PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., Oct. 4, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) announces the accreditation of four healthcare providers: Bumrungrad International Hospital, Thailand (Accreditation with Excellence); Cleveland Clinic Ohio, USA (Accreditation with Excellence); My Spine Center of Clínica Santa Clarita, Mexico; and St. Catherine's Specialty Hospital, Croatia. All have three-year terms of accreditation from the GHA Program. Representatives of each organization received a plaque recognizing their accreditation at the 10th World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday, October 2.
The GHA standards address a hospital's performance in three core competencies: Patient-Focused Clinical Processes, Patient Experience, and Sustainable Business Processes. In preparation for the GHA on-site evaluation, each organization completed a comprehensive review of policies, procedures, and services related to the medical travel care continuum and prepare to improve any areas that did not comply with GHA standards. GHA also embeds a business solution for accredited institutions designed to help improve an organization's operations and bottom line.
According to Dr. Erik Fleischman, Medical Director International of Bumrungrad International Hospital, "The secret to creating the best patient experience is in the details of management-- not only in clinical care management but in the other important aspects of patient care. These start when a patient chooses our facility and ends when they arrive back home. GHA is the only accreditation that has ever examined these points and elevated them to the importance they play in patient satisfaction and successful care. Even a top international hospital like Bumrungrad had much to learn from GHA. We were a great hospital. We are even better now."
"It's crucial to ensure patients' needs are met, especially those who travel for care. Each year we receive patients from all 50 states and over 125 countries. We chose GHA as it conducts a deep review of the entire Medical Travel Care Continuum, beginning when the patient first enquires about our services all the way through their arrival back home, including the patient experience at all touch points. Additionally, GHA reviews those sustainable business processes and practices related to medical travel and have helped us identify areas of opportunity to enhance the patient experience and improve operational performance," stated Dr. Nizar Zein, Chairman Global Patient Services, Cleveland Clinic.
Rafael Carrillo, Managing Director of My Spine Center by Clínica Santa Clarita said, "State-of-the-art equipment, advanced medical procedures, and top-notch doctors are only a part of what makes My Spine Center by Clínica Santa Clarita so attractive to traveling patients. More importantly, it is our goal to build a trusted and life-long relationship with our patients, local and international. GHA has helped prepare our clinic to anticipate our traveling patients' needs and expectations, ensuring we provide an exceptional experience before, during and after their visit. By choosing a GHA accredited institution, our patients will find clarity and understanding of what to expect from their treatments, our medical specialists, and how our staff will deliver the safest and best care experience."
Jadranka Primorac, COO of St. Catherine Hospital stated, "Our hospital has an international reputation for providing excellent patient care and meeting high clinical and educational standards. We are a renowned teaching hospital and research center in Croatia and regionally, always striving to be on the cutting-edge of new medical technologies that will benefit our patients. Even so, the GHA process taught us new strategies to improve the patient experience for medical travelers and refine our operational procedures. We are extremely proud to have achieved Global Healthcare Accreditation as it validates our commitment to improving patient care and safety for traveling patients."
"The continued increase in medical travel has necessitated healthcare and dental providers to acquire new organizational and staff skills to support a positive, safe, and patient-centered experience in their facility. GHA standards are the foundation of a systematic and objective evaluation process of an organization's approach to the management of medical travel services. Each standard is part of a comprehensive framework that creates awareness towards meaningful management and quantifiable performance regarding medical travel in order for organizations to improve over time," stated Karen Timmons, Chief Executive Officer, Global Healthcare Accreditation®.
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