The travel and tourism industry was one of the sectors hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, with worldwide losses estimated at more than $4.5 trillion in 2020 alone. As the SentinelMED team adapted quickly in the early days of the pandemic, they found themselves being called on as travel industry medical resources. From arranging medical evacuations for travelers with COVID-19 to sharing their thoughts on emerging variants, members of the SentinelMED team have provided ongoing support to the travel industry.
Most recently, Dr. Eugene Delaune, the medical director of SentinelMED, was interviewed on Insider Travel Report about the omicron variant, the possibilities of new variants, and how people will learn to live with COVID like they do with the seasonal flu.
"We're on our way to becoming immune as a population to it," he told James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report, a news resource for travel agents.
In the interview, Delaune also discussed his work as a senior medical consultant to Allianz Travel Insurance. SentinelMED worked with Allianz Travel Insurance to determine the course of care for people who contracted COVID-19 while traveling.
He told Shillinglaw that now is a good time to travel because crowds are smaller, and people in the hospitality industry are warmly welcoming back guests.
Other Ways SentinelMED Has Served as a Travel Industry Medical Resource
Members of the SentinelMED team have found themselves in demand throughout the pandemic, as travel industry professionals sought information and guidance on best practices. Here are some of the ways that team members offered their support to the industry:
- Delaune served as a travel industry medical resource at the US Travel Insurance Association’s fall 2020 conference. As a featured panelist, Delaune shared his insights about the effects of COVID-19 on hospitals and the travel industry, including how the pandemic has affected medical transport and assistance.
- SentinelMED received national attention in an article in Forbes entitled, “The Low-Key Travel Medical Assistance Company that Could Save Your Life When You’re on Vacation.”
- The article discussed how SentinelMED works with Allianz Travel Insurance to assist patients who have complex medical problems and need immediate care. Delaune, Jim Evans, SentinelMED’s managing director, and their team were featured in an article that highlighted their efforts to navigate the continuously shifting regulations for travel during the pandemic.
- SentinelMED's Lori Calavan was interviewed by Travel Insider about working as a physician assistant in the intensive care unit of a Connecticut hospital and as a medical advisor to Allianz Travel Insurance. Travel Insider is a B2B news resource for the travel industry.
About SentinelMED
SentinelMED's team members were called on as travel industry medical resources during the pandemic because of their decades of experience in emergency and aeromedicine. In addition to offering medical consulting, SentinelMED coordinates medical transport, medical evacuation, and medical escort services to people who need assistance to travel long distances. In many cases, people who are sick or injured can travel on commercial flights with care provided by a medical escort – a cost-effective alternative to air ambulance services.
Our team also works closely with hospital case managers and families to provide safe and comfortable door-to-door transportation for individuals requiring medical evacuation or repatriation in the event of illness or a natural disaster.
At SentinelMED, we understand the complexity of delivering exceptional care to patients who need assistance during travel. Please contact us to learn more about the services that SentinelMED offers or its staff.
