| VIEW FROM THE TOP
SME HOSPITALS JOIN FORCES TO STRENGTHEN HEALTH OFFER JAVIER POTES Director General of Consorcio Mexicano de Hospitales
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Q: What are the main advantages hospitals get from
to make it easier for the patient to review and make more
joining Consorcio Mexicano de Hospitales (CMH)?
informed decisions.
A: The consortium now consists of 40 hospitals distributed in 38 cities in 23 states. We have 1,150 beds, 9,000 doctors
Q: How does this hospital network help improve the
and 86,100 hospitalized patients. The main advantages
overall healthcare system?
are the numerous opportunities to establish contacts.
A: We are the first private healthcare network in Mexico.
Since most of our members are small to medium-sized
We want more hospitals to join this model and increase
hospitals, it is difficult for them to compete with their
access to care, since the public sector lacks the necessary
larger counterparts. These hospitals are happy to share
infrastructure to manage the large number of patients
information because due to their location they do not
it receives.
compete with each other. Mexico’s healthcare system focuses on treating diseases, Membership also allows these hospitals to participate
not on promoting healthcare. For that reason, many are
in consolidated sales and negotiate better prices for
looking to strengthen prevention practices. Sumar Salud
medications and medical devices. We are the country’s
also brings together these services, so those who are
first private healthcare network but many more can be
healthy can continue to be so. To implement this, the
generated in the coming years.
consortium developed two insurance plans alongside Seguros Atlas and Banorte that cover 90 percent of
Q: What information is exchanged among members of
the most common diseases with a small deducible.
the consortium?
These insurance programs aim to reduce out-of-pocket
A: All members participate in yearly meetings according
expenditure.
to area, from management to marketing. In these meetings, hospitals share successful strategies and
Q: What continuous education programs does the
discuss common problems.
consortium provide to its members? A: The Consortium has an Integral Training Center which
Q: How is the consortium implementing a single
develops and strengthens the skills of all collaborators
electronic clinical file among its members and what
through our special programs for the direction,
advantages will patients see?
management and operative levels distributed on the clinic
A: Apollo Health, one of our strategic allies, is in charge of
and administrative areas. These programs are headed
implementing and managing electronic clinical files in all
to elevate the quality service and the effectiveness
hospitals that belong to the consortium. Together, we are
in their hospitals, resulting in the increase of their
developing Sumar Salud, an application through which
competitiveness in the market.
patients can access their own electronic clinical file and share it with other hospitals in the network. Sumar Salud
The Integral Training Center collaborates with the
was designed to gather all the information related to
international organization LILAS, integrated by the national
service providers, including doctors, hospitals and clinics
hospital associations of Argentina, Colombia, Brazil and Spain, and also with universities and medical academies.
Consorcio Mexicano de Hospitales groups several private
These latter entities contribute with their academic
hospitals for the development of innovative business models
experience and help to validate our diplomas, which
and to consolidate growth. The consortium provides training
are already validated by the Ministry of Labor and
programs for its members
Social Security.
