PetWell Partners, a Houston-based national veterinary practice network, has become the first organization to earn Practice Network Accreditation from AAHA.

AAHA’s Practice Network Accreditation is a new model for assessing and recognizing excellence throughout an organization that owns or operates multiple veterinary practices.

Under this model, the parent company receives accreditation once 90% or more of the individual practices within the organization’s network have been accredited or preaccredited according to the AAHA Standards of Accreditation, with the intention that 100% of the organization’s individual practices will eventually become accredited.

To become accredited under this new model, an eligible organization must meet new, stringent standards that are separate from AAHA’s traditional medical standards and are designed to evaluate business operations at the network level, including medical autonomy, leadership, culture, human capital management, marketing and communications, financial management, and stewardship of the veterinary profession.

PetWell Partners was founded in 2013 and has grown to more than 30 hospitals throughout the country, all of which are AAHA accredited or preaccredited.

“As the trend of corporate ownership increases throughout the profession, there is an opportunity to standardize best practices for delivery of care to improve patient health while helping these companies promote excellence throughout the practices within their network,” said AAHA Chief Executive Officer Michael Cavanaugh, DVM, DABVP (Emeritus). “We are thrilled to have PetWell Partners become the first organization dedicated to elevating the standard of care throughout their practices.”

“AAHA’s leadership deserves a tremendous amount of credit for anticipating the potential impact of corporate consolidation on quality of care, and for developing an accreditation model for organizations that share their commitment to excellence. It’s incredibly forward-thinking,” said PetWell Partners Cofounder David Murvin. “We feel honored to be the first to achieve this important milestone.”

Each practice within a veterinary practice network undergoes evaluation based on the traditional AAHA Standards of Accreditation. The process is identical to the process all other practices undergo (both private or network owned) and includes the same fee structure.

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