Delaware Business Times digital edition brought to you by… Viewpoints: Pete DuPont Foundation, Wilmington Alliance launch E3 initiative 21 June 23, 2020 | Vol. 7 • No. 13 | $2.00 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com Medical tourism company set to hire 200 by end of year 3 DSU on verge of acquiring Wesley College? 5 COMING OUT OF THE GATE Restaurants struggle Delaware businesses seek ways to run to add capacity due to a strong race as state slowly reopens 8-foot distancing rules 7 Sustaining high growth Three of the Delaware companies on the 2019 Inc. 5000 list talk about their pandemic experiences. 23 Spotlight: Two downtown building sales offer hope for market and two large warehouses planned in New Castle To sponsor the Delaware Business Times digital edition, May 26, 2020 | Vol. 7 • No. 11 | $2.00 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com 15, 16 contact: [email protected] A QUESTION Governor: Consumer OF TRUST confi dence key to reopening economy 13 Desperation grows for restaurants, retail as Phase 1 nears 4 Small businesses plead their case to Carney Pandemic reinforces to loosen rules prior to reopening need for downstate broadband 6 Dear Governor Carney State business organizations plea for governor to lighten restrictions 10-13 Viewpoints: Pete DuPont Foundation, Wilmington Alliance launch E3 initiative 21 June 23, 2020 | Vol. 7 • No. 13 | $2.00 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com Medical tourism company set to hire 200 by end of year 3 DSU on verge of acquiring Wesley College? 5 COMING OUT OF THE GATE Restaurants struggle Delaware businesses seek ways to run to add capacity due to a strong race as state slowly reopens 8-foot distancing rules 7 Sustaining high growth Three of the Delaware companies on the 2019 Inc. 5000 list talk about their pandemic experiences. 23 At the onset of the pandemic, Delaware Today and Delaware Business Times created Delaware Delivers for Heroes, a program designed to help support our state’s restaurant community while acknowledging those who have worked tirelessly to care for Delawareans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the generosity of our readers, we were able to purchase nearly $4000 worth of gift cards from local restaurants by the end of May and present them to nominated groups. As Delaware continues to reopen, local restaurants and our healthcare community are still facing extraordinary challenges. For more information, to donate or nominate a hero visit, DelawareDeliversForHeroes.com 3 1 2 4 1 From left, Kelly Connell, director of operations for Platinum Dining Group, presents Delaware Today’s Scott Pruden with the Platinum gift card purchase. 2 From left, firefighters Jacob Strab, Bill Krupa and Jordan Edgerton of Hockessin Fire Company accept gift cards for Platinum Dining Group, presented by Delaware Delivers for Heroes. 3 Robert Lloyd and Charmayne Lane, anesthesia technicians at ChristianaCare in Newark, accept gift cards to Stone Balloon Ale House on behalf of their team, presented by Delaware Delivers for Heroes. 4 Chef Robbie Jester of Stone Balloon Ale House in Newark presents the gift cards purchased from High 5 Hospitality. Photos by Scott Pruden SPONSORED IN PART BY: WASTEMASTERS SOLUTIONS 2 June 23, 2020 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com Medical tourism company plans to add 200+ jobs by year end to address pent-up demand Founded 2014, a biweekly newspaper serving Delaware’s business community. Vol. 7, No. 13 dated June 23, 2020 BY PETER OSBORNE no surprise bills a month later. Why not shop for our Copyright © 2020 by Today Media, all rights reserved. health care? It’s about giving the patient more choices HOCKESSIN – Medical-tourism company My This newspaper or its trademarks may not be reproduced in whole or and options, crossing geographic borders to get the in part in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including Med Choices says it will hire 230 full-time employees highest quality of care and transparent pricing. It is photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval in Delaware by the end of the year thanks to really that simple.” system now known or hereafter invent without written permission opportunities created by skyrocketing health care costs, The company’s rapid expansion will be backed by from the Publisher. For licensing, reprints, e-prints, plaques, e-mail a boom in interest in its telehealth services during a $48 million capital infusion from an Australian [email protected]. the COVID-19 pandemic, and the anticipation of investor, Swenson said. The early goings of that a return to patient travel for specialized medical, expansion have required a lot of pivoting though. dental, and cosmetic surgeries in early 2021. Back in March, My Med Choices was scheduled to The short-term plans include a move to the Group Publisher Robert F. Martinelli send 11 patients to Australia and 17 to South Korea University of Delaware’s STAR Campus in Newark Publisher Michael Reath by the end of 2020 and hiring of people in executive