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Investing in innovation and knowledge

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Hong Kongâ€™s One-Stop Healthcare Shop Union Medical Healthcare has emerged as a leading health service provider since it came onto the scene in 2005. Now, driven by investment in knowledge, it is looking to broaden its coverage of medical disciplines even furtherÂ Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Callam Waller

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ong Kongers live, on average, longer than people from any other part of the world. Since 2015, the vibrant urban centre has remained above its closest life expectancy rival Japan, with women enjoying an average lifespan of 87.66 years and men 85.84 years. Among the factors supporting such long and healthy lives include easy access to well-used and maintained city parks and eateries serving local food which is healthier than many come to believe. It is also no coincidence that hiker-friendly mountain ranges and

water sport-conducive beaches lie on Hong Kong’s doorstep. Another, and perhaps the most obvious human factor, is Hong Kong’s healthcare setup, consistently ranked as the most efficient on earth. The sector is a hotbed of innovation, and companies such as Union Medical Healthcare (UMH) have emerged as frontrunners in terms of medical service provision.

Diversified

Founded in 2005 by Tang Chi Fai, UMH began life as a single aesthetic medical

ASIA centre and has rapidly grown into a one-stop-shop healthcare provider, which from 2013 has included dental care. Karen Chui, Director of Corporate Finance and Investor Relations, describes the Company’s recent growth journey. “UMH has successfully evolved into a multidiscipline medical service provider following two years of listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. “Further to the establishment of a health management centre and acquisition of the largest chiropractic chain in Hong Kong in

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2016, we successfully integrated the businesses, increased the efficiency of the medical discipline and expanded to offer physiotherapy and orthopaedic services in 2017. “According to a report conducted by Frost and Sullivan, we were the largest medical aesthetic service provider in Hong Kong in terms of revenue in 2017, and we are well-positioned to broaden the coverage of medical disciplines.” In total, UMH operates 54 clinics and service centres (including 13 in China) which combined occupy around 240,000 square feet of floor space across Hong Kong, China and Macau, supported by more than 80 in-house registered practitioners which include doctors, dentists and Chinese medicine practitioners. This footprint also includes a recently acquired chain of chiropractic clinics. By the end of this year the Company expects to have more specialty clinics, an oncology and day surgery centre, and a diagnostic and imaging centre open for business. It is also busy striking up corporate partnerships,

recently inking a deal with lifestyle reward programme Asia Miles to offer access to its re:HEALTH health management centre, UMH DENTAL CARE facility and SPINE Central chiropractic services centre. “Our niche lies in our capability to nurture our customers to be loyal users to our brand and services,” Chui adds. “We assign a dedicated relationship manager to each of our clients, to understand their and their families’ medical, health and wellness needs, offering tailor-made solutions.”

Pioneering

In order to remain ahead of the chasing pack, Chui lists several areas UMH is planning to invest in to help grow its client base. These priorities include developing a mature marketing strategy, expanding services and products, and increasing the number of practitioners on its books. Top of her list, however, is investment in technology such as big data and its customer relationship management (CRM) system.

SUPPLIER SCRUTINY On top of its in-house expertise, UMH equally relies on external partnerships and suppliers in order to operate as a go-to healthcare provider. This involves a careful selection process, as Chui describes: “We consider, among other factors, the suppliers’ reputation, safety record, track record of performance, quality of goods supplied, price competitiveness, punctuality of delivery, relationship with our group, completeness of certification and credentials provided, service quality and product offerings. “We regularly assess our suppliers’ performance, review their qualifications to ensure their quality and check they have obtained the applicable licenses (if any), and update our approved supplier list accordingly. “The key local suppliers are primarily the authorised distributors or representatives of the global suppliers, including but not limited to Allergan Plc, Merc North America, Inc., Beaufour Ipsen International and TEOXANE Laboratories Geneva.”

