A small town of not more than 1500 people deep in the inland of Veneto, plunged in the hills, equally distant from Verona, at the west, Vicenza, at the East, and the Alps, at the north. This is a town of humble people, where everybody knows each other, with that working-class awareness that you must make it on your own. 

This is where Claudio Paccanaro was born, an entrepreneur who about ten years ago had the idea of founding Medical Tourism Italy (MTI). It was no easy task: in the whole country, there was no such company as the one he had in mind. Everything needed to be created from scratch, there were no examples to follow, only experience, and mistakes to learn from.

All he knew was that Italy had one of the best healthcare systems in the world and that, thanks to the tourism of millions in the country with the most World Heritage sites, the services and facilities were already there.

This means hotels, restaurants, and things to do already existed, demanding no further investment. Medical Tourism Italy used Mr. Paccanaro’s connections with doctors, private clinics, and hospitals, built after years of work as an administrator and project manager, and it was created to offer Italian excellence in healthcare to patients from all over the world. Since it was founded in Vicenza, home of one of the biggest American communities in Europe, it only made sense to begin by focusing on the United States. The first idea came in 2005, but it was in 2013 when the first call for help arrived: an American woman was suffering from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), a rare condition that caused extreme pain, for which the best treatment option in the world is currently only available in Italy.

The patient trusted this pioneering company to give her all she needed to face a scary experience in the most stress-free way possible, and her trust was well repaid. The company took care of her stay and meals, she had a driver and, of course, her medical appointments were all booked. Since then, the company has evolved into the first operating business in the country. Now Medical Tourism Italy has grown, selected the hotels, and restaurants, with trained personnel who leave nothing to chance. While expanding its services, it began to select specialists and clinics, with the sole goal of offering its clients the best and most comprehensive paths.

It is important to give the patient a completely stress-free experience, this might not be easy for two main reasons: the cause for their travel is a delicate problem like health, and the fact that every healthcare is different, making every patient used to a different type of service and relationship with their doctors. Medical Tourism Italy will take the patient by their hand, arranging all the bookings, from the doctor appointments to the hotel booking. Not only that, the patient and their caregiver will find a person dedicated to them who will drive them on every trip they will have to make while in Italy. On their side, they will also find an interpreter who is a mother tongue and has a deep understanding of cultural differences.

A patient traveling for medical purposes is different from a “traditional” tourist. The stay is much longer, and a caregiver or a trusted person will usually be with them. It also isn’t affected by the seasons, meaning this type of tourism is constant throughout the year. Most importantly, it meets the modern needs of entire communities to get back to their roots. The United States has an incredible population of second-generation Italians, that want to touch their origins with their hands. Italian descendants represent a tourism segment with enormous potential for the country. Medical Tourism allows travelers to use Italy’s healthcare, yes, but also to see more authentic places, not touched by the hordes of tourists.  

The great opportunity represented by Medical Tourism Italy increases thanks to the fact that it uses services and facilities already existent. Moreover, it boosts tourism in the country’s hidden jewels. All this sided with services provided by caring people formed to assist a patient suffering from a condition. For many illnesses, the simple fact of traveling to another country will help by bringing more positivity. Adding that Italy has to offer one of the best healthcare systems, and among the best diets and lifestyles, topped by a quality of service that makes the experience even more enjoyable, it’s easy to see how the trip itself is already therapeutic.

A company like Medical Tourism Italy does not simply act as a middleman, it does much more for the patient and the medical facilities as well. Services go both ways since it has an active part in understanding what a patient who decides to travel to Italy for treatment needs and will be able to build the best path communicating with doctors. It doesn’t end there, once the path is decided through counseling with the specialist who evaluates the single case, the company will work on the clinic’s side to build the most comprehensive solution for the patient. To do so, it took years of experience and building a huge knowledge base. It also is important to underline that the company does not take any compensation from the clinic it works with, making it completely independent. An advocate in a foreign country that only works for the patient’s best.

Now, things have evolved, making it necessary for the country to create an association that could put together and coordinate all these efforts. Keeping this in mind, Medical Tourism Italy Association was created. A non-profit organization that assists in developing a synergic network across the country, to offer the best service possible. Medical Tourism Italy is a member of this association, being the first operating company in the territory.

The Italian private healthcare sector can greatly benefit from this opportunity, along with all the hosting facilities. Hospitals, clinics, doctors, restaurants, hotels, and points of interest can have the opportunity to grow and appear on a global map. Medical Tourism Italy combines all these factors, and more, in a synergic cooperation, all coordinated by a young and international team. All of this is thanks to the mind of a self-made entrepreneur who understood the value of Italian Healthcare and how the country could use what it already has, to give to the world of the future.