Meet AAHA’s 2025 Accredited Practice of the Year winner

The AAHA-accredited Practice of the Year (APOY) Awards highlight accredited practice teams that go above and beyond to help shape the future of veterinary medicine.

This year’s four finalists are Stonebrook Family Pet Clinic, Harbor Point Animal Hospital, North Shore Family Pet Hospital, and Blue Springs Animal Hospital & Pet Resort. We asked them all what being a finalist means to their practice team. 

This year’s winner was Harbor Point Animal Hospital. They accepted the award at a breakfast ceremony during the first full day of AAHA Con ’25.

“When we first opened our doors in 2016, our intention was to be different, very different. Our mission is to change the way pets see the vet,” said Diane Vermillion, BS, RVT, VTS (ECC) during her acceptance speech. We asked her what questions about what drove her team and why community is so important to the practice.

We’re driven by a shared purpose: caring about our clients and our patients to make sure they feel like they’re family from the moment they walk in the door until they leave. We are driven by each other. And as a team, we hold ourselves to a high standard because we believe our patients deserve the best medical care, every time. We’re passionate about being different in the best way—reducing fear, anxiety, and stress wherever we can, while holding ourselves accountable to doing things the right way, not just the easy way. That passion, that intention, is what keeps us going.

We are Harbor Point because of our small but fast-growing community. They are the ones who have embraced our approach and appreciated our purpose. So, we give back from local events to rescue partnerships to supporting fellow small businesses through the chamber. We try to be present, involved, and real. This community feels like family, and it pushes us to keep growing and thinking outside the box. We know our clients trust us with what matters most to them, and we never take that lightly. We want them to feel heard, appreciated, and confident that they’re getting the very best care. Our roots are deep here—and we are so thankful to call Mooresville home.