Global Biorisk Advisory Council™ and Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) Form Partnership to Accredit Hotels

Medical and well-being travel accreditations support guest safety and satisfaction

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Jun 22, 2021, 11:00 ET

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., June 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Healthcare Accreditation^® today announced that it is collaborating with Global Biorisk Advisory Council^™ (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, to support hotels seeking formal accreditation for their cleaning programs, as well as guest safety and satisfaction for medical and wellness travelers. The GBAC STAR™ / GHA WellHotel^® Program, which provides assurance and external validation of a property's risk mitigation protocols and guest experience, includes two remote accreditation options: GBAC STAR / GHA WellHotel® for Medical Travel and GBAC STAR / GHA WellHotel® for Well-being.

"Before the pandemic, global wellness and medical travel generated over $700 billion of revenue annually, making it an important focus for many hospitality properties," said GHA CEO Karen Timmons. "In the wake of the pandemic, there is a growing consensus that consumers will turn to trusted sources as safety increasingly becomes a brand differentiator. GBAC STAR / GHA WellHotel® Accreditation ensures hotels comply with recognized industry-wide hotel cleaning and sanitation standards required by COVID-19, as well as customer experience and safety protocols specific to the needs and expectations of medical travel and wellness guests. GHA is proud to partner with GBAC to align the WellHotel® programs with GBAC STAR and build trust and confidence on the part of guests traveling for medical care and well-being."

GBAC STAR / GHA WellHotel® for Medical Travel helps hospitality properties of all types, such as luxury, boutique, extended-stay, and airport hotels, put the appropriate safety protocols in place to care for medical travel guests. Meanwhile, GBAC STAR / GHA WellHotel® for Well-being is a framework that enables hotels to meet the needs of wellness-minded tourists. Properties can also achieve both accreditations at once through a combined application process.

The program is based on 38 elements, 20 associated with GBAC STAR and 18 for GHA WellHotel®. Each have specific performance and guidance criteria that hotels must fulfill. Accredited hotels will receive a co-branded GBAC STAR / GHA WellHotel® seal to display in guest and employee areas to further build trust and confidence.

"Both GBAC STAR and GHA WellHotel® Accreditation are built upon a strong commitment to cleaning, disinfection, infection prevention and guest experience, in order to protect facility visitors and employees," said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. "By aligning our programs with one another, we're able to offer hotels a comprehensive approach to accreditation and give both medical and wellness travelers greater peace of mind that these properties are safe and focused on their unique needs."

GBAC STAR is the cleaning industry's only outbreak prevention, response, and recovery accreditation for facilities. The performance-based program is designed to help facilities of all sizes establish a comprehensive system of cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention for biohazard situations like the novel coronavirus.

For more information, visit wellhotel.org

About GBAC, a Division of ISSA
Composed of international leaders in the field of microbial-pathogenic threat analysis, mitigation, response and recovery, the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, provides training, guidance, accreditation, certification, crisis management assistance and leadership to government, commercial and private entities looking to mitigate, quickly address and/or recover from biological threats and real-time crises. The organization's services include biorisk management program assessment and training, Forensic Restoration® response and remediation, the GBAC STAR™ facility and service accreditation programs, training and certification of individuals and consulting for building owners and facility managers. For more information, visit www.gbac.org.

About ISSA
With more than 10,500 members—including distributors, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, wholesalers, building service contractors, in-house service providers, residential cleaners and associated service members—ISSA is the world's leading trade association for the cleaning industry. The association is committed to changing the way the world views cleaning by providing its members with the business tools they need to promote cleaning as an investment in human health, the environment and an improved bottom line. Headquartered in Northbrook, Ill., USA, the association has regional offices in Mainz, Germany; Whitby, Canada; Parramatta, Australia; Seoul, South Korea; and Shanghai, China. For more information about ISSA, visit www.issa.com or call 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800.

About GHA
The Global Healthcare Accreditation® (GHA) Program is an innovative accreditation body with specialized foci in medical and wellness travel, safety, and well-being. Founded in September of 2016, GHA's initial purpose as an independent accrediting body centered on improving the patient experience for medical travelers and supporting healthcare providers in validating quality, increasing visibility, and implementing a sustainable business model for medical travel. Since then, GHA has developed a variety of programs covering the entire spectrum of the care continuum and offers certification and accreditation for stakeholders in all aspects of health and wellbeing.

SOURCE Global Healthcare Accreditation