Interview: Claudia Schmiedhuber, Founder & CEO of GAMTI
Claudia Schmiedhuber, Founder & CEO of the Global Assistance & Medical Transport Institute (GAMTI), spoke to ITIJ about her new business and how it will revolutionise the industry
First and foremost, congratulations on embarking on another venture! You're certainly keeping yourself busy. Could you please explain to us what GAMTI is all about?
The Global Assistance & Medical Transport Institute, or simply GAMTI, is the trailblazer in global education and training within the insurance, assistance, and aero-medical Industry. Our institute is dedicated to delivering a wide range of comprehensive digital educational programmes covering crucial topics, including theoretical foundations, practical case studies, and exclusive behind-the-scenes insights in these domains.
GAMTI’s courses are meticulously crafted to meet the needs of professionals at all levels, ranging from operational and assistance agents to administrative personnel and medical experts. Whether you are already established in the industry or aspiring to enter it, GAMTI offers personalised courses designed to provide everyone with the essential skills and knowledge required for success in this field. A true world premier and game-changer in the industry.
Why did you decide to start GAMTI?
After conducting workshops and courses for more than five years, catering to a diverse global audience, I've observed a significant, unmet need for a more streamlined and comprehensive educational approach within our industry. The absence of such a framework often leads to misunderstandings among various stakeholders, resulting in errors in case management, dissatisfaction with collaborations, and client and patient complaints.
Recognising this need, I've made it my mission to create a globally recognised, flexible, and standardised educational solution. This initiative empowers companies to provide their team members with comprehensive education and training, guided by industry experts. This not only serves as a motivational tool but also represents a strategic investment in their staff, ensuring everyone receives consistent training. Furthermore, it allows companies to showcase their commitment to enhancing service quality for their clients, and it serves as a reliable means to measure operational quality and ensure continuous improvement.
Who are GAMTI's educational courses aimed at, and what should companies consider when booking a course?
GAMTI provides a wide array of courses meticulously designed to cater to the diverse needs and skill levels of professionals working in our intricate industry. Our course offerings span from fundamental to advanced and expert levels, ensuring that there is a suitable educational path for individuals at all stages of their careers.
In the development of GAMTI we placed great importance on incorporating feedback from industry peers, emphasising the necessity of tailoring training to accommodate the various roles and experience levels within companies. Given the complex nature of our field, it is essential for all team members to have a foundational understanding of procedures, key industry players, and the theoretical underpinnings crucial for effective case management.
For instance, companies interested in our services have the flexibility to choose courses that align with their staff's specific roles and responsibilities. They can opt for the GAMTI Basic Course, tailored for management and administrative staff, the GAMTI Advanced Course, suitable for maintenance, key account, and aviation personnel, or the GAMTI Expert Course, ideal for operations and network management staff actively engaged in case management.
Furthermore, GAMTI offers a specialised GAMTI Medical Assessment course, meticulously crafted to provide comprehensive education for flight medical crew and assessment doctors. This course equips them with an in-depth understanding of industry-specific details and procedures. Our overarching goal at GAMTI is to offer customised education that empowers professionals at every level to excel in their respective roles within the industry.
What is the content in a GAMTI course and why develop a certified course requiring renewal?
To put it in a nutshell: GAMTI offers a comprehensive range of courses covering topics such as insurance policies, payment guarantees, cost containment strategies, assistance-specific case management skills, comprehensive knowledge on medical transport coordination, and industry-specific terminology. Our courses provide both theoretical foundations and practical skills essential for success in the insurance, assistance, aero-medical, and all healthcare sectors involved, making them ideal for both onboarding and continuous education.
In addition, our modules include various assessments and culminate in a final quiz covering all educational material. Successful completion earns trainees a certificate valid for two years, with a refresher course required thereafter to ensure up-to-date knowledge and competence.
What made you decide to move away from in-person training and develop a virtual training solution?
The introduction of virtual courses at GAMTI has had a profound impact on our ability to reach and educate a wider audience within the industry. In contrast to our traditional in-person training, our virtual courses now have the capacity to accommodate a significantly larger number of trainees simultaneously. This scalability offers a considerable advantage, allowing us to reach a broader audience.
Furthermore, the convenience factor is undeniable. GAMTI's virtual courses enable organisations to seamlessly integrate training into their onboarding processes for new team members or incorporate it into the schedules of existing staff as part of ongoing education efforts. This flexibility extends to the trainees themselves, who can participate from the comfort of their homes or any location with internet access.
GAMTI's courses undergo evaluation and receive support from an international advisory committee comprising some of the most-well known leaders in the industry. What motivated your decision to collaborate with an advisory committee, and what are the benefits of involving numerous experts?
I firmly believe that a collaborative approach involving a diverse group of industry experts is the only way to create a truly comprehensive and globally recognised course like GAMTI. Instead of relying on the experience and knowledge of one person, we draw from the collective wisdom of individuals with decades of success in various roles.
Developing a comprehensive course that spans multiple industry sectors greatly benefits from the insights and experience of this diverse group. By avoiding a singular viewpoint and embracing the knowledge and standards set by these experts, we ensure that GAMTI reflects the best practices and real-world challenges of the industry. This approach underscores the importance of consensus and shared wisdom in shaping training for professionals in the insurance, assistance, aero-medical, and healthcare sectors.
Ultimately, GAMTI's development, based on the collective expertise of industry veterans, underscores our commitment to providing top-tier education grounded in the extensive knowledge and standards established by professionals who have played pivotal roles in shaping the industry.
What are your aspirations for GAMTI, and how do you see the next five years unfolding?
GAMTI's vision is clear: to emerge as the undisputed leader in the sector of industry education and change how training and education is being received.
The approach is not about taking education away from companies but enriching them with comprehensive training solutions. It's about streamlining and standardising knowledge in a way that's simply impossible with internal training programs, so GAMTI is not only raising the bar for service quality and staff excellence within companies, but also giving these organisations a powerful tool for showcasing their commitment to education and training.
As for the future – in five years' time, I envision GAMTI's training courses as a staple in every corner of our industry. From the seasoned veterans to the newcomers, from the largest corporations to the smallest startups, we aspire to be the go-to solution for all educational needs.
So, the goal is simple: to enable access to comprehensive knowledge meticulously designed by industry experts, ensuring that no one is left behind in the pursuit of excellence, improving patient care and service quality.