The Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, today announced that it is collaborating with Global Healthcare Accreditation^® (GHA) 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 US$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/GHA STAR 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/gbac.

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. For more information about GHA, visit www.ghaccreditation.com or contact Bill Cook at [email protected]; phone: +1 5612284014.