AAHA Amplify: A Group Accreditation Program

STRONGER TEAMS. BETTER CARE. MORE ROI.​

AAHA Amplify is a cohort model primarily for traditional, full-service hospitals or practices within corporate veterinary enterprise groups seeking AAHA accreditation.The cohort model helps veterinary practices build stronger teams and achieve more return on investment.

AAHA Accreditation Means Excellence

Accreditation is an acknowledgment of a specific achievement. AAHA accreditation signifies that your veterinary practice has met or exceeded the AAHA Standards of Accreditation that encompass all aspects of veterinary medicine, from pain management to medical record-keeping, and has committed to a path of continuous improvement.

Why have over 4,500 practices representing 50,000 veterinary team members voluntarily pursued AAHA accreditation?

It’s simple: they want to be the best for their clients and patients. AAHA accreditation demonstrates your veterinary practice or hospital is committed to meeting a higher standard of care and delivering quality medicine––positively impacting clients, patients, and teams and raising the bar for the entire veterinary profession.

What is the AAHA Amplify Model?

AAHA Amplify provides live, instructor-led virtual sessions for groups of 8 to 12 veterinary practices during weekly or biweekly meetings. During each meeting, the module covers specific AAHA standards, as shown in the infographic below. 

For example, in module 6, your instructor will cover AAHA surgery and dental standards. These include three mandatory standards (as well as other standards your practice may choose to meet):

  1. All dental procedures are performed under general anesthesia with patients intubated and supplemental oxygen being administered.
  2. Veterinarians perform thorough examinations of the teeth and structures of the oral cavity in patients presented for dental procedures.
  3. Only properly trained practice team members perform dental procedures. 

The module format allows each cohort member to prepare and focus on one area at a time. With the guidance of your cohort and instructor, you will work through your actual clinical protocols, update them based on the appropriate standard, discuss your new approach and improve upon it with your cohort and instructor's input, and make changes in your clinic as you complete each module. We've worked hard to simplify your path to excellence.

Amplify Infographic Course Overview

An AAHA Amplify cohort is initiated by the hospital system's corporate headquarters. Once a contract is signed, AAHA helps each corporate group select which practices will participate in cohorts.

The cohort members complete a pre-qualifying assessment to confirm their readiness for accreditation, and then launch into a series of virtual modules each covering specific AAHA standards.

Upon completion of the modules, an AAHA practice consultant will conduct a practice evaluation to finalize the accreditation process.

How is Accreditation through Amplify Different from Traditional Accreditation?

The chart below summarizes the many benefits of participating in an AAHA Amplify cohort.

AAHA Amplify – Cohort Accreditation

Traditional AAHA Accreditation

Benefit

Why it Matters

Live learning sessions with an experienced, credentialed facilitator.

You’ll have live access to an AAHA expert to better understand and apply AAHA standards and guidelines.

You will lead your practice’s accreditation efforts.

An established curriculum to learn what AAHA standards are and how to apply them.

You’ll know exactly what to read, learn, and do each week to move steadily towards accreditation.

Read AAHA’s standards and determine when and how you want to review your practice’s protocols and management practices against the standards.

The ability to immediately improve your practice with AAHA guidelines and standards.

You’ll get a module-specific roundup of tools, tips, checklists, and more that you can use immediately, each week or two.

Search for tools, tips, checklists, and other resources on the AAHA website to help you implement AAHA standards.

The ability to practice and perfect what you learn.

Your cohort will perform tasks together, such as medical record audits, so you can compare them live to the standard and make improvements.

Make incremental improvements on your own and consult your AAHA practice consultant for advice before or during your practice evaluation.

A community-based learning environment.

You’ll learn clinical and practice management tips and avoid pitfalls by hearing experiences shared by 5-10 peers.

Learn from the experiences of your dedicated AAHA practice consultant and accreditation specialist.

Those are only a few of the many benefits your hospital will enjoy (experience) when achieving accreditation through AAHA Amplify.

AAHA Accreditation Drives Real Business Results

The accreditation process builds a positive, strong employee culture focused on quality client service and patient care. In addition, compared to non-accredited practices, AAHA-accredited practices have:

  • Fewer lapsed patients.*
  • 32% more new customers per year.*
  • Clients who choose more care.*
  • Higher customer loyalty and retention.*
  • Better staff utilization.**
  • 41% more annual revenue.**

As an AAHA-accredited practice, you can rest assured that your entire team is adhering to credible, trusted veterinary standards—every time. Your written protocols will be based on AAHA standards and guidelines: evidence-guided best practices— and ease training new team members. This is even more critical in today’s environment of staff shortages and high turnover.

In addition to the business benefits, your whole team enjoys these benefits and more:

  • Free subscription to Trends® magazine – focused on practice management
  • Free subscription to JAAHA®– the journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
  • Reduced pricing on all education and store products
  • Free membership in the Human Animal Bond Association
  • Free RACE-approved training
  • Free shipping on store products
  • Access to our group purchasing program, AAHA Advantage®

And so much more. Check out your member benefits.

*Commissioned Practice Analysis Report | VetSuccess, 2019.

**Financial and Productivity Pulsepoints, 10th Edition | AAHA Press.

Take the Next Steps

Download the AAHA Amplify program brochure, and review the Amplify practice selection checklist, then email [email protected] and learn how accreditation and the many benefits of AAHA membership will help your hospital or organization on its journey toward excellence.

Has your Corporate Office Asked You to Become Part of AAHA Amplify?

Download these helpful materials to learn more.

If your practice is interested in Amplify, complete this questionnaire

Fill out questionaire