GHA Standards 5.0 Awarded Coveted ISQua Accreditation, Ensuring Highest International Benchmarks for Medical Travel

July 12, 2023

GlobalHealthcare Accreditation (GHA), a leading organization specializing in the accreditation and certification of healthcare organizations and medical travel services worldwide, is proud to announce the accreditation of its Standards 5.0 by the International Society for Quality in HealthCare (ISQua), through its accrediting arm, The International Society for Quality in Health Care External Evaluation Association (EEA). This accreditation solidifies GHA's position as the gold standard in the industry and highlights its commitment to international best practices and continuous improvement in medical travel.

GHA’s Standards for Medical Travel 4.1 had previously been accredited by ISQua EEA in 2019. GHA’s Standards for Medical Travel 5.0 will become effective and required for organizations undergoing a GHA accreditation survey starting on January 1st, 2024.

Established in 1985, ISQua is a member-based, not-for-profit community and organization dedicated to promoting quality improvement in healthcare. It is widely recognized as the “accreditor of accreditors” and the reference point for international healthcare accrediting bodies seeking an external validation of their standards. Its rigorous evaluation process ensures that accredited entities meet the highest international benchmarks, providing assurance to patients, insurers, ministries of health, and other stakeholders. The accreditation of the latest version of GHA’s standards by ISQua EEA signifies the recognition of GHA's unwavering commitment to excellence and adherence to international best practices in medical travel.

According to Hady Hedaya, Senior executive Manager, Core Healthcare Services, “IEEA’s reaccreditation of GHA’s standards assures healthcare organizations considering GHA accreditation, that they can feel confident that the GHA seal provides assurance of best practices that mitigate risks to medical travel patients, to the organization and helps to build patient trust. In turn, patients seeking medical treatments abroad can trust that organizations accredited by GHA are committed to providing safe, effective, and reliable medical travel services that meet their unique needs.”

The accreditation process by ISQua EEA involved a comprehensive evaluation of GHA's Standards 5.0, assessing their alignment with international quality and safety principles, their ability to drive continuous improvement, and their contribution to enhancing patient outcomes and experiences. GHA's Standards 5.0, built upon years of industry expertise and stakeholder input, demonstrate GHA's commitment to setting the bar for quality and safety in the medical travel sector.

GHA's Interim CEO, Ms. Renee-Marie Stephano, expressed her enthusiasm for the accreditation, stating, "ISQua EEA's accreditation of GHA's Standards 5.0 provides assurance to patients, insurers, ministries of health, and other stakeholders that an organization's medical travel services have undergone a rigorous evaluation against the highest international benchmarks for accreditation entities and are focused on both international best practices in medical travel and continuous improvement. We extend our sincere gratitude to our valued clients for their trust in GHA and also to the members of GHA Standards Development Committe for their time and expertise in helping us continually improve our standards. Together, we will continue to drive excellence in medical travel, through the delivery of exceptional quality, safety, and patient-centric experiences."

GHA is dedicated to advancing healthcare quality and safety in the medical tourism industry. Through its accreditation, certification, training, development and optimization and advisory services, GHA aims to promote transparency, patient-centered care, and continuous improvement.  The accreditation by ISQua EEA of GHA's Standards 5.0 is a testament to the organization's unwavering pursuit of excellence.