This article was originally published on PRNewswire.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Dec. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) today launches GHA For Business, a dynamic framework and virtual accreditation program focused on organizations prioritizing the safety, health, and well-being of employees, customers, and guests. To support all businesses in this important goal, GHA also issued Organizational Resiliency Guidelines for return-to-work strategies and to improve corporate resiliency to assist businesses in evaluating and improving their workplace policies, whether in-person, remote, or a hybrid model.
"Our goal is to raise the bar and to serve as the trusted and reliable accreditation partner for organizations seeking improvement and validation of the tremendous work done to prioritize these crucial issues of safety, health, and well-being at an extremely challenging time. GHA serves as a curator and aggregator of the most up to date and reliable resources to help businesses thrive in an ever-evolving health safety risk environment," said Karen Timmons, CEO of Global Healthcare Accreditation and former CEO of Joint Commission International.
"The accreditation can be a powerful tool in addressing company morale in light of concerns regarding retention, resignation, resiliency, and productivity. Companies today need to show how they are looking out for employees' best interests. The GHA For Business seal helps organizations communicate to current and future employees, customers, and guests a demonstrable commitment to employee safety, health, and well-being", Timmons added.
GHA For Business is the first and only accreditation of its kind to help businesses achieve and maintain a more resilient corporate strategy. GHA's Task Force is comprised of leading experts in infectious disease, benefits consulting, business leadership, and more, provided the professional insight on essential issues and resources companies need in any industry to ensure success.
When the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced vaccine mandates for private companies, GHA immediately released guidance for businesses through a sponsored webinar to answer questions and address concerns surrounding the mandates.
Omicron, the most recently identified COVID-19 variant, is spreading across continents and labeled a "variant of concern" by the World Health Organization. For many employers, these variants and mutations pose a great challenge to the health and safety of their workers, regardless of a vaccine mandate. Consequently, employers of all size seek guidance on proactive measures to maintain business continuity and avoid disruptions or knee-jerk reactions to business operations and employee lives.
For this reason, GHA is committed to leveraging its expertise in accreditation and risk reduction to assist in the development, planning and execution of policies and procedures for transitioning to, maintaining, and sustaining a safe and healthy work environment.
GHA For Business Guidelines assist businesses in understanding the critical issues in safety and well-being such as:
- Implementing best practices in reopening the physical workplace
- Determining practical business practices in a remote, or semi-remote environment
- Understanding employee screening and monitoring
- Mitigating the risk of COVID-19 in the workplace
- Developing staff training, education, and competency
- Addressing mental, behavioral, and emotional well-being
- Aligning healthcare and well-being benefits with a new generation of work policy
A full download of the Guidelines can be found at https://www.gha4biz.org/guidelines.
"The guidelines are one small piece of a much larger program, namely GHA For Business. The accreditation for organizations looks to cover a wide range of practical elements that effect any business in any industry," says Timmons.
GHA For Business is all encompassing and includes 16 elements reviewed to achieve accreditation, based on the most up-to-date research available and are designed to build upon and enhance international authoritative and local regulations and guidelines as follows:
- Organizational Commitment Statement
- Leadership Roles and Responsibilities
- Quality Improvement
- Staff Training and Competency
- Goals, Objectives, and Targets
- Safety Conformity and Compliance
- Clearly Defined Policies and Procedures
- Meetings and Travel
- Effective Communication Plan and Processes
- Physical Environment
- Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan
- Risk Management
- Physical Health Benefits
- Commitment to Physical, Behavior, Mental, and Emotional Well-being
- Commitment to Financial Well-being
- Benefits Alignment
The accreditation provides four overarching benefits for employer organizations:
- Third-Party Validation: The accreditation confirms an organization's dedication to safety, health, and well-being by demonstrating compliance with best practices, regulations, and guidelines.
- Confidence & Trust: Employees, customers, and visitors will benefit from clear, transparent, and informed policies that demonstrate an organization prioritizes health and well-being for all stakeholders.
- Policies & Procedures: Plans are put to the test during accreditation with direction to develop, adapt, and verify protocols, policies, and procedures pertaining to authoritative guidelines and best practices.
- Competitive Edge: Accreditation provides a unique value proposition that helps companies stand out in their respective verticals, strengthening employee retention, employee recruitment, and public relations.
COVID-19 and its dramatic, lasting impact on organizations in many industries across the globe inspired GHA to evolve its services to better meet the needs of organizations as they navigate a rapidly evolving landscape and adapt to a 'New Normal'. No longer is healthcare and medicine the only industry prioritizing health safety; employers from all industries see a clear mandate to facilitate employee safety and overall well-being. The real impact of such a focus on well-being can produce increased productivity, which in turn maximizes profits.
To learn more about GHA For Business, visit https://www.gha4biz.org/.
GHA For Business is offered by Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA), LLC, a global accrediting body led by a team of lifetime leaders in international health and safety. GHA curates trusted resources and information, aggregate best practices, and build an adaptable and scalable framework of standards for any organization to benefit from. GHA For Business provides an external validation of an organization's commitment to the safety, health, and well-being of its employees, customers, and visitors. It is designed for any organization focused on return-to-work strategies, sustaining a culture of resiliency, and developing the more purposeful vision, mission, and values around well-being.
