The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is a renowned international association that accredits veterinary clinics throughout the United States and Canada. Becoming AAHA-accredited is not mandatory. In fact, only 12-15% of today’s animal hospitals currently have these credentials. The reason these numbers are so low has to do with the in-depth evaluation process and extremely high standards that must be met and maintained in order to become accredited.
Becoming AAHA accredited is a rigorous and time-consuming process through which veterinarians, practice managers and the entire hospital is evaluated against approximately 900 standards of excellence. These standards include everything from high-quality patient care and exceptional client service to practice management policies and much more. Once accredited, hospitals must continuously undergo rigorous reviews every three years in order to maintain accreditation.
One of the primary differences between AAHA-accredited veterinary hospitals and those that are not is the frequency of inspections. Many states across the US only inspect a clinic when a complaint is filed by a pet owner. AAHA-accredited hospitals, however, are routinely inspected and evaluated to ensure that they continuously meet the highest standards of excellence. For pet parents, this means tremendous peace of mind.
At Hambright Animal Hospital, we are proud to say that we are an AAHA-accredited veterinary hospital. This means that we hold ourselves to the absolute highest standards. For us, practicing medicine isn’t just a job. It’s our passion. Keeping your animal family member happy and healthy is our biggest priority. With every visit, we strive to deliver the very best care because we believe our patients deserve nothing less.
To learn more about AAHA accreditation and why it’s so important to you and your pet, please visit AAHA – Why Accreditation Matters.