Pembroke Animal Hospital won first place for AAHA-Accredited Practice of the Year (general practice).

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) awarded the seventh annual AAHA-Accredited Practice of the Year Awards during the AAHA yearly conference’s Opening Session on March 31.

Pembroke Animal Hospital of Ontario, Canada took home first place for the general practice category. MedVet Medical & Cancer Centers for Pets-Cincinnati of Fairfax, Ohio was awarded first place for the referral practice category.

The goal of the AAHA-Accredited Practice of the Year Award is to recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of accredited practice teams. Each entry was evaluated on their most recent accreditation score, mission and vision, practice design, practice team composition, continuing education and training, community service, and more.

AAHA also awarded finalist places for the accredited general and referral practice awards:

• Country Hills Pet Hospital of Eden, Wis. (general)
• Moorpark Veterinary Hospital of Moorpark, Calif. (general)
• Valley Cottage Animal Hospital of Valley Cottage, N.Y. (general)
• Metropolitan Veterinary Associate of Norristown, Penn. (referral)

“A well-deserved congratulations goes to all of these practices for practicing a high standard of veterinary care for their patients. We believe that the success of a veterinary practice depends on the entire team working together to provide excellent care,” said Michael Cavanaugh, DVM, DABVP, AAHA chief executive officer.

“We are proud to call these practices AAHA-accredited veterinary hospitals and hope that many more practices will follow in their footsteps of excellence.”

Accreditation is a voluntary commitment practices make to their clients and patients, and AAHA is the only organization in the United States and Canada that accredits companion animal hospitals based on standards that go above and beyond state regulations.

The AAHA Standards of Accreditation, viewed as the standard of veterinary excellence, contain more than 900 individual standards. These areas of focus include 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, these practices must continue to be evaluated regularly by AAHA.

Not all veterinary hospitals are accredited. AAHA-accredited veterinary hospitals hold themselves to a high standard of care and strive to deliver excellent care for pets.