ALEJANDRO FAES
Maricruz Suarez
EGADE Business School Tecnologico de Monterrey
MARTIN H BREMER
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"Consultorios VT" is an innovative weight control program designed for the lower income sector of society, which have little or no access to proper health education in Mexico.
Thanks to the implementation of this program “Consultorio VT” reaches over 20 thousand people each month through their 15 branches across Mexico City and the State of Mexico (Estado de Mexico), helping them change their eating habits and thus contribute to the development of Mexico.
The innovation of the program consists on being able to diagnose 10 or 15 people at the same time and prescribe them a personalized diet program with a special nutritional supplement. This method allows the company to offer a proper solution to the patients’ needs at some reasonable cost of MXP$600 (USD$36) per month. This makes it the cheapest option in the market with a certified doctor for a nutritional treatment in Mexico.
Each branch is formed by 4 people, a doctor, a nurse, the cashier and a receptionist. All four of them go through an educational program to treat obese people and all of the side diseases that emerge as a consequence of obesity, from diabetes to depression.
The doctor also goes through a workshop of eating disorders and the proper way to treat each one with the standardized diets and the correspondent nutritional supplement that the company has developed through more than 15 years of experience.
Apart from offering education to the employees, which can later be used in future workplaces, the company offers a salary above the average payed to the same position in other health clinics, as well as flexible working schedule and priority to women.
Obesity in Mexico has become the number one health problem, while the social healthcare program is deficient, and the private healthcare system is too expensive for the average Mexican, “Consultorios VT” offers a proper nutritional treatment with an affordable cost to the majority of the population in Mexico.
This situation opened a business opportunity for health providers, however being able to access the lower income sector requires much skill since the prices at which the programs and products are sold have little room for profit. Especially when the private sector prescribes a diet at no less than MX$2,000 (USD$104) per month and being able to generate a profit is simple. Plus the lower income is being exploited by the pharmaceuticals that sell all of the medicines to treat all kind of obesity related diseases, but not many are treating the source of the problem or trying to prevent it, which results in much lower costs for the people and the healthcare programs ones the patient has developed such diseases.
With this panorama on sight, the Villegas Tovar family started the operation of the “CONSULTORIOS VT” clinic, looking to provide a decent solution at the right price for the average Mexican.
Today only between 10 and 15% of patients are completing the full treatment. Although around 40% of patients that start and dropped the treatment come back after two or three months, which prevents them from fatten too much, and helps them keep track of their overall health with help of the doctor.
The capability to treat between 20 and 30 thousand patients per month translates to over MX$24million sales per year. Making it possible for the company to be profitable in spite of competing in a low margin market thanks to the volume.
The Company seeks to reach as many people as possible to help them change their eating habits and thus contribute to the development of Mexico, since 1 of every 3 adults in Mexico suffers from obesity and also have a considerable economic impact. According to the OCDE obesity reduces the country’s GDP by 5.3% percent every year, and represents 8.9% of health spending which is a huge impact for the economy in Mexico.
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CLINICAS VT is a chain of doctor offices specialised in weight control that seek to reach as many people as possible to help them change their eating habits and thus contribute to the development of Mexico.
