Tanya Preminger: Representing Growth and Excellence in Medical Tourism

The medical tourism industry represents a dynamic sector where healthcare meets international travel. This industry allows patients to seek advanced medical treatments abroad, often accessing specialized procedures and state-of-the-art technologies not available in their home countries. As this field continues to grow, it emphasizes the significance of global collaboration and innovation in delivering high-quality, affordable care.

Tanya Preminger, who initially entered the field through a background in digital marketing, has made significant strides in medical tourism and digital health. Her transition from digital marketing to leading in this composite sector demonstrates her commitment to enhancing patient care and fostering innovation. Her leadership style reflects a deep understanding of both the technological and human aspects of medical tourism.

Israeli Hospitals, the organization she leads as CEO, began as a startup serving patients primarily from the Russian Federation. Over time, it has expanded to offer comprehensive services, including a subsidiary for medical flights, to a global patient base. This growth underscores the organization's dedication to providing thorough and exceptional care, positioning it as a key player in the medical tourism industry.

Transforming Medical Tourism

Tanya entered the field of medical tourism and digital health somewhat by chance. Her background is in digital marketing, but she quickly fell in love with the medical field—a fascinating area that sits at the cutting edge of technology and carries a profound mission to help people.

Israeli Hospitals began as a startup primarily serving patients from the Russian Federation. Over time, it has grown into a robust company with dozens of employees and thousands of patients from around the world. The company has even expanded to include a subsidiary, Medassis, which provides medical flights, allowing them to offer a comprehensive 360-degree service to their patients.

The company acts as a referral service, leveraging over 15 years of expertise to connect patients with the best hospitals in Israel tailored to their specific needs. They pride themselves on offering VIP services at no extra cost, ensuring that every patient receives the highest level of care and attention.

Emphasizing Teamwork and Feedback to Enhance Patient Care

As a CEO who rose through the ranks of the marketing team, Tanya places a strong emphasis on teamwork and collaboration. She believes in shared decision-making and values the insights and experiences of every team member. Learning from those on the front lines, such as the escort team who accompany patients during their visits to hospitals, is crucial to their success.

One example that reflects her leadership philosophy is their approach to continuously improving patient care. By actively seeking feedback from the escort team, they have been able to implement changes that significantly enhance the patient experience. This collaborative, field-driven approach ensures that their services are not only effective but also responsive to the real needs of their patients.

Navigating Growth and Change Through Market Challenges and Pandemics

Looking back on her career, one of the most significant milestones for Tanya was transitioning from an SEO and organic traffic manager, then head of marketing, to taking on the role of CEO. This was a pivotal moment in her journey with Israeli Hospitals/Mash Medical.

However, the real achievement lies in leading the company through 15 years of dramatic changes in the market, including navigating significant political shifts and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of these obstacles required the company to learn, adapt, and evolve. The ability to steer the company through such turbulent times while continuing to thrive is a milestone she is particularly proud of, and it is a challenge that keeps them sharp and innovative every day.

Adapting to Pandemic Challenges by Focusing on Specialized Treatments

One of the most challenging moments in Tanya's role as CEO was navigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which, like many in the medical tourism industry, shook the market to its core. Travel nearly came to a standstill, and entry permits to Israel were only granted for immediate life-threatening conditions. In response, the company shifted focus to serving hemato-oncological patients with diseases such as leukemia, multiple myeloma, and lymphoma.

Israel offers a unique solution for these conditions in the form of CAR-T cell therapy, a revolutionary treatment that provides hope for patients who have exhausted other options. This approach proved to be an excellent choice, offering cutting-edge medical solutions at a comparatively affordable price. As a result, the company began to specialize in these types of treatments.

From this experience, she learned that the best source of knowledge comes from the patients. Their needs and feedback are more valuable than any marketing or strategic advice. By truly listening to the customers, they were able to adapt and thrive in a challenging environment

Finding Fulfillment in Personal Connections and Impactful Service

Helping people and saving lives is the most fulfilling and motivating aspect of Tanya's role—there is nothing more satisfying. She makes it a priority to step out of the office regularly to meet with patients. Connecting with individuals from different cultures, as the company serves patients from all over the globe, is incredibly enriching. These interactions also allow her to personally ensure that they receive the VIP service promised. Knowing that they are making a real difference in people's lives keeps her inspired every day.

Leveraging Cultural Sensitivity to Enhance Global Patient Care

As an avid traveler, Tanya has always been fascinated by different cultures and ways of life. This deep appreciation for diverse traditions and perspectives has profoundly influenced her approach to leading Israeli Hospitals. It has enabled the company to better serve patients from various cultures and religions by understanding and respecting their unique needs and expectations. Her personal experiences have reinforced the importance of cultural sensitivity, which is crucial in providing exceptional care to a global patient base.

Striving for Balance Amidst the Demands of Medical Care

Tanya admits that balancing work and personal life is something she struggles with. It is difficult for her to stop thinking about work-related challenges, especially when dealing with patients who have life-threatening conditions. In the medical field, being available to respond to issues 24/7 is often a necessity. However, she is aware of the importance of finding balance and is continuously working on strategies to improve in this area.

Encouraging Innovation and Risk-Taking for Team Growth

Tanya did not have traditional mentors, but she has learned a great deal from books and self-study. She believes in fostering innovation and encourages her team to pursue new initiatives, even when she is not entirely convinced they will succeed. This approach allows them to learn and grow, and she has found that giving people the space to experiment and take risks is crucial for their development. By supporting her team in this way, she aims to help them achieve their full potential.

Expanding Global Reach and Bridging Cultures Through Healthcare

Tanya's personal aspiration for the future of Israeli Hospitals is to expand their reach and help more patients from a broader range of countries, particularly from Arab nations such as the United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and others. She holds the hope that peace in the Middle East will be achieved in her lifetime, allowing for greater collaboration and understanding.

It is not widely known that Arabic is the second language in Israeli hospitals, with many of the staff members being Arab-Israelis who speak Arabic fluently. This cultural and linguistic diversity is something she is proud of, and she believes it positions them uniquely to serve patients from the region. Her goal is to continue building bridges through healthcare, leaving a lasting legacy of compassion and excellence in the medical tourism and digital health sectors.

Passion, Continuous Learning, and Balance for Healthcare Executives

Tanya advises that for someone aspiring to reach an executive position in the healthcare or medical tourism industry, it is important to be passionate about what one does and to genuinely love helping people. She emphasizes the need to always be open to learning and growing, as the field is constantly progressing. Additionally, she highlights the importance of maintaining a balanced perspective—one should not let constant exposure to medical symptoms lead to becoming a hypochondriac. It is easy to become overly concerned when surrounded by health-related information, so it is crucial to stay grounded and focused on the role of helping others.

Advanced Treatments and Affordable Care

Israel’s healthcare system is renowned for its excellence, offering cutting-edge medical equipment and highly trained doctors, many of whom have received their training in Israel as well as in prestigious hospitals in the USA and Europe. Additionally, the cost of treatments in Israel is generally much lower than in the USA and often more affordable than in Europe.

One of the unique opportunities Israel offers is CAR-T cell therapy, a revolutionary treatment for patients with blood cancers. CAR-T cell therapy is an advanced and personalized treatment that involves modifying a patient’s own T cells to better recognize and attack cancer cells. The process involves collecting T cells from the patient, genetically engineering them to produce special receptors called chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) on their surface, and then infusing the modified cells back into the patient. These CAR-T cells are then able to target and destroy cancer cells, offering new hope for patients with certain types of cancers, especially those that have not responded to traditional treatments.

Israel has become a global leader in this field, housing the largest CAR-T center in Europe and manufacturing the CAR-T cells in a local laboratory, which allows for a very short treatment time—an 11-day vein-to-vein procedure. Recently, the procedure has been expanded to treat autoimmune diseases as well, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, dermatomyositis, and vasculitis.

Beyond CAR-T therapy, Israel is equipped to treat a wide range of oncology cases, including head and neck cancers, gastrointestinal cancers, and more. Their expertise extends across all types of oncology treatments, ensuring that patients receive comprehensive care tailored to their specific conditions. Other groundbreaking treatments available in Israel include TIL therapy for metastatic melanoma and FUS procedures for tremors caused by Parkinson’s disease. Israel also excels in cardiology, spine surgery, and virtually every other medical specialty. They do not turn away any case where they believe they can help.

Helping people and saving lives is the most fulfilling and motivating aspect of her role—there is nothing more satisfying.

From this experience, she learned that the best source of knowledge comes from the patients. Their needs and feedback are more valuable than any marketing or strategic advice.