Medellín Eye Clinic Becomes the World’s First GHA-Accredited Healthcare Organization

A Colombian eye-care provider sets a global accreditation precedent

Clínica de Especialidades Oftalmológicas (CEO), a Medellín-based ophthalmology provider, has become the first healthcare organization in the world to receive accreditation under Global Healthcare Accreditation’s (GHA) Standards for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations 1.0 and the first institution to complete GHA’s Integrated Accreditation Program for Medical Travel.

“CEO has shown that medical travel, when aligned with clinical quality and patient-centered care, can directly support better outcomes and a stronger healthcare experience for both local and international patients.” – Renée-Marie Stephano, Chief Executive Officer, Global Healthcare Accreditation

The recognition covers CEO’s facilities in Medellín, Envigado, and Rionegro, following an integrated evaluation process that assessed both healthcare quality standards and the organization’s ability to manage the complete journey of international patients.

GHA’s Integrated Accreditation Program combines clinical quality, patient safety, operational performance, and medical travel services into a single framework. The model is designed to help healthcare organizations align domestic and international patient care while creating consistent processes across areas such as coordination, communication, risk management, and follow-up.

“This international recognition confirms that it is possible to achieve world-class standards in patient safety, clinical quality, and patient experience in Colombia,” said José Francisco Bernal Márquez, General Manager of Clínica de Oftalmología CEO.

Bernal Márquez said the accreditation followed a year-and-a-half process that included training, gap assessments, and preparation work aimed at strengthening quality systems and improving services for both Colombian and international patients.

The accreditation evaluates healthcare organizations across areas including governance, infection prevention and control, medication management, workforce competency, risk management, continuity of care, and continuous improvement. The standards have also received validation from the International Society for Quality in Health Care External Evaluation Association (ISQua EEA).

The medical travel component examines the complete international patient experience, from initial inquiries and pre-arrival coordination to treatment, discharge planning, follow-up care, cultural considerations, financial transparency, and long-term sustainability.

“CEO’s achievement demonstrates how a serious medical travel program can strengthen an organization far beyond international patient growth alone,” said Stephano. “When patient experience, safety, quality, and operational systems are improved across every touchpoint, the benefits extend to all patients.”

According to Claudia Jorgenson, Director of Clinical Operations at Global Healthcare Accreditation, CEO stood out for its commitment to continuous improvement and its willingness to strengthen systems beyond accreditation requirements.

“The Integrated Accreditation process is rigorous because it looks at the organization from multiple perspectives, including clinical quality, patient safety, governance, risk management, care coordination, and the full patient experience,” Jorgenson said.

Founded 18 years ago, Clínica de Especialidades Oftalmológicas has grown into one of Colombia’s leading ophthalmology providers. The organization works with 57 ophthalmologists and performs approximately 1,000 surgical procedures each month.

CEO has completed more than 150,000 ophthalmic surgeries throughout its history. During the evaluation process, GHA highlighted the organization’s quality culture and patient-focused approach, while CEO reported eight years without institutional surgical infections, a 0.8% reoperation rate, zero complex adverse events, and a 0.3% minor adverse event rate.

The accreditation positions CEO as an example of how Colombian healthcare providers are increasingly integrating international standards into specialized medical services and medical tourism offerings.

More information about CEO is available at ceomedellin.com.