AAHA Standards of Accreditation
AAHA-accredited practices voluntarily hold themselves to a higher standard. Pets are their passion, and keeping them healthy is their number-one priority. AAHA-