AAHA Accreditation: What it means for you & your pets
Have you ever wondered why it’s so important to take your pets to a clinic that is AAHA accredited?
What does it mean to be accredited? The AAHA accreditation means that your veterinary clinic holds itself to a higher standard, and that your pet is receiving care at a hospital that has passed the highest standards in veterinary care.
Veterinary clinics, like ours, are evaluated on over 800 standards of veterinary excellence in order to become accredited.
AAHA-accredited hospitals are recognized among the finest in the industry, and are consistently at the forefront of advanced veterinary medicine.
Our standards address patient care and pain management, surgery, pharmacy, laboratory, exam facilities, medical records, cleanliness, emergency services, dental care, diagnostic imaging, anesthesiology, and continuing education. To maintain accredited status, hospitals undergo comprehensive on-site evaluations every three years.
So, you may be asking yourself, why does this matter to me? Well, here are just a few examples of how AAHA standards impact you & your furry friends:
- The standards require a hospital to use anesthesia monitoring equipment (monitor temperature, pulse, respirations, and blood pressure), which is important to ensure all animals are safe during anesthetic procedures.
- AAHA accredited clinics have specific surgical protocols which include: a pre-surgical exam & blood work, dedicated surgical suites, sterile surgical attire, & sterile packs and equipment
- AAHA-accredited hospitals are required to have emergency equipment and drugs readily available and stocked at all times
- Accredited hospitals have the proper up-to-date diagnostic equipment to help quickly determine the cause of illness in your pets, and have an onsite pharmacy to prescribe medications immediately upon diagnosis.
If you would like to learn more about AAHA and the accreditation process, please visit their website below:
