Page 50: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2017)

Maritime Medical “We are all very concerned with the shipping markets and their continued low chartering rates. But from our perspective, a key issue is the lack of education of the people at the in regards to the real value of a top of the ship owner chain ship-to-shore continuous care telemedicine program for the overall th lt al ea h a an nd d w we ellll b be eiin ng g o of f t th he eiir r crew. he health and well being of their crew.”

Christina DeSimone

CEO, Future Care Inc.

Cooper said that today many of the Several of Future Care’s services, par- entails contact and communication with course deviations and delays by manag- shipping companies are run “with ticularly the consultation with physi- the different international sovereign ing an illness as ef? ciently as possible, other people’s money. These investors cians, are billed by the hour (in six min- coast guard and foreign navy of? ces, air, and if the case does call for shore side changed the element. The owners are ute increments), and controlling cost is sea and land ambulance services for the care working to and through one of its no longer generational shipping people, always a concern from a vessel owner’s transport of a crewmember from ship to thousands of approved facilities globally and they have no interest in the people point of view. But Desimone says that shore to the hospital.” with the eye on top notch medical care at sea. The people at sea are only a cost the billing procedure is the best work- There is also an obvious cost effective for the mariner and ef? cient case and element. So our services, which look af- able solution, reasoning that it is impos- aspect attained when using Future Care cost management for the owner.

ter the people at sea, are harder to sell to sible to give a price guarantee, as the for shore side medical/dental consulta- “We feel that we can only get ahead of organizations that look at the mariner as amount of service required depends on tions and evaluations because of the the ? eld if we get out to the ship own- a cost element.” the incident – is the problem dermatitis preferred medical facility partners of ers and let them know that we under- “In taking care of our seafarers, Future or a severed limb – as well as the overall Future Care at every major port across stand their pain points (when it comes to

Care takes the lead by providing a total- age/health pro? le of the crew. the world, wherein these medical/dental medical care for the crew and it’s impact ity of medical and logistical services to But Desimone claims that on average, port facilities do provide the best medi- to overall ship operations and pro? tabil- its Captains and crew members who are leveraged across a ? eet, Future Care’s cal/dental care needed at an appropriate ity),” said Cooper. “If you have a sick registered with Future Care Caring for services average out to about $4,000 per cost, with no undue advantage taken to crewman and have to deviate to a port to the Crew program, whoever they are, ship per year to take care of everything. either the crewmember or the client, and get him to a hospital because he wasn’t wherever they may be,” said Dr. Jose. Ship owners that choose to care for this with only the best interest and welfare of treated early enough, you could miss 2 in-house must realize that in addition to the crewmember in mind. or 3 days off of your itinerary and miss the obvious costs, there many subtle and your next cargo. That could cost you $4000 Per Year hidden costs to a ship owner in manag- Time is Money millions of dollars. We understand that.

Until the industry reaches the age of ing a medical emergency, costs which “The ef? cient handling of a crew’s We need the owners to pass that mes- full autonomous operations, a healthy, can mount quickly if uninformed and/ medical pro? le can really save them sage down to their technical and crew- well-cared for crew will continue to be a or mismanaged. “Future Care Logisti- commercial bucks,” reasons Cooper. He ing managers. That’s the education. It’s staple in ef? cient, pro? table operations. cal and medical oversight services also explains that the Future Care value prop- tougher today because investors don’t

As with other product and service pro- includes arrangements and coordination osition revolves around the premise that understand this side of the ship opera- viders in the sector which aim to prove made for medical evacuation, debarka- proactively managing maritime medi- tions.” that they ‘pay for itself,’ the argument tion and repatriation of an ill or injured cal problems from the inception of the “When you’re out there in the Indian surround crew care increasingly makes crewmember, to a hospital, clinic or for a incident to its conclusion, it can work Ocean, ten days from last port and ? ve sound business sense. return ? ight home,” said Dr. Jose. “This with ship owners to avoid unnecessary days to the next port, you are very alone. 50 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • APRIL 2017

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