A Heart for VIP Service: An Interview With Dr. Francisco Cabal

“My dream is to deliver the best care to the international community in the areas covered by our project,” Dr. Francisco Cabal said.

About Dr. Cabal

“Even as a little kid, I was always attracted to health services. No one in my family was a doctor, so my interest originated with my regular checkups and athletic injuries necessitated several visits that helped spark my interest in medicine. During my school years, I tried to be strong in all the academic subjects that were important to reach that goal,” he shared.

He completed medical school in Colombia in 1988 and embarked on a challenging practice encompassing several government-run hospitals, where he treated impoverished people experiencing trauma. After completing additional training in trauma and orthopedics, both in Colombia and the U.S., he opened several clinical departments and led most of the growth and academic development of these groups in the best clinics in Colombia. From there, they invited him to be part of the board of directors of some of these clinics.

“Someone reading this might question how a doctor can open so many businesses. It comes from my father. He was one of the most important businessmen in Colombia in the 60s and 70s. It’s in my blood,” he explained. 

Dr. Francisco Cabal, MD, believes in a team-based concierge medical services model in which all parties involved coordinate their roles to get the best results (doctors, pharmacists, insurance companies, hospitals, other medical providers and even patients and their families).  

Dr. Cabal has found a way to achieve his goal. For almost 11 years, he has been co-owner and CEO of Icare Web and Icare Medical Services, based in Miami, Florida. He has over 30 years of experience and a strong influence in Latin America’s private and public healthcare. Dr. Cabal is also the founder of Mi Doctor, the first web-based telehealth system in Latin America.

To further his goals, Dr. Cabal has teamed up with TopDoc Clinics International and Thor Clinics System Structuring which hold great potential and opportunities in the partnership and tremendous benefits for patients in the Business of International Medicine.

“I started private companies, including Icare Medical Services and Mi Doctor, and ran them for several years. It was the first platform to care for patients remotely, even before the pandemic. So, when the pandemic came along, we were ready,” he explained. 

Meanwhile, since he began his career in 1988, Dr. Cabal has been working with open-care medical services that treated patients from many countries, such as the U.S., U.K., Commonwealth countries, the European Union and the Middle East, as well as VIP visitors, including several U.S. presidents. 

“Probably the most exciting experience was the visit of U.S. presidents, such as George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. That was an incredible learning process,” he shared.

With the excitement came realizations about how to structure international concierge medical services.  

“That led us to structure the platform to export medical services worldwide. We have treated and sent patients to Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Patients from all continents have come to Colombia to be treated here,” he shared.

Dr. Cabal and his medical business have brought to Colombia doctors, technology and insurance companies that have patients there or want to grow a presence all around Latin America. They recently opened their first facility in England. 

“It’s easy to get good health resources, and we also have so many good doctors all around the U.S. and Ibero-America. What is not easy is putting it all together in a concierge service model,” he explained.

Special Patients

Patients have additional worries when they become sick or injured while traveling abroad. Therefore, they deserve special, personal care.

“Being sick in a foreign country is a completely different challenge because of barriers in procedures, language and customs in the way of understanding what is going on, being part of the solution and getting better. But because I have a team of professionals that work around our alliance, we are always focused on the little details that will make our patients, their families and their lives easier,” he explained.

To get the best results possible for the patients, Dr. Cabal must coach everyone with any role on the team — doctors, nurses, the people in general services, the driver, the people from the cafeteria — everyone!

“What we want is a platform that gives the best care and complete concierge services to our visitors. And with the money coming in, we can train more health personnel, build more infrastructure and be better up-to-date in technology. The financial resources from this model will strengthen us,” he shared.

Collaborating With TopDoc Clinics

By joining forces with TopDoc Clinics, Dr. Cabal’s clinics are growing faster than expected. He points out that his model works especially well because doctors are looking for a partner, not an advisor.

“We share our knowledge, opportunities and our market with them. That’s what they’re looking for. They know we’re not trying to get an advantage from them; we want to team up with them,” he explained.

Dr. Cabal’s staff includes a large spectrum of specialties and always seeks the best to join them. 

“Plastic surgeons and dermatologists will be the center of our aesthetic, functional medicine and sport medicine clinics. Then there are the ‘excellence centers,’ which include internists and specialized surgeons. Finally, other walk-in clinics and urgent care with our family doctors, paramedic specialties or health professionals,” he shared.

Clinics like Miami Brickell will focus on hair transplants, noninvasive procedures and invasive treatments in aesthetics, sport, sexual performance and preventive medicine.  

“This combination of abilities makes TopDoc Clinics the best option for many of the communities we are going to,” he shared.

A Career of Service

“I have always been obsessed with providing people with a service that makes their lives easier,” said Dr. Cabal. “When companies deal with health risk incidents, we can be part of the solution. It has always been my goal to give the best results possible to anyone who wants my help.”

Dr. Cabal and his team have developed a unique healthcare model that provides the best patient care possible. By collaborating with all the players in the patient’s medical journey, he gives patients consistent information and care, bettering their health and lives.