before COVID-19 put an immediate stop to all travel. Editor Peter Osborne level positions, technical roles, case managers, and “That forced us to pivot and reinvent ourselves,” [email protected] call-center positions. The longer-term plans calls Swenson said. “We’re leading now with the telehealth Associate Editor Jacob Owens for the hiring of nearly 1,000 people in Delaware and second opinions as our main focus until the travel [email protected] by the end of 2021. market reopens fully in January 2021.” Reporter Katie Tabeling The company currently employs 17 people on its Other hospitals have seen huge jumps in use of [email protected] core team, including 10 in Delaware, but expects to telehealth services while patients are quarantined. In Research, Digital, and Mike Rocheleau have more than 1,250 between Delaware and satellite My Med Choices’ case, it’s also using the telehealth Engagement Editor [email protected] offices by the end of 2021. platform that Swenson created in India in a previous Vice President of Charlie Tomlinson My Med Choices works directly with consumers, role as an add-on for clients. Business Development self-insured employers and government agencies to Swenson also plans to establish a prescreening center Digital Sales & Karen Martinelli reduce health care costs by contracting with top-quality in Delaware, which is a service that few other medical Marketing Manager hospitals; medical and dental providers; and recovery tourism companies currently offer. Multi Media Account Carol Houseal and wellness centers in the United States and overseas, Right now, the company has more overseas patients Executives Scott Comeaux said founder and CEO Mary Swenson. traveling to the United States; however, with the recent Programs & Event Coordinator Meaghan Daly My Med Choices works with employers – many of agreement with Ramsay Health Care and other top 10 them large with international operations – to assess hospitals worldwide, Swenson sees My Med Choices Production Manager Donna Hill their biggest health care costs and then connects as “an organization without health care borders.” Art Director Chris Johnson them with “centers of excellence” in nine surgical “The United States has the best cancer treatment Graphic Designers Eric Bolis areas, including knee and hip replacements, cardiac, but only for the very wealthy,” she said. “In the United Shelby Mills cancer, spine, and bariatric. It negotiates with those States, most insurance companies automatically reject Rosalinda Rocco institutions within the United States and globally a claim for CAR T-Cell Therapy, which can cost up to Director of Digital Strategy Greg Mathias to offer lower prices than they might get through $1 million for treatment. Sheba Medical City in Israel Publisher Emeritus Sam Waltz insurance providers, largely because hospitals offer a has a 90% survival rate for CAR T-Cell Therapy for significantly lower cash price for services, Swenson less than $300,000.” Today Media, A Martinelli Holdings LLC said. The company helps clients negotiate for those The company signed a memorandum of President Robert F. Martinelli cash prices. Secretary-Treasurer Richard Martinelli understanding earlier this year with five South Korean “The United States is the only country without medical firms, a more than $1 million contract that In Memoriam transparent health care pricing,” Swenson said. “Many was facilitated by Export Delaware, a state agency Chairman Angelo R. Martinelli (1927 – 2018) people here have to make a decision whether to pay Vice President Ralph A. Martinelli (1962 – 2019) under the Department of State. She’s also helped the their medical bills or their house payment at the state of Florida reduce costs for elderly dental patients Advertising Information end of the month.” by identifying reputable providers in Mexico and [email protected] Virginia-based, medical-focused consulting firm 302.504.1276 negotiating discounted rates there and has even helped Global Healthcare Resources says that an average individual clients in the final stages of life travel with Subscription Information of 11 million people travel to different parts of the their families to Switzerland, where euthanasia is legal. DelawareBusinessTimes.com/subscribe-now world for medical assistance. 800.849.8751 The company’s new employees will be arranging “This industry has been on pause for a while visas and domestic and international flights; working To submit press releases or story ideas because of COVID but it’s starting to come back,” said with employers to identify cost savings; and guiding [email protected] Jonathan Edelheit, chairman and co-founder of the patients through the process. She will also be hiring Daily Newsletter Medical Tourism Foundation in West Palm Beach, a medical director and hopes to acquire a medical- Sign up for our daily newsletter, delivered to your e-mail Fla. “It’s about a $100B industry and the big players inbox at DelawareBusinessTimes.com/Newsletter [like My Med Options aspires to be] need to deal records data management company soon.