Hospital Cima San José

Hospital Cima San José is one of Costa Rica's premier private hospitals, located in Escazú, a modern international business district of San José. As part of the Christus Health international network — one of the largest Catholic non-profit health systems in the United States — Hospital Cima brings world-class institutional support, clinical protocols, and quality management standards to Costa Rica's private healthcare market.

Hospital Cima holds JCI (Joint Commission International) accreditation, making it one of only a small number of JCI-accredited hospitals in all of Central America. JCI accreditation is the globally recognized gold standard for hospital quality and patient safety, confirming that the hospital meets rigorous international standards for clinical care, infection control, medication management, patient identification, and institutional governance. For international medical tourists, JCI accreditation provides the closest equivalent to the quality benchmarks they expect from top private hospitals in the United States.

The hospital serves as a leading destination for medical tourism in Costa Rica, attracting patients from the United States, Canada, and across Latin America who seek complex medical and surgical procedures at 40 to 65 percent below US prices, in a facility whose quality credentials stand comparison with major US private hospitals. Hospital Cima operates a dedicated International Patient Center staffed by English-speaking coordinators who manage the full range of medical travel logistics for visiting patients.

Hospital Cima offers a comprehensive range of medical and surgical specialties covering virtually all major clinical disciplines. Cardiovascular services include cardiology consultation, diagnostic cardiac testing (echocardiography, stress testing, Holter monitoring), cardiac catheterization, cardiac pacing, and electrophysiology for arrhythmia management. Oncology services provide cancer diagnosis, staging, chemotherapy, radiotherapy coordination, and surgical oncology.

Orthopedic services include joint replacement surgery (hip and knee replacement), sports medicine, arthroscopic procedures, and fracture care. Neurology and neurosurgery cover stroke management, epilepsy, movement disorders, spinal surgery, and brain tumor treatment. Gastroenterology and endoscopy services provide diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy including colonoscopy, gastroscopy, and ERCP. Gynecology and obstetrics services include routine and high-risk obstetric care, minimally invasive gynecological surgery, and laparoscopic procedures. Pediatric care, internal medicine, endocrinology, pulmonology, urology, and a 24-hour emergency department complete Hospital Cima's comprehensive specialist coverage.

Hospital Cima is equipped with state-of-the-art medical technology across all clinical departments. Diagnostic imaging includes 1.5T and 3T MRI systems, multi-slice CT scanners, PET-CT for oncology staging, digital mammography, and conventional and interventional radiography. The cardiac catheterization laboratory is equipped for diagnostic and interventional cardiology procedures.

The hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) and coronary care unit (CCU) provide critical care with advanced monitoring, mechanical ventilation, and specialist nursing coverage around the clock. Digital operating theaters with advanced laparoscopic equipment, robotic surgery capability, and real-time imaging support support a full range of surgical specialties. A 24-hour emergency department, in-hospital pharmacy, clinical laboratory with rapid-turnaround testing, and blood bank complete the comprehensive hospital infrastructure. The facility infrastructure is maintained to the standards required for ongoing JCI accreditation.

Hospital Cima has a dedicated International Patient Center staffed by English-speaking medical coordinators who assist international patients from the United States and Canada with every aspect of their medical travel. Services include appointment scheduling with appropriate specialists, coordination with international health insurance providers and travel insurance companies, translation assistance, accommodation referrals in the Escazú area, airport transfer coordination, and post-discharge follow-up planning.

As a JCI-accredited hospital associated with the Christus Health network, Hospital Cima is recognized by major international health insurers, simplifying insurance pre-authorization and claims for covered patients. Medical procedures at Hospital Cima typically cost 40 to 65 percent less than equivalent care at private hospitals in the United States — significant savings that make complex medical care, surgery, and diagnostic evaluation financially accessible for North American patients without adequate US insurance coverage or with high-deductible plans. The hospital is located approximately 15 to 20 minutes from Juan Santamaría International Airport in Escazú. Contact Hospital Cima at (506) 2208-1000 or cima@hospitalcima.com.

Hospital Cima holds JCI (Joint Commission International) accreditation — the most rigorous and widely recognized international standard for hospital quality and patient safety. JCI accreditation requires hospitals to meet comprehensive standards across patient care, medication management, infection control, staff qualifications, patient identification, emergency preparedness, and institutional leadership. Achieving and maintaining JCI accreditation requires ongoing performance monitoring, regular internal audits, and successful external surveys by JCI assessors.

As a member of the Christus Health international network, Hospital Cima also benefits from the institutional quality management frameworks, clinical protocols, and professional standards of one of North America's largest Catholic health systems. This network affiliation provides additional quality oversight and access to clinical best practices that complement JCI accreditation. All physicians practicing at Hospital Cima are required to hold active registration with the Colegio de Médicos y Cirujanos de Costa Rica and meet the hospital's credentialing standards for their respective specialties. The combination of JCI accreditation, Christus Health network affiliation, and Costa Rica's national medical licensing oversight makes Hospital Cima one of the most rigorously quality-assured private hospitals in Central America.