June 2021

Welcome cocktail, awards for outstanding institutions and launch of the 3rd edition of the Dominican Republic Health and Wellness Tourism Guide.

Ministerial representatives, sponsors, national and international guests, the diplomatic community, investors and participants are invited to the launch.

Thursday 10 June / Lectures and panels

• Dr. Alejandro Cambiaso, president of ADTS, will open the day by moderating the panel “Lessons learned from international accreditation and COVID-19 safe standards”. Participants will be Dr. Arnaldo Espaillat, Medical Director of Instituto Espaillat Cabral; Dr. José Natalio Redondo, Chairman of the Board of Grupo Rescue; Dr. Héctor Sánchez Navarro, CEO of Meta Integra HOMS; and Dr. Gastón Gabin, CEO of CEMDOE.

• Next, Amelia Reyes Mora, president of AF Comunicación Estratégica, will lead the panel “The contribution of Health Tourism to the Country Brand”. We will present the comprehensive effort to strengthen the Dominican Republic’s image, consolidate its potential in international markets and reinforce its position globally. Panellists will be: Biviana Riveiro, Executive Director of ProDominicana; Tammy Reynoso, Tourism Promotion Adviser at MITUR; Rafael Blanco Canto, private sector representative for the Country Brand; architect Carlos de la Mota, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs for Dominican Communities Abroad; and Massimo Manzi, Executive Director of the Costa Rica Chamber of Health (PROMED).
• The panel “Health Passports and the Role of Vaccines in Relaunching Tourism and the Economy” will be presented by Dr. José Brea, president of the Dominican Society of Vaccinology, who will moderate the discussion. Participants include Dr. Mario Lama, Director of the National Health Service; Dr. Rita Rojas, president of the Society of Infectious Diseases; and Dr. Javier Morales, Medical Director of Best Option Healthcare.
• The first lecture will be given by international health technology and business expert Fedor Vidal, CEO of Arium Health, an information technology services company that aims to raise quality standards in the health sector in the Dominican Republic and Latin America. His lecture will focus on “The challenges of innovation and digital transformation in health”.
• The event’s second lecture will be given by Dr. David Vequist, Ph.D., founder and director of the Center for Medical Tourism Research (CMTR), who will speak on “Medical tourism in a pandemic world”, in the context of COVID-19.
  
• Dr. José Rafael Yunén will moderate the panel “Key factors in the patient experience”, with Elizabeth Ziemba, President of Medical Tourism Training; architect Herly Valenzuela, Director General of Ureña Valenzuela & Asociados; and Dr. José Joaquín Puello, president of Ciudad Sanitaria Luis Eduardo Aybar.
• Dr. Luis Alcántara, a renowned Dominican orthopaedic surgeon, will moderate the panel “Plastic Surgery, Dentistry, Orthopaedics and Robotics: Markets with great potential for exporting health services”. It will feature top local and international authorities such as Dr. Rubén Carrasco, president of the Dominican Society of Reconstructive and Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and Dr. David Samadi, director of urologic oncology at Saint Francis Hospital.
• The Executive Director of Public-Private Partnerships, Sigmund Freund, will lead a panel exploring the perspective of the Dominican health and tourism sectors and the potential of their strategic integration. Under the theme “Public-Private Partnerships in the health and tourism sectors”, participants Rafael Blanco Tejera, President of Asonahores; Dr. Eddy Pérez Then, Adviser to the Ministry of Health; and Joel Santos, tourism adviser to the Executive Branch, will discuss the importance of strengthening these partnerships.
• Health and wellness tourism needs fundamental guarantees to operate safely, reliably and sustainably for service providers, the insurance sector and above all patients. In this regard, Leonel Melo, president of OMG, will lead the panel “Health Tourism Regulatory Framework: Challenges and Opportunities”. Guests include Dr. Servio Tulio Castaños Guzmán, Executive Vice-President of FINJUS; Dr. Maite Del Toro, Legal Director of ADTS; Enrique de Marchena, Managing Partner at DMK Abogados; and Gilberto Objío, CEO of Medical Law.
• The event will close with a speech by David Collado, Minister of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, on “Strategies for reactivating the tourism sector“.