Wiesbaden, November 2011 | The spa town of Piešťany in Slovakia has had all its health clinics successfully audited by EuropeSpa. At a special ceremony, the EuropeSpa certificate was presented to Klaus Pilz, the director-general of the resort’s facilities, by Dr Sigrun Lang, the President of the European Spas Association. This is the first time that all the clinics in an entire town have been simultaneously certified by EuropeSpa. The award of EuropeSpa med verifies the high quality and safety of health resorts and is the only international seal of quality in this sector in Europe.
In Klaus Pilz’s view, the certificate confirms the high standards of Piešťany’s facilities. And he’s certain that the resort and guests alike will benefit from EuropeSpa. “The certificate helps us maintain the quality of our services at the highest level. And our visitors can rest assured that our standards of hygiene and safety are among the highest in Europe, as this has been validated by a neutral, credible organisation.” The director-general stressed the important role played in quality by everyone working in the spa town, declaring: “Achieving this award would not have been possible without the excellent hard work of all the staff.”
During the audit, EuropeSpa experts scrutinised the treatment centres from all angles – from the planning and execution of treatment to the medical personnel’s training and expertise. All in all, the audit consisted of about 400 questions with around 1,000 criteria covering the areas of management, safety and hygiene as well as cuisine and accommodation. Certification hence addresses not just medical services but the entire range of facilities. What’s more, the final certification results were impressive. For example, the Hotel Thermia Palace scored about 95% in the treatment section – the highest count attained by a healthcare operation anywhere in Europe.
The resort can now use the EuropeSpa med seal of quality until 2014, at which point it can be re-audited. Dr Lang is delighted that yet another outstanding location has joined the EuropeSpa quality initiative thanks to the certification of Piešťany. And she congratulated Klaus Pilz and his team on a “health resort of the highest calibre which following international assessment is clearly superior to other, non-certified operations.”
The beneficial effects of Piešťany
Piešťany has been one of the foremost European spa towns for the treatment of rheumatic diseases as well as the rehabilitation of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems for over a century. The spa town’s combination of sulphurous peloids and thermal water is unique in Europe. As well as soothing inflammations of the joints, mobility is restored through effective therapy. Visitors’ immune system is strengthened, damaged cartilage regenerated, and the degenerative wear and tear of joints slowed down. Individual programmes are compiled for each guest by highly trained physicians. In addition to being an oasis of peace and relaxation, visitors to Piešťany can also enjoy active sporting recreation. The internationally recognised hotels ranging from two to five stars have their own spas. Other facilities include the arts centre, a nine-hole golf course, and the Eva outdoor thermal swimming pool including tennis and beach volleyball courts. The town also contains a magnificent park while the numerous cafes and restaurants offer a wide range of regional and international cuisine.
EuropeSpa: the international integrated seal of quality
EuropeSpa is the international quality certificate of the European Spas Association. It formulates universal standards and enables health resorts and spas in different countries all over Europe to be compared. Moreover, it is also the strictest seal of quality throughout the continent. EuropeSpa comes in two versions. The EuropeSpa med seal is used to rate health resorts, clinics and medical spas, while EuropeSpa wellness applies to spa hotels. Both seals are based on the principle of integrated assessment. In addition to the standard of medical treatment offered, audits also address the technical facilities, environmental protection, accommodation, and cuisine and food safety. Furthermore, the EuropeSpa wellness seal examines standards of service. The audit involves over 400 questions. EuropeSpa certification has so far been awarded to about 60 health resorts, clinics and spa hotels in 12 countries.