Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) has a rich presence in Thailand, with several leading hospitals in the country having been accredited or certified by GHA, including Bumrungrad International Hospital, Bangpakok 9 International Hospital, Vital Life and Vejthani Hospital.
Healthcare organizations and professionals across Thailand continue to leverage GHA’s certifications to boost their brand and demonstrate quality in the industry. In the last year, more than 40 professionals from the Thai Medical and Wellness Association (TMWTA) achieved the GHA’s Certified Medical Travel Professional (CMTP) certification to leap forward in the industry.
These certifications were awarded after two virtual workshops scheduled over multiple weeks (1st workshop May-July 2022 and 2nd workshop November of 22 – January of 2023), which saw many Thai stakeholders participate to learn best practices in the industry.
The first workshop was conducted by Bill Cook, GHA’s Director of Business Development and Marketing and Dr. Somporn Kumphong, GHA’s Executive Director of Asia Pacific Region. The second workshop was conducted solely by Dr. Somporn Kumphong and his team.
The growing number of professionals being trained in Thailand through GHA’s programs, demonstrates the increasing recognition of medical tourism training programs and certification in building capacity and competencies in medical travel.
Accreditations awarded by the Global Healthcare Accreditation include GHA Accreditation for Medical Travel, Certification for Excellence in Medical Travel Patient Experience, Medical Travel Facilitator Certification, WellHotel Accreditation for Medical Travel and Well-being and the Certified Medical Travel Professional (CMTP) program are some of the programs that GHA offers organizations and professionals seeking to improve the medical travel patient experience
At the core of these GHA certifications and accreditations is upskilling medical travel organizations and professionals to operate in line with best practices and to refocus on building a healthy patient experience across the care continuum. Therefore, to achieve these objectives, it is important to rely on training with the right tools and resources.
In this post-pandemic era of medical travel, patient expectations have evolved and are driving the change. Gaps in medical travel are now more glaring, therefore, health consumers, plan sponsors, and health payers have stopped relying on anecdotes and Google reviews and are looking for medical travel providers with the requisite skills and knowledge of the industry. This is where GHA’s medical tourism training, medical tourism certifications, and accreditations are integral in helping organizations achieve their true potential in medical travel.
The Medical Tourism Magazine Interviewed Dr. Somporn Kumphong to get his insight about the value of medical tourism training and how The Certified Medical Travel Professional program is supporting medical travel professionals in Thailand implement best practices to improve patient experience.
Why do you think the CMTP is important for healthcare and hospitality professionals in Thailand?
It is very important because the curriculum conveys global best practices and standards that are driving medical travel outside the country. It is an in-depth program that can help stakeholders identify gaps in their medical travel programs and equip them with the right resources and tools to drive change.
Although Thailand is already a tourism hotspot, it is important to understand the nuances of the industry and adopt the right strategies to boost the patient experience and attract our target patient populations.
How do you see your role as GHA’s Executive Director of Asia Pacific and a CMTP Instructor in building up competency in medical travel?
As GHA's Executive Director of Asia Pacific and a CMTP Instructor, I help medical tourism professionals create an ecosystem that drives growth and recognizes patient experience as a key metric in the new normal. This means I push medical travel organizations and professionals to redesign their operations to align with global best practices and meet prevailing quality standards in the industry.
Why did you start with the Thai Medical and Wellness Association for the CMTP? What is unique about them?
We started training for the Thai Medical and Wellness Association (TMWTA) because the members of the association have a long experience in this field and have a certain level of influence in the medical travel space in Thailand. Therefore, these are key players in Thailand’s medical tourism, who can inspire and expand results in the industry quickly.
I would like to thank Dr. Prapa Wongphaet, president of TMWTA, for promoting and recognizing the value of the program, which has served as a springboard to spreading the certifications across the rest of Thailand.
What has been their (TMWTA) feedback about the CMTP?
The TMWTA has had positive responses toward CMTP. They have recognized its impact in scaling up their offerings and expanding their clientele base, as health payers see the GHA’s seal and certification as an indicator of quality and a demonstrable commitment to quality patient experience.
Do you see the potential for more CMTP courses this year? Why?
The medical travel landscape is shifting all over the world; healthcare organizations, healthcare providers, and even medical travel-related businesses are seeking professionals with demonstrable expertise and knowledge about the industry. What’s more, health payers and patients are relying on these indicators to choose their medical travel destination.
As a result, more individuals and corporate bodies are investing in medical tourism training and leveraging GHA’s certifications, including the CMTP, to reposition themselves to attract more health payers and patients. For many, CMTP has become a metric of quality, as it demonstrates to clients and stakeholders that an individual or business has garnered the requisite skills and knowledge base to drive quality healthcare offerings for medical travellers.
Global Healthcare Accreditation and Training to Equip Today’s Medical Travel Professionals
Global Healthcare Accreditation recognizes the value of achieving the right competencies in coordinating medical travel. It is no longer business-as-usual as health players and patients are seeking healthcare providers and medical travel businesses with the right expertise and training for an excellent patient travel experience.
Leverage the Certified Medical Travel Professional Certification today to get ahead in the industry and a trusted source for medical tourists. To get access to all the opportunities and benefits of GHA’s medical tourism training programs, click here.
