The Founder

The person behind Meridian Care Group.

Meridian Care Group is a BC-based medical travel facilitation service helping clients across Canada access affordable, internationally accredited surgery abroad. Meet the founder.

Who We Are

Built on a simple idea: Canadians deserve better.

Our Vision

A Canada where no one waits in pain for surgery they could have safely, affordably, and with full professional support in weeks. We exist to make that real, one patient at a time.

Our Values

Transparency in every cost and every risk. Safety first - JCI-accredited hospitals only. Honesty when medical travel is not the right answer. And personal accountability: our name is on every engagement.

Our Commitment

Every patient travels with proper medical and evacuation insurance. Every hospital is vetted in person. Every case is handled by a real person, not a call centre. And every patient returns home with complete documentation for their local care team.

Our Engagement

We work with clients right across Canada by phone and video, with the same standard of care wherever you are. We are available before, during, and after the journey, not just at the booking stage.

Our Founder

The person behind Meridian.

Founding Director

Patrick Fillion

GHA Advanced CMTP Certified · Victoria, BC · English & French

I hold a degree in Transportation Logistics and Business - the academic foundation for how I think about getting people, paperwork, and timing to line up under pressure. Early in my career, I worked in financial technology sales, where my job was earning the trust of skeptical decision-makers and guiding them through high-stakes choices. I then spent years at CN Rail in rules and regulations, working inside a heavily regulated, safety-critical environment where compliance, documentation, and clear process aren't optional - they're the difference between things going right and things going wrong.

When I looked at what was happening to Canadians on long surgical wait lists, people waiting 18 months for a hip replacement, in pain, losing mobility, losing independence, I saw a problem I could actually solve. The medical travel infrastructure exists globally. The need exists right across the country. Nobody was connecting the two in a truly personal, accountable way.

That's why I founded Meridian Care Group. Not as a travel agency, not as a booking platform - but as a personally accountable facilitation service rooted in Victoria and open to clients anywhere in Canada who need a trusted hand on this journey.

I hold the GHA Advanced Certified Medical Travel Professional (CMTP) designation - the industry's most recognized individual credential - and Meridian Care Group is licensed and bonded under Consumer Protection BC, so the travel side of your care sits within a regulated Canadian consumer-protection framework. I maintain direct relationships with hospital executives and partners abroad on behalf of the clients I serve.

patrick@meridiancaregroup.com · Connect on LinkedIn →

Why We Exist

A real problem with a real solution.

Canadians face some of the longest surgical wait times in the developed world. The national median wait from referral to treatment is 28.6 weeks, and for many procedures it is significantly longer. For an active 70-year-old waiting for a knee replacement, those months mean lost mobility, growing pain, and diminishing quality of life.

The solution exists. Internationally accredited hospitals in Mexico, Turkey, and other destinations perform tens of thousands of successful procedures on Canadian and international patients every year - at a fraction of the cost of comparable private surgery in North America.

What has been missing is a trusted, accountable facilitator who guides Canadians through the process safely, based in Victoria and supporting clients right across the country by phone and video with the same standard of care. That is what Meridian Care Group is.

The regulated-industry foundation

A degree in Transportation Logistics & Business, plus years at CN Rail in rules and regulations - work inside a safety-critical, heavily regulated environment where compliance and documentation are everything. Medical travel runs on the same principles: every detail has to be right, every coordination point managed, nothing left to chance.

The trust-building experience

Fintech sales: earning trust from skeptical people on high-stakes decisions. Guiding someone through surgery abroad requires exactly the same approach - patience, honesty, rigorous follow-through, and genuine care for the outcome.

The professional credential

Holder of the GHA Advanced Certified Medical Travel Professional (CMTP) designation - the industry's most recognized individual credential, from the same body that accredits the world's top international hospitals. Meridian Care Group is also licensed and bonded under Consumer Protection BC. Valid through May 2027.

Our Values

What guides everything we do.

Three principles that are non-negotiable in how Meridian Care Group operates - with every client, on every case.

Honesty Above All

If medical travel isn't right for your situation, we will tell you - and we will tell you at the very first meeting. We would rather lose a client than send someone into a situation that isn't appropriate for them. Every recommendation we make is one we would make for a family member.

Safety First, Always

JCI-accredited hospitals. Medical clearance before booking. Client agreements drafted with legal counsel. Professional liability insurance. Emergency protocols on every trip. We have built every possible safeguard into our process - because this is someone's health, not a holiday booking.

Local Accountability

We are based in Victoria. Our clients are our neighbours. That accountability is real - we cannot disappear behind a website when something goes wrong. We are personally answerable to this community for every client we serve, and we take that seriously.

Our Role

Facilitation and coordination. Nothing more, nothing less.

Meridian Care Group is a medical travel facilitation and coordination service. We help you navigate the process of accessing care abroad, from initial consultation and hospital matching through travel arrangements and post-return follow-up. We handle the logistics so you can focus on your health.

We do not provide medical advice, clinical assessments, diagnoses, or treatment recommendations. All medical decisions are made exclusively by the licensed physicians and medical teams at our partner hospitals. Before making any decision about medical travel, we encourage you to speak with your own physician. We will work with what they tell you.

This distinction is not a formality. It is the foundation of how we work. Our job is to find you the right hospital, arrange every detail of the journey, and support you through it. Not to practice medicine. You have a surgical team abroad and a physician at home. We are the professional who makes sure the two work together and that you arrive prepared, informed, and looked after at every step.

Read our full Terms of Service →

We'd love to meet you.

Whether you're exploring options for yourself, a family member, or a patient, start with a free conversation by phone or video. No pressure, no obligation, no forms.

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