True story this week from a hospital near Chicago, where an ER doctor and her team struggled to diagnose an elderly man’s heartburn and delirium and ‘shakes’ but, after a series of tests and interviews with family, ruled out heart or neurological issues and determined the man simply got too upset over a Cubs game Tuesday in which the team was down, but ultimately prevailed while he was in the ER.

The market for Medical Travel has seen explosive growth over the last decade in more parts of the world than imagined.

As healthcare consumers become more savvy and informed about more affordable and/or accessible care, both within their home country and abroad, they will be more likely to seek a destination aligned with their preferences. Healthcare executives must pay attention to this trend or risk the potential of losing patient volumes.

Healthcare organizations face unique and dynamic challenges on a daily basis. Organizations attracting traveling patients generally understand the importance of mapping out the path for medical travel patients, yet may miss the mark in including and executing all of the necessary moving components.

How can Virtual Medicine be an equalizer? Organizations around the world position their brand and services based upon the ability to see Doctor X or Doctor Y (when a need arises). Many healthcare organizations spent years recruiting, maintain and molding clinicians and staff to ensure the institution charters a course in medical innovation, research and high quality outcomes.

Mercy Hospital Springfield, part of the fifth largest Catholic health system in the nation, has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation from the Global Healthcare Accreditation Program for its Medical Destination Program.

The Global Health Accreditation® (GHA) Program, the first independent accrediting body focused on medical travel services and the medical travel patient experience, announced a partnership today with the Healthcare Expert Group of Thailand (HCEG).

When asked, “How is your Global Patient Services Program”? - What do you say? Do you know what to say…confidently?If you are like most, starting a program or navigating the waters of the current medical travel industry, one is inclined to follow the trends or target markets without firm data to justify your decisions. Often, as you can expect, these decisions can come back to bite you.

Through the journey of a patient across the medical travel care continuum, one specific role is often a constant. Around the world, the profession of nursing has maintained a long and integral role in the delivery of care. The modern understanding of the profession encounters greater relevance now more than ever.

One aspect that separates the medical travel industry from other forms of healthcare delivery is the travel component. Medical travel patients very frequently have to fly long distances to reach the destination and do so when they may have compromised health conditions.

Increasingly, healthcare providers are operating in a multicultural environment characterized by interactions with patients who hold different values, world-views and perhaps even differing perspectives and practices regarding their health and wellness. This reality across providers can lead to challenges in providing culturally competent and respectful care.

Imagine for a moment that you woke up this morning with a very sore throat. You decide to take some zinc lozenges and head to work. However, by early evening you are feeling worse so you go to your local clinic to see a physician.

For patients, the process of paying for healthcare services is often a stressful one. Will my insurance cover X treatment? What is the deductible and co-pay? Why do costs vary so much from one provider to the other for the same treatment?

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.

Patients face unique challenges when seeking care in a different country or region. There may be fear of the unknown, long flights, cultural and language barriers, and being away from friends and family - all while preparing for a major surgery or treatment.

Picture yourself arriving at the Four Seasons Resort in Maui. The sun is dipping beneath a flaming horizon as you hand the valet your car keys and step into plush hotel lobby framed by a majestic turquoise sea. As you stroll across a terracotta tile floor towards the reception area you can’t help but feel invigorated by the sights, scents, and sounds of this luxurious tropical paradise.

On June 13th GHA Surveyor Carol Gilmore participated as a featured speaker 2nd International Medical Tourism Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, organized by Argentina’s Ministry of Tourism. Carol spoke on “Accreditation in Medical Travel,” and received much positive feedback from attendees. Congratulations to Carol on her participation!

We are pleased to announce that on May 17th, GHA Surveyor Joseph Williamson participated as a speaker at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Private Health Conference in Barcelona, Spain.

Director of Business Development and Surveyor Bill Cook will be heading to Baja California in Mexico July 26-28 to participate as a speaker and panelist in an event that seeks to promote the health and wellness offering of this scenic region.

Karen Timmons, CEO of Global Healthcare Accreditation and Dr. Paul Van Ostenberg, Chairman of the Standards Committee departed June 13th for a 10 day whirlwind business tour of several APAC countries including Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.