“This has been a godsend,” said her husband, Tony Martin. “Being told the best Lorie could hope for was life in long term care wasn’t acceptable. Lorie’
Mr. Martin learned about China Connection Global Healthcare (CCGH) through friends who were familiar with another Kentuckian, Devin Dearth, who also had traveled to China. Dearth made significant improvement during his three month stay in Tianjin following a stroke in 2008. After talking with the Dearth family and friends, Mr. Martin contacted CCGH.
“Tony was so passionate in his commitment to help Lorie recover,” said David Mair, CCGH Chief Operating Officer. “His biggest concern was how to pay for anything other than what insurance would cover.” In the US, this kind of rehabilitation can reach $100,000 or more. Through CCGH’s contracted arrangement, the cost will be less than $23,000. Mair spoke with representatives of Anthem Blue Cross, the Martin’s health insurer, and was able to coordinate benefits for Mrs. Martin’s rehabilitation in China. Having already seen the quality of patient and medical care, knowing that insurance benefits were able made the Martins’ decision an easy one.
The Martins will be accompanied on their trip to China by Ruth Lycke, CEO of CCGH and the first American to receive stroke rehabilitation care in China following her 2001 stroke. They will be met by a CCGH case manager who will assist Mrs. Martin during her stay. While in Tianjin, Mrs. Martin will undergo intensive rehabilitation program integrating modern Western techniques and traditional Chinese medicine therapies. First Teaching Hospital is a world leader in integrated therapeutic treatment for stroke and neurological conditions. “Having been here as a patient myself,” stated Lycke, “I know the benefits that are possible. The doctors who reviewed Lorie’s medical records feel like she can realize significant improvement.”
Mr. Martin commented, “I can’t believe how much these people care about Lorie. They’ve talked to the doctors, the nurses, the insurance company, and the passport people. It doesn’t look like there’s anything they won’t do to help her.”
Added Lycke, “Destination healthcare is a new idea for most people. What we don’t think about is that we make that decision over and over without calling it destination healthcare, just like the Martins did when Lorie transferred to Louisville. Our priority is finding the best healthcare available and making it accessible to the patient. We look forward to watching Lorie’s progress along with Tony and their family.”
About China Connection Global HealthCare: China Connection Global HealthCare (www.chinaconnection.cc)
About First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University: First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine was established in 1954. The hospital serves 1,700 inpatients and more than 7,500 outpatients each day. The hospital has established cooperative relationships with medical organizations in more than 20 countries including providing training for physicians in the United States, Japan, Korea, Germany, France, Russia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
About Devin Dearth: A feature length documentary about Dearth’s medical care experience in China, called Dare to Triumph, is being produced by One In A Row Films. A preview of the film can be seen at http://tinyurl.com/
Contact:
David Mair
Chief Operating Officer
mair@chinaconnection.cc&
410-592-3039
