Soter’s Center Of Excellence Network
Soter Healthcare’s network of international hospitals brings together more than a dozen world-class teaching hospitals, specialty hospitals and treatment centers, each of which offers premier medical care for international patients. Hospitals selected for the Soter network meet high level standards for performance, quality and patient safety, staff training and skill, and physician experience. In addition to being reviewed directly by Soter Healthcare, each hospital must have a demonstrated record of serving international patients, hold the highest level accreditation by its national agency, and be rated by one or more international medical evaluation authorities.
Each hospital in our network has been rigorously evaluated by Soter Healthcare using more than 300 factors. For each facility, we review a broad range of criteria including, but not limited to:
• Accreditation status
• Areas of medical specialty
• Clinical outcomes by specialty
• Medical ethics
• Overall reputation for quality
• Previous patient experience
• Training and experience of physicians in key specialty areas
• Incidence of post‐surgical infection/complication
• Experience in working with international patients
• English‐speaking doctors and nurses
• Nurse‐patient ratio
• Direct company and patient access to the “best of the best” on the hospital staff
• Ability and willingness to provide clinical information
• Support and accommodation for family members
• Medical and non-medical transportation services
• Customer experience ratings
• Financial arrangements
• Food services
• Patient privacy
• Quality of medical equipment in patient rooms
• Quality of equipment in surgical areas
• Quality of equipment in therapy and recovery areas
• Processes for addressing medical errors
• Emergency response procedures
• Continuity of care arrangements
• Safety and security for international patients and family members
International Accreditation
Accreditation is a means by which the medical community evaluates quality and patient safety. The majority of developed nations around the globe have their own means for licensing and accrediting hospitals and medical practitioners. Where the medical system operates at a high level and accreditation systems are strong, such as it is in developed countries like Australia, Canada, China, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, it is common that only the accreditation arrangement recognized within its borders is utilized. For Soter Healthcare, this serves as only a basic foundation.
At Soter, we also consider international evaluating organizations. These may include international accreditors like JCI or Accredition Canada. They may also include some of the more capable international medical assistance companies. We also consider foreign government evaluations, as many hospitals are reviewed for use by embassy and consulate staff. These, too, are helpful and add information to our own evaluations.
Click here to visit our blog for more information on hospital accreditation.
