Karen Timmons, CEO of GHA and Dr. Paul Van Ostenberg, Chaiman of the Standards Committee with Noor Hafizan Moad Noor, Corporate Manager, KPJ Hospital, Rafeah Ariffin, Senior general Manager, KPJ Hospital and Esther Law of Excellence Medicare in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. June 16th, 2017.

Karen Timmons, CEO of GHA and Dr. Paul Van Ostenberg, Chaiman of the Standards Committee and Esther Law of Excellence Medicare with Dolly Lim and Doreen Loh, of Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. June 16th, 2017.

GHA's Karen Timmons, Dr. Paul Van Ostenberg and Somporn Kumphong meeting with International Health Division at Thailand’s Ministry of Health (above). June 20th, 2017.

A flutter of the drapes causes you to stir, bringing into focus a rippling of light and shadow along a mahogany paneled wall. Your eyes drift across the lavish décor of your suite and slowly come to rest on a crumpled mass of pale green sheets lying on a futon couch nearby. Almost immediately the cheerful hum of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons fills the room, followed by the soft patter of footsteps.

The Global Health Accreditation® (GHA) Program, the first independent accrediting body focused on medical travel services and the medical travel patient experience, today announces its team of surveyors responsible for the onsite evaluation of healthcare facilities seeking Global Healthcare Accreditation.

When reviewing the growing importance of the patient experience over the past 20 years in healthcare, one finds a number of influential factors. Around the world, healthcare consumers are becoming more savvy, payers are demanding high quality care, and research groups have found more and more convincing evidence as to why the ability to prioritize and manage the patient experience is so important to a positive overall healthcare experience.

There is a perception that ethical issues most commonly arise at the limits of medical care. For example, deciding whether or not to take someone off life support or making a decision about continuing treatment for someone with a terminal condition.

The sight of a 69-year-old physician being physically assaulted and dragged off a United Airlines flight recently took social media by storm, with United’s terse response in the immediate aftermath roundly criticized.

Around the world, healthcare consumers are becoming more savvy, payers are demanding high-quality care, and research groups have found more and more convincing evidence as to why the ability to prioritize and manage the patient experience is so important to a positive overall healthcare experience.

Mary Miller Sallah, Chief Quality Officer/Surveyor, Stephen Shearer, Surveyor and Somporn Kumphong, GHA regional representative, at Bumrungrad International Hospital with participants, during the first day of a 2-day workshop. August 7-8, 2017.

atients often judge the quality of a provider’s medical services based on their perceptions of a hospital’s physical environment. Walk into a hospital with stained walls and trash scattered along the floors and you’re likely to do a one eighty and head back out the door.

The latest issue of International Hospitals & Medical Travel Magazine features an indepth interview with Karen Timmons, Chairman Emeritus and Former CEO of GHA

Dialing the phone number on her screen, Naomi feels a surge of excitement as her mind races with possibilities. Looks of wonder from her family, compliments from co-workers; actually enjoying the thought of passing in front of a mirror, and best of all, her health would improve and she would finally be able to spend time outdoors with her two kids.

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.

The Global Healthcare Accreditation® (GHA) program made its presence felt at the 10th World Medical Tourism Congress held in Los Angeles, California between October 2 - 4, 2017.

On Monday, October 2nd, GHA held its inaugural advisory board meeting in Los Angeles. The board meeting provided a platform for GHA leadership and board members to express their unique perspectives on the current trends, challenges, and opportunities in the medical travel industry and to discuss GHA strategic initiatives for the coming year.

While it is not about medical travel, it supports one of GHA’s core beliefs – that the patient experience extends beyond the clinical setting (both before and after).

Patients’ companions represent an important source of potential support for patients undergoing treatment. The physical and emotional support they can provide is especially beneficial during the recovery process when patients are at their most vulnerable.

It is easy to think of hotels as relatively unimportant players in the context of a patient’s medical trip. Typically the patient (and often a companion) books a night or two in a hotel before treatment and then returns for several days of rest prior to his or her departure home.