Orientation to NABH International Standards Lauded by Philippine Health and Wellness Players

Online, November 18, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Reference:
Igor dela Peña
910.8030 / 0908.2127155
info@healthcore.com.ph

Orientation to NABH International Standards Lauded by Philippine
Health and Wellness Players

"I support NABH-International in its mission of improving healthcare in our country. And I subscribe to the belief that we as Filipinos can achieve world-class standards."

Former Senator and DOH Secretary Juan Flavier drove home the point when he delivered the said message in the recent NABH-International orientation entitled "Introduction to International Accreditation Standards: An Approach towards Quality Services and Patient Safety in Healthcare Organizations and Wellness Centers" at the Oakwood Premier Joy-Nostalg Center in Ortigas, Pasig City.

Organized by NABH-I's Philippine representative, HealthCORE, the well-attended event gathered hospital and spa owners, administrators, quality personnel, medical professionals, professionals and practitioners in the healthcare and wellness industries for them to learn about methods and best practices for their institutions and organizations to achieve global standards.

Also in attendance were representatives from the Department of Tourism, Department of Trade and Industry, and PhilHealth, as they sought to find ways on how Filipino healthcare providers can be at par with internationally recognized and accredited standards.

NABH-International is an accreditation body that aims to improve the conditions, systems, processes and skills of healthcare facilities and professionals in the country. It has been accredited by the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua) under its International Accreditation Program in 2008--one of the few accrediting organizations in the world to achieve this recognition. ISQua is an international body which grants approval to healthcare accreditation programs as a seal of excellence.

Participants learned about a wide range of topics, including the difference between accreditation and certification, the benefits of acquiring international accreditation, its importance in medical tourism and health insurance portability, and the accreditation process. They were also oriented on how their facilities can be at par with world-class healthcare organizations and how they can attract foreign patients and international insurance plans.

Workshop attendees from the Philippines' leading hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centers, spas, and wellness centers voiced their enthusiasm for the accreditation body.

"What I appreciate is the simplicity, usefulness and practicality of NABH-I. The standards are clearly written, direct to the point, and easy to understand. Their core indicators will indeed be very helpful for different healthcare organizations," said Dr. Florian Nuevo, Medical Quality Assurance Head of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) Hospital, who is also the Executive Committee Chairman of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists.

"The standards of NABH-I are objective and streamlined. It can assist us in becoming more efficient and productive, thereby reducing overall costs," said Dr. Ericson Berberabe, Quality Management Representative of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).

"Our capacity to deliver depends on the standards of excellence that we have. Thus, we welcome NABH-I in the Philippines as it defines international standards from which we can benchmark. It bodes well for all the wellness industry and hopefully, more spas will take advantage of this opportunity to be accredited. It's a big step towards presenting the Philippines as a viable destination for medical and wellness tourism," said Cathy Turvill, President of Nurture Spa Village in Tagaytay. She is also the President of the Philippine Wellness and Spa Association (PhilWell).

NABH International's accreditation process entails onsite visits and facility tours to assess if standards on access, care of patients, management of medication, patient rights and infection control are met. Standards on continuous quality improvement, good governance, facility safety, human resources and information management system are likewise evaluated by highly qualified and well-trained assessors comprised of clinicians, healthcare administrators and nursing supervisors.

For more information about NABH-International, please contact HealthCORE, Inc. at +632 9108030, +632 4689999, email info@healthcore.com.ph, or visit www.healthcore.com.ph.