The Global Health Accreditation® (GHA) Program, the first independent accrediting body focused on medical travel services and the medical travel patient experience, today announces an inaugural advisory board that will help guide the organization as it seeks to improve the patient experience and excellence of care received by patients who travel for their medical care and treatment, whether within their own country or internationally.
The GHA program complements existing national and international clinical accreditation programs and offers an Accreditation with Excellence designation to those organizations having accreditation from an ISQua approved accrediting body. While these programs traditionally focus on the clinical aspects of care for the entire organization, GHA conducts a deep review of the International or Global Patient Services program or the entity within an organization that serves the medical travel patient.
According to Karen Timmons, CEO of GHA, "Global Healthcare Accreditation optimizes the Medical Travel Care Continuum™ and supports healthcare providers in validating quality and patient experience, increasing visibility, and implementing sustainable business practices for medical travel. An important value-added component of our accreditation services is the inclusion of embedded business solutions designed to help an organization improve its performance, thus providing an immediate return on investment. The advisory board that we have assembled is truly exemplary in their individual and combined expertise in a wide-range of healthcare fields that impact the medical traveler’s experience. We are pleased to welcome such experienced and capable professionals to the GHA Advisory Board."
The Global Healthcare Accreditation Advisory Board consists of fourteen leaders representing a diverse group of stakeholders, including healthcare providers, insurance companies, population health management, patient advocacy, employee benefits risk management, and medical travel facilitation:
• Dr. Nizar Zein, Chairman, Global Patient Services, Cleveland Clinic
• Dr. Erik Fleischman, International Medical Director, Bumrungrad International Hospital
• Aileen R. Killen RN, PHD, CPPS, Global Head of Healthcare Risk Consulting, American International Group (AIG)
• Larry Boress, President & CEO, Midwest Business Group on Health
• Dr. Jose Quesada, Chief Medical Officer for Global Health Benefits, Cigna
• Dr. Omar Shalabi, Division Head for the Central & Western Regions, Management Population Health Division, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare
• Noam Baruch, Head of Passport to Healthcare, AETNA International
• Prof. Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director, Apollo Hospitals Group
• Chip Burgett, Managing Director, Quandry Healthcare Solutions
• Susan Frampton, PhD, President, Planetree International
• Laurent Pochat-Cottilloux, Global Head of Health Reinsurance Partnerships, AXA
• Joseph Zhao, Deputy General Manager, Beijing Saint Lucia Consulting Pty Ltd
• Muna Almuallen, Sr. Manager International Benefits, Fluor
• Amy Villalobos, General Manager, NIB Options
According to Dr. Nizar Zein, Chairman of Global Patient Services, Cleveland Clinic, “As medical travel continues to grow, it is incumbent on healthcare providers to consistently implement professional norms that promote a safe and high quality patient experience throughout the entire care continuum. I welcome the opportunity to be a part of the Global Healthcare Accreditation’s distinguished advisory board and I look forward to supporting its efforts to enhance the quality of care and patient experience for medical travel patients.”
Laurant Pochat-Cottillox, Global Head of Health Reinsurance Partnerships, AXA stated, “Having developed and managed cross-border healthcare products in the insurance industry for many years, I understand first-hand the challenges faced by medical travelers. There are cultural and language barriers, concerns about the quality of care, as well as navigating all the details that go into planning a trip. I commend the Global Healthcare Accreditation program for its focus on enhancing and validating the quality of care provided by hospitals and clinics in the medical travel industry, as well the patient experience along the entire medical travel care continuum and I’m excited to participate on its advisory board in support of its unique mission.”
The Advisory Board will advise Global Healthcare Accreditation on current trends and challenges in the industry, ongoing standards development, service offerings, and launch markets.
GHA Standards Accredited by ISQUA
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