The City of Jacksonville, Florida, Visit Jacksonville and executives from local medical facilities announced a medical tourism initiative that will brand Jacksonville as “America’s Health Center.”

The program aims to increase visitor demand and recognition of Jacksonville’s diversity in patient care, medical businesses and tourism resources by uniting the marketing efforts of the various institutions under one umbrella.

Jacksonville is gaining prominence as a hub for the life science and health care industry. It is home to an impressive network of world-class medical facilities lauded in such areas as research, cancer treatment, clinical trials and cardiovascular and children’s care as well as a number of biotech companies. Due to this presence, the region has become more attractive as a destination for medical meetings and conventions.

The initiative is anchored by 11 medical partners participating in the program, which include:

• Baptist Health

• Brooks Rehabilitation

• CyberKnife Cancer Center at Memorial Hospital

• Mayo Clinic

• Nemours Children’s Clinic

• Shands Jacksonville Medical Center

• St. Luke’s Hospital

• St. Vincent’s HealthCare

• The Bariatric Center at Memorial Hospital

• University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute

• Wolfson Children’s Hospital

“In bringing together Jacksonville’s well-acclaimed medical facilities for the universal goal of welcoming visitors, we are showcasing the wide-range of expertise of the city’s life sciences industry,” said Madeline Scales-Taylor, board chair for Visit Jacksonville and community relations administrator for Mayo Clinic. “With the large number of highly specialized services, technology and research positioned in Jacksonville, the city truly lives up to the brand ‘America’s Health Center.’”

The dedicated medical tourism Web site, www.VisitJacksonville.com/medical, serves as a resource for the three medical tourism markets: patients and their families in the area for extended patient care; medical meetings and conventions; and business-to-business meetings with local medical products and services companies. The site compiles detailed information on the 11 medical partners, visitor and hotel information and meeting planning services. Through the Visit Jacksonville Web portal, visitors can book their trip by utilizing the organization’s Travelocity partnership.

Visit Jacksonville President & CEO John Reyes stated, “Jacksonville’s perfect temperatures, meeting facilities, beaches and attractions make the city an exceptional destination for a medical-related meeting or as a place to heal during a patient’s top-rate treatment. We want to welcome those patients and their families, as well as medical business-to-business travelers and convention attendees to experience our health care resources and lifestyle.”

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