SOLTA MEDICAL DESIGNS

olta Medical designs, develops, manufactures and markets energy-based medical devices to physicians worldwide for aesthetic treatments. The Company launched its first ground-breaking product over a decade ago and continues to define the aesthetic industry. Today, Solta Medical holds one of the strongest patent portfolios in the aesthetic space with non-invasive, cutting-edge technologies. Solta’s portfolio of products includes six major brands Thermage, Liposonix, Fraxel, Clear + Brilliant, Isolaz and VaserLipo, in large and growing market segments including skin tightening, body contouring, skin resurfacing and rejuvenation as well as acne treatments. With Solta’s latest innovation – Thermage FLX – physician and patient experience are taken to a whole new level. Thermage pioneered the technology for the non-invasive treatment of wrinkles using radiofrequency energy, it directs radiofrequency energy below the skin’s surface, heating deep into the dermis to help improve the appearance of surface skin from within. Thermage FLX AccuREP Technology provides automatic calibration which allows for optimised energy delivery output. It is effective and flexible enough to treat a wide age range of adult patients and indications on the face, eyes, or the body. With more than a decade of innovation, 70 patent Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx applications, 50 clinical studies and over two million treatments, Thermage is a proven method that helps promote the process of new collagen production in wrinkled skin in just one treatment with little-to-no down time, delivering results that appear natural-looking.

T +852 2213 3333 E soltaHK@solta.com www.thermage.hk Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

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Specific For Your Skin

Tailored To Your Needs

Up to 25% faster treatment time #

Your Personalized Anti-Aging Skin Solution Total Tip 4.0 heats the deep,collagen-rich layers of the skin. Radiofrequency (RF) energy penetrates down to 4.3mm to encourage production of new collagen, smooth wrinkles and firm up skin texture in just one treatment.1

# Compared to Total Tip 3.0 1. Lack E. B., Rachel J. D., et al. (2005) Dermatologic Surgery, 31: 1668-1670 2. Thermage internal sales data, 2002-2017, Solta Medical Inc. Refers to the whole Thermage product range in total.

ÂŠ2018 Solta Medical Inc. HK-SU-2018-09-074

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“We do look at medical AI and R&D opportunities as a tool to increase accuracy and efficiency of physicians’ diagnosis, or to enhance customers experience,” Chui adds. “The founder and the executive management are young and visionary. Mr Tang commenced digitalising the Group a couple of years ago and initiated the management system internally. He has been delivering on his promises to transform the medical industry, yet maintaining attractive financial performance to investors.”

As Chui also outlined, a greater breadth of medical products and services is a key investment priority, with a particular focus on preventative and precision medicine as a means of boosting the health of Hong Kongers. The addition of OrbiMed Advisors LLC (OrbiMed), an American healthcare fund management firm, as a shareholder, has been a gamechanger in this regard. With wide-reaching access to global developments in medical and healthcare solutions, including products which are yet to roll out in

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Greater China, Chui states that Union Medical Healthcare is set to harness this capability. “OrbiMed and its affiliates manage public and private company investments of over $14 billion worldwide,” she adds. “They have been investing from biopharmaceuticals to medical devices, diagnostics, and healthcare services, across the healthcare industry from early-stage private companies to large multinational corporations globally for over 20 years.”

Corporate citizen

From the backing of a global medical heavyweight to fostering relationships with communities on its doorstep, UMH prides itself on being a responsible operator in Hong Kong. Whether it be encouraging employees to volunteer in community services or donating to the Po Leung Kuk (Society for the Protection of Women and Children) to help those less fortunate, the Company recognises the need to remain sensitive to local cultures and their needs.

This includes acting sustainably and preserving the local environment. UMH has been awarded a Green Office accreditation by the World Green Organisation, fulfilling 150 criteria across energy, water, waste, paper, procurement, IT, transport, education and innovation categories. The firm’s CSR activity also involves offering students a platform to showcase ideas. “We have organised a competition with Hong Kong University of Science and Technology,” Chui says. “Students in the course have been invited to define ‘GP 2.0 design

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concepts’, focusing on clinical facility and functions that can bring patience experience to the next level.” By leveraging the expertise of global networks, local and global suppliers and budding healthcare experts from nearby education institutes, UMH is well-set to build on a formidable knowledge base and thrive as an industry go-to for the foreseeable future. Union Medical Healthcare Tel: +852 8203 0058 ir@umhgp.com https://umhgp.com

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Suite 7-9, L21 Langham Place Office Tower 8 Argyle Street Mong Kok Kowloon Hong Kong Tel: +852 8203 0058 ir@umhgp.com https://umhgp.com