February 2007–The jet-set life is not what it used to be. Wide-ranging options for extraordinary adventures have never been more accessible. Yet, new safety risks make ultra-preparedness, not a luxury, but a must. PinnacleCare Members have a real advantage in this new world because PinnacleCare puts into action a plan to deal with medical problems while you are away from home, as well as connecting you to new resources to cope with today’s increasingly unpredictable world of travel.

The days of prepping for a trip overseas with a few vaccinations and a kit stocked with band-aids and Pepto-Bismol are over. As travelers venture farther off the beaten track and away from reliable medical services, development of an in-depth plan to deal with illness and injury on location has become essential.

“We all want to seize life and expand our horizons,” says Dr. Miles J. Varn, PinnacleCare’s Chief Medical Officer. “We don’t want health concerns to limit our ability to experience new cultures. But simply hoping you won’t fall ill or get hurt doesn’t make sense.”

What every traveler must have, especially those with a chronic condition such as heart disease, is a comprehensive plan for getting to a safe place to receive the best care. It takes forethought, but an investment in extra preparedness is well worth the effort.

Less traveled paths, substandard care
Each year, Americans make 45 million trips overseas. According to the Duke International Travel Clinic, a frequent PinnacleCare resource, 20 million of those trips are to rural settings or developing countries.

“Travel to India and China continues to be very popular,” notes Kimberly Wilson Wetty, Co-President of Valerie Wilson Travel, a leading luxury travel planning firm. “But people are going beyond Beijing and Mumbai. They’re traveling to lesser known areas to get to know the culture and the people better. In China, they’re walking through rice paddies, experiencing a way of life that has been unchanged for hundreds of years. In Costa Rica, there’s a continuing surge of eco-tourism that’s taking people into the jungles.”

Experts at Duke say the risks of getting sick or hurt while abroad is about 60 to 70 percent during a one month trip. Other risks are heightened as well. According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, the risk of dying after injury in an auto accident is 20 to 80 times higher in countries outside the U.S. The highest rates of road traffic mortality, according to the World Health Organization, are in Cyprus, India, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, countries in Asia account for more than half of all road traffic deaths in the world. In Thailand, motor vehicle accidents are considered one of the top three public health problems.

There are no truly “safe” destinations
Even “safe” destinations such as Britain and the continent may not provide the top quality medical care you need and expect. Wilson Wetty recounts the recent experience a top UK-based CEO shared in an interview. He broke his elbow while in the U.S. and was both pleased and surprised that surgery to repair the damaged joint was performed within 48 hours. He commented that in the British medical system, he might have had to wait months for the surgery, having his arm set, and then re-broken. “That’s why, no matter if they’re heading to Europe, the West Indies or even many parts of the U.S., I often recommend the comprehensive protection of PinnacleCare,” says Wilson Wetty.

Dr. Spencer Koerner, Medical Director, Telemedicine and International Health at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, a PinnacleCare Center of Excellence, served as the medical officer on a group trip to Viet Nam and Cambodia. In that role, he carried with him at all times a suitcase of supplies to treat a range of illnesses and injuries—items you could find easily in the U.S., like antibiotics and splints, but would be hard pressed to track down in rural Southeast Asia. He donated his supplies to a hospital in Cambodia at the end of the trip. He also lugged a defibrillator with him.

While Dr. Koerner and his fellow travelers did not encounter any serious health problems on that trip, he shares a personal story that illuminates the need for preparedness while traveling. While on holiday in Portugal with his wife, Dr. Koerner fell and cut himself deeply. He went to the local emergency room to seek care.

“If I had known what the conditions in that ER would be like, I would have sutured my own cut. I would never go back there. Before you go anywhere, you need to find out where you can receive quality health care if you need it or be in a position to be safely and quickly moved to a hospital where that care is available.”

When he and his wife decided to go on safari in Africa recently, Dr. Koerner made sure they had prearranged medical evacuation back to Los Angeles if necessary.

Many of us do not travel with our own defibrillator and would be hard-pressed to suture our own cuts. But, like Dr. Koerner, PinnacleCare Members can travel assured that 24/7 medical coordination and evacuation is pre-planned. This level of preparation is the new standard for travel. “It’s simply responsible planning, for the protection of the traveler and the peace of mind of loved ones at home,” notes Dr. Varn.

A tangle of assessments, logistics and details
To handle a medical emergency, many factors come into play. Now, consider facing this tangle of assessments, logistics and details when you are speaking a different language, are hampered by cultural obstacles, and are extremely sick. In a medical emergency, details can make the difference between life and death, quality of life or lifelong disability. Imagine falling seriously ill or becoming severely injured in an unfamiliar place, then having to make a series of crucial care decisions.

For PinnacleCare Members, these details are handled with greater efficiency and speed. Members’ personal Advocates and the PinnacleCare Research team prepare pre-trip Travel Reports that provide in-depth information about the health resources and risks of their destination. If they are living with a chronic condition, their PinnacleCare team can contact physicians at the destination and brief them on the Member’s condition and medical requirements.

Managing a health crisis at 30,000 feet
Traveling by private jet or yacht, you may think you’ve got your bases covered. You have your own mode of transportation and probably carry a well stocked first aid kit. But even under these more controlled conditions, in a real medical emergency, a higher level of preparation can be life-saving.

PinnacleCare can connect you to enhanced solutions for in-transit care. That can include:

Training for your jet or yacht crew so they can provide emergency care in remote locations
Outfitting the cabin with environment-specific emergency kits which include supplies divided into color-coded pouches to deal with airway problems, bandaging and medication
Arranging for a defibrillator to be available and training your crew and family in its proper use

PinnacleCare can apply the same level of preparation to Members’ second and third homes. By arranging training for the household staff, securing medical equipment and pre-qualifying local support resources, such as qualified physical therapists and clinicians, PinnacleCare helps ensure the continuation of needed therapies and readiness in emergencies.

For Members with special needs and transport modes, PinnacleCare can arrange a direct link, via satellite phone or radio, with top emergency care physicians at level one trauma centers. This direct-connect allows those on site to diagnose problems and receive step-by-step instructions to stabilize the patient.

What to do when success makes you a target
An increasingly important aspect of ultra-preparedness for travel is enhanced personal security. When personal security services are retained by Members, PinnacleCare coordinates travel preparation with the chosen providers of these services. “After all,” notes Dr. Varn, “if our Member is at risk for assault or injury due to his or her high-profile or nature of their work, PinnacleCare must consider that factor for the best preparation and response as well.”

Personal security experts serve affluent clients “whose success makes them a target,” according to Paul M. Viollis, Sr., Ph.D., CEO of Risk Control Strategies Inc. For travel, these experts develop individualized strategies for stalking, theft, assault and kidnap mitigation, as well as applying upgraded security practices. For example, on international turf, Viollis recommends avoiding travel-agency sourced limo drivers. Instead, he chooses security drivers who are fully background-checked and have specialized driving skills to retreat from dangerous situations.

Is going this far, going too far?
To enjoy the benefits of travel, PinnacleCare Members want the confidence only full preparation can provide. Members and their Advocate team can assess the level of preparation that makes sense for them, their family and their specific situation. Then, PinnacleCare handles the details and clearly outlines the plan we’ve put in place.

Chances are you will never need to act on the plan. Yet, says Dr. Varn, “Going the extra mile gives you and, your family back at home, peace of mind. More importantly, it gives you the best chance of coming through a medical emergency successfully and maintaining your high quality of life both short and long term.”

Your key to better health care
No matter where in the world PinnacleCare Members find themselves, they have the peace of mind of knowing that they can provide doctors with their complete medical record in seconds thanks to the PinnacleCare Key. The key is a secure, portable USB device that houses the complete consolidated medical record for each family member.

Why are medical records so vital? Each individual reacts differently to illness and treatment. Without records, physicians are handicapped in accurately diagnosing symptoms, understanding possible effects of drugs, and assessing the benefits and risks of surgery. The risk of medical mistakes or inadvertent negligence is exponentially increased without proper medical records available.

All medical records collected by PinnacleCare are reviewed by physician consultants, who prepare an abstract of your medical history, including active and past diagnoses, allergies and family history. The information is organized on the PinnacleCare Key in a manner that is intuitive for a treating physician.

“Receiving treatment without having your medical records available is like a baseball player coming to bat without needed contact lenses or a tennis player using a bare hand instead of a racquet,” believes PinnacleCare Founder John Hutchins. “You just don’t have the tools to do the job. The problem is, this isn’t a game, it’s your health and your life.”