Interview: Michael Chan, Operations and Network Manager, Collinson
Mandy Langfield spoke to Michael Chan, Operations and Network Manager, Collinson, about building a global network of partnerships that enable strong customer support around the world
What are your primary responsibilities in your role, and how did these change during the pandemic?
My primary responsibilities are identifying, strengthening, and growing Collinson’s partner network. My role also includes overseeing and maintaining the workflow between our global operation centres. During the pandemic, there was a decrease in short-term travellers, which means our overall case volumes decreased. With that, I focused my attention on our partner network by working closely with them on projects such as Covid testing solutions and events like The Olympics.
You worked in Beijing as part of the Collinson team supporting clients at the Olympic Games; what was that experience like, is it the first time you’ve worked at a big event like that? What are the unique aspects of the assistance you were providing?
This was the first time I supported a global event from the ground. Previously I mostly supported our clients remotely.
With our success at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games, we swiftly shifted our focus to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. It was quickly understood that Beijing would be completely different because the Games organisers enforced a strict a closed loop system. This effectively meant clients, broadcasters, organisers and volunteers were separated from China’s general population.
Following months of careful planning, I lead a team of two doctors and an operational support coordinator to Beijing. During the event, we provided around-the-clock medical care. Care was often administered at our on-site clinic or at various venues.
Supporting people at major events comes with its own set of challenges. As with this event’s closed loop system, we initially encountered difficulties whenever a participant required onward medical care at a hospital. There were strict policies in place that controlled all outside access to onward care. However, by adapting our referral procedures and working closely with the Games organisers, we were able to efficiently resolve this.
You’re based in Singapore, but must travel as part of your role in building medical networks. Have you been able to travel more regularly as restrictions ease?
As Singapore enters its endemic phase, travel restrictions should continue to ease and there will hopefully be some business trips in the pipeline for later this year. I’m hopeful that I will be able to visit some of our partners around the region soon and look forward to catching up with some old acquaintances and meeting new faces.
Have you found that there is a need to reevaluate medical partnerships in light of the Covid-19 pandemic as hospitals and clinics may have changed their specialties and facilities in light of the pressure put on health systems throughout the last two years?
As always, we continue to work closely with our medical partners assessing their capabilities as well as the situation changes. We constantly review commonly used evacuation routes and destinations, based on the dynamic regulations and restrictions of each country.
Within the industry, we have experienced various logistical challenges in the face of Covid-19. Typically, escorted repatriations haven’t been as simple as they may have been historically, with there now being the need to consider airline and country restrictions and local market quarantine requirements.
We have seen many of our clients rely on us more than ever to provide advice and guidance when assessing business travel risks. We’re working to provide expert advice for trips that – pre-pandemic – would have been considered to be straightforward, but now require far more scrutiny.
The management of supplier contract relationships can cause friction between providers and payers; how do you ensure that clients do not get stuck in the middle in situations where guarantees of payment are not given, for instance, as there is a problem with coverage?
Of course, there will always be instances where coverage might be the issue. I am a firm believer that transparency and clear communication are key to managing our clients’ expectations. Another crucial element is to build trust and maintain strong bonds with our partners, as often their understanding goes a long way.
Does Collinson have its own version of accreditation for air ambulance and medical facilities, or does it rely mostly on accreditation from organisations such as JCI, TEMOS, EURAMI, etc?
In certain situations, onsite visits to particular facilities are necessary. Clearly, with tens of thousands of approved facilities in Collinson’s extensive global network of hospitals, clinics and providers, all sites cannot be assessed through ‘face-to-face’ evaluations. Given the pandemic and the travel restrictions imposed internationally, we have had to further curtail site visits and modify our credentialling and vetting processes. Despite the reduction in travel, medical assistance and medical evacuation requirements have continued, but under far more complex and challenging conditions. We have avoided onboarding providers that we would have previously insisted required a site visit during this time, and relied heavily on our current and well established providers.
We have avoided onboarding providers that we would have previously insisted required a site visit during this time, and relied heavily on our current and well established providers
We have also now started to plan site visits for 2022, and already have trips planned for Beijing and the UAE. As many of the facilities in our network are in countries of general medical excellence, with regulatory bodies performing site-inspections (such as the UK’s Care Quality Commission), duplicating such work would be unnecessary. Furthermore, other accomplished hospitals have achieved awards of international excellence, such as the Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation. There are instances where on-site visits are performed, such as in regions where clients regularly fall ill, but the healthcare facilities are not well-known, i.e. Papua New Guinea, and in these situations, in-country evaluations can be undertaken. The requirement to undertake a site visit may also be in the event that we are supporting a corporate client at a large-scale event such as The Olympics or FIFA World Cup.
Collinson’s Global Medical Director and Head of International Networks have both evaluated a range of hospitals throughout Indonesia, the West Indies, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.
When minimum standards have been satisfied, all providers in the medical and assistance supply chain are referred into Collinson’s clinical team for a quality assessment. Focus is placed on assessing the availability of services and treatments, while also identifying appropriate clinical governance controls. A quality ranking is then apportioned to the provider record with alerts and comments, as appropriate.
Are there any changes to processes that have come around as a result of Covid that you are going to maintain once restrictions ease?
The pandemic pushed companies to adopt new behaviours – for instance, many of us were required to work remotely. With restrictions beginning to ease, I am gradually seeing more colleagues return to the office. However, I believe an element of remote working and virtual meetings will likely continue, given most companies have received positive feedback about work flexibility from their employees.
What do you enjoy most about your role, and what are the biggest challenges you face?
I have been part of the medical operation and travel experience industry for over 10 years, and it’s a great opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals globally. In this ever-changing industry, we are constantly having to adapt by identifying new solutions to overcome medical and logistical challenges in the most effective manner possible, and I know I’ll never get tired of the thrill of finding a resolution to a good challenge and the satisfaction of helping others.