They would marvel at, among other things, the comfortable environment, the fact that there was no smell of either disinfectant or bodily fluids, and the level of consideration shown to individual patients, only to conclude that it could not be replicated on Chinese soil. Our hospital would prove that many of these elements of patient-centered medical care could, in fact, be delivered in China.

Once we had secured the agreement of the Ministry of Health, we had to conquer the hearts of the Beijing Health Bureau. That proved even more difficult, partly due to the relationship between the two regulating bodies.

But it was necessary to have not only their blessing but their official stamp of approval (in addition to the other 180 stamps from various government agencies through the development process), as the final step to being given the license to open the facility.

We used the two years of design and construction to try to develop the concept at the bureau level, and finally the commissioner agreed to a visit. He was clearly overwhelmed by what he saw. It far exceeded his expectations, and at the end of the visit he was totally won over. He said that our hospital was an opportunity to "raise the bar" for the public hospitals in his jurisdiction, and has since become an avid supporter of our efforts.

Our little experiment in healthcare has grown to be a successful business, with facilities in four cities serving not only the expatriate population but a growing number of Chinese citizens who have acquired the financial wherewithal to improve their quality of life in many areas, including housing and education, and who now chose to buy better services in healthcare.

Editor:Du Xiaodan