Bringing hundreds or even thousands of employees together at business off-sites in beautiful, often remote areas can help unify teams and refocus business objectives; however, these settings can quickly turn from an asset to a liability, writes Dale Buckner, of Global Guardian, the US-based, international duty-of-care services firm.
While off-site events are typically planned around amenities and scenery, access to high-quality medical care must also be taken into consideration. Abroad, the safety nets we take for granted—like the quick arrival of an ambulance, modern hospital equipment or doctors who speak our language—simply don’t exist in many places. Leaders must craft a thorough medical response plan to ensure swift action that minimizes disruption when emergencies arise.
An effective plan starts long before the first employee arrives or the first injury occurs. After choosing a location, businesses should utilize a partner to assess the local hospital system’s capabilities and insurance coverage. Many international hospitals aren’t covered by corporate insurance policies and require a cash guarantee of payment in the local currency before providing treatment. Failing to prepare for these requirements could mean life-threatening delays in treatment. Additionally, including locals on this team allows businesses to smoothly navigate any language or cultural differences. Building relationships with the local hospital and making necessary preparations ahead of time clears the way for prompt reactions to a medical emergency.
Integrating medical stations throughout the event enables quick response times that can minimize emergencies. Whether someone is suffering from dehydration, food poisoning or a minor injury, access to immediate triage can be the difference between a small incident and a full-scale medical emergency. Staging trained personnel onsite to assess and assist attendees is a key part of any medical plan.
If on-site medical personnel determine a hospital visit is necessary, your team needs a gameplan for getting employees to the local hospital quickly and safely. Relying on local ambulatory services is not always an option: In some countries, ambulance services are nonexistent; if they do exist, they may be insufficiently equipped or take hours to arrive. Instead, businesses should partner with duty of care or security firms that offer medical services to secure emergency transport or, if necessary, provide it themselves. Getting an injured employee to the hospital can be the most challenging part of an emergency in a foreign country. Understanding the available assets and filling any remaining needs is key to moving quickly and efficiently.
Once an injured or ill employee arrives at the hospital, your medical partner should remain actively involved in managing their care. If the local hospital takes insurance, your company must know exactly what insurance will cover. If they don’t take insurance, the partner can provide a prepared guarantee of payment to ensure immediate treatment. When a top executive needed emergency appendicitis treatment abroad, having a team like Global Guardian on hand to provide immediate payment wasn’t just a convenience—it was a necessity. Additionally, by working with the hospital in advance to understand its capabilities and limitations, the team can quickly know when a medical evacuation would be necessary.
Most insurance providers offer medical evacuations, but many will only take the patient to the nearest hospital that meets a certain level of care. Employees can be transferred to an out-of-network hospital and end up with a staggering medical bill at the end of their treatment. What sounds sufficient on paper can unravel in a crisis, leaving businesses tangled in red tape and patients facing exorbitant medical bills. Companies must partner with duty of care or security firms that will provide medevac to a hospital of their choice – one that accepts the company’s insurance and provides high-quality, affordable care. Guaranteeing this coverage in advance prevents employees from being stranded in ill-equipped or prohibitively expensive facilities.
Preparing medevac response plans also protects corporate events during a mass casualty incident. A terrorist attack or natural disaster such as destruction and flooding from Hurricane Helene can quickly overwhelm local medical systems and mandate immediate evacuations. Having the infrastructure, personnel and plans in place long before a disaster happens allows companies to protect their employees quickly and effectively.
A successful business off-site requires meticulous planning that doesn’t take any detail for granted. While it’s easy to assume that local hospitals can handle emergencies the way they do at home, time and again I have personally seen that this is not the case. Seamless events don’t happen by accident – they are born of careful preparation. Only by planning for every contingency—including medical emergencies—can companies create an environment where employees feel not just supported, but genuinely safe, allowing them to focus on what matters: building their team and advancing their business goals.
About the author
Dale Buckner is the CEO of Global Guardian, a security firm based in McLean, Virginia in the United States.
