International Patient Stats Up Since September 11, 2001
The number of international patients seeking care at BWH has reportedly reached
the same levels as prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks.Gilbert Mudge,
Jr., MD, director of the BWH International/Telemedicine Program and senior medical
advisor to Partners International, said there is no doubt that BWH and other Boston-area
hospitals had a decline in referrals of international patients after September
2001. “After fiscal year ending October 1, 2002, we had a total of 158 patients,
whereas the year before we had 256,” he said, adding that BWH is currently
back to pre-September 2001 numbers, with 257 inpatients. “The same trend
occurred with our outpatients as well.” Fiscal year ending October 2001
added 2,741 international outpatient referrals and also declined before regaining
the same numbers.