Medical travel facilitator Companion Global Healthcare Inc. has brought two HIMAHEALTH network hospitals in Puerto Rico into its network of off-shore hospitals that treat American patients at prices lower than those at mainland facilities.

Service lines at the hospitals include cardiovascular surgery, orthopedic surgery, neurology, and oncology. Both hospitals are Joint Commission accredited, and their medical staffs include U.S. board-certified physicians. Puerto Rico is the only island in the Caribbean with Joint Commission-accredited hospitals.

"HIMAHEALTH hospitals are equipped with the latest technology, and their prices will enable our clients to obtain the care they need at an affordable cost," said David Boucher, president of CGH. "Since Puerto Rico is a short flight from many U.S. cities, HIMAHEALTH hospitals offer an added level of convenience for many of our clients."

CGH's international network now includes 26 hospitals around the world, all of which are Joint Commission accredited, with rates that are as much as 90% less than at hospitals in the United States.

"We are excited about the affiliation between HIMAHEALTH and Companion Global Healthcare," said Armando Rodriguez, a HIMA San Pablo executive vice president. "U.S. patients already travel for medical care to places as far away as India and Singapore; it makes sense for them to travel a shorter distance for treatment."