Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of the book. This book looks at the merging of hospitality, wellness, and medical practices. Hospitality bridging healthcare or H2H is a natural progression, as today's savvy consumers seek timely information about their health and wellness, medical care and the quality of the service they want to experience. Healthcare includes hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, life care, and continuing care facilities. It is a segment that shows no signs of slowing, and there will be many career openings for hospitality and healthcare management graduates. Medical tourism will be particularly attractive in the United States, where an estimated 43 million people are without health insurance and perhaps 120 million lack dental coverage. The number of uninsured or underinsured Americans is likely to grow quickly, as many companies cut back or eliminate their medical and pension programs.