Travel
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ARTA Will Encourage Suppliers to 'Spread the Good Word' About Medic
Alert
LEXINGTON,
Ky., Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- If trouble strikes when you travel, will
your medical records be available?
That's the key question that travel agents who belong to the Association of
Retail Travel Agents (ARTA) will begin asking clients, as ARTA launches an ongoing
campaign benefiting the MedicAlert Foundation, one of the world's
largest nonprofit groups charged with protecting and saving lives. ARTA agents
will promote MedicAlert membership -- which safeguards travelers by storing
their personal medical data so that emergency medical personnel can access those
records in the case of serious illness or injury on
the road -- via special four-color ticket stuffers, agency displays, Web site links,
and other methods. "After 9/11, safety on the road has become a primary
concern for many
agents' customers," said Sally Watkins, CTC, ARTA's vice chairman and
an agent with Century Travel, Austin, Texas. "MedicAlert gives consumers
complete peace of mind when they travel because they know their critical medical
data
will be available to doctors and hospitals anywhere in the world if trouble arises
during their trip."
"We applaud John Hawks of ARTA who was instrumental in this collaborative
effort," said
Ramesh Srinivasan, VP of Marketing at MedicAlert. "Our
services will provide the peace of mind to ARTA travelers -- so they have one
less
thing to worry about when traveling." Along with its member agencies, ARTA
will encourage cruise lines, tour
operators, and other travel suppliers to support the MedicAlert membership
drive as well. "Everyone wins with this approach," Watkins noted. "More travelers
will feel comfortable on their next business trips and vacations
-- and they'll be very grateful to the ARTA agents and suppliers who've cared
enough to help them safeguard their health on the road." While agents
will earn a commission for recruiting each new MedicAlert member ($35 annual
dues for the first year, $20 annual dues for renewals), Watkins stressed that
MedicAlert is not a sponsor of ARTA. "We view this program as an excellent
way for ARTA agents to show their communities that they care about the well-being
of travelers," she said.
Founded
in 1963, ARTA is the largest nonprofit trade organization in North
America that represents travel agents exclusively. It is headquartered
in Lexington, Ky.
Founded
in 1956, MedicAlert (http://www.medicalert.org) is one of the world's largest
nonprofit membership organizations with a mission to protect
and save
lives. The MedicAlert Electronic Health Record provides a secure and
seamless transfer of identification and medical information to health
and safety professionals 24 hours a day anywhere in the world, thereby
ensuring patient
safety and improving the quality of their care. Headquartered in the
United States, MedicAlert has affiliates in nine countries including
Canada, the
United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand that help serve more than
4 million members around the globe.
SOURCE MedicAlert Foundation
Web Site: http://www.medicalert.org
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