Browse the web and you’ll find a lot of medical tourism companies. It can be difficult to a casual observer to judge their credibility — it’s a truism that “anyone can have a web site.” One of the ways you can tell if a company is “real” is whether they behave like one in ways besides having a web site. The media release, below, gives BridgeHealth’s bonafides.

– the moderator

DENVER — With more Americans reaching beyond domestic borders to the international community for more affordable dental and medical care, BridgeHealth International, Inc. (BHI) today announced that its worldwide health care network model received a seven-figure seed round investment led by the NY-based private equity firm Jovian Holdings. Additional participation comes from Denver-based Tivis Capital, a private equity firm specializing in healthcare services and medical device companies, which will also provide a senior management team to lead BHI’s medical tourism operations.

“With strong financial backing and a seasoned executive team that has extensive experience in health care operations, BHI emerges as the industry leader in the burgeoning market niche known as medical tourism,” said Victor Lazzaro, Jr., CEO of BridgeHealth International and managing director of Tivis Capital. (photo, right)

Lazzaro has 20 years of senior management experience in the health and managed care fields and formed International Health Technology Company (IHT), a consulting firm, which has developed and managed medical clinics and hospitals in China. He serves as president and CEO of Signum US Healthcare, developing CyberKnife[R]-focused surgery clinics in China. Previously, Lazzaro was president and CEO of United Healthcare Corporation - Mountain States (UHC) and was regional vice president of Health Plan Operations, Gulf South for Prudential Insurance Company of America.

“We are assembling a wide selection of dentists, physicians and accredited hospitals, and are actively expanding the network to serve the needs of employers, insurers, benefit plan payers, third party administrators and consumers,” continued Lazzaro.

“Our model includes highly competitive pricing models that offer clients flexibility, along with outcomes-based measurement systems to evaluate patient experiences. Drawing upon our diverse backgrounds in health care, we will focus on the delivery of outstanding customer service — a hallmark of our product offering.”

The BHI executive team includes:

Terry White, BHI president and managing director of Tivis Capital, has over 25 years of leadership experience in the healthcare industry and has served as CEO of hospitals and multi-hospital systems in Hawaii, Colorado and Maryland. He has also been a health care consultant, board member and turnaround specialist, is a co-founder of Centura Health, Colorado’s largest healthcare system, and an active member of the executive team of Signum US Healthcare.

Lonnie Busby, BHI chief operating officer and managing director of Tivis Capital, has 30 years of domestic and international experience in senior level management positions in the healthcare industry. He is co-founder and chairman of Signum U.S. Healthcare, a company developing joint ventures in radiation oncology with leading Chinese university hospitals. Busby is a co-founder of SmartCare Family Medical Centers, and founded Delta Healthcare Management, a company that provides interim and long-term management, as well as strategic, operational and financial performance improvement services to hospitals, physician organizations, and other healthcare businesses. He was president of the Midwestern Division for HCA Healthcare Corporation and had P&L responsibility for all operations within a three-state region encompassing Colorado, Arizona and Nebraska.

Jordan Klear serves as BHI vice-president and general counsel of Tivis Capital. BHI has retained Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. as legal counsel.

BridgeHealth International arranges cost effective care, easy access, and travel to key destinations where the dentists, physicians and hospitals are well-known and respected for their dental and medical care. As a premier international health care service provider, BHI carefully selects centers of excellence which are accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI) or equivalents, and are often largely staffed by Western-trained, board-certified physicians. In many cases, data is available for customers to perform health care comparison shopping and self-evaluate hospital services.

“BHI delivers value to companies and individuals seeking significant savings on health care, with no hidden costs,” added Lazzaro. “Employers and payers can look forward to seamless integration with their existing health benefits products and can rely upon our ongoing dedication to upholding the standards of care that Americans have come to expect from their domestic healthcare system.”

BHI makes medical travel easy for patients and their families, offering consumers peace of mind and the convenience of destination management programs that include individual 24/7 concierge service, sightseeing and activity planning. An all-inclusive, transparent pricing plan spans surgery/procedure costs, airfare, lodging, transfers and a full concierge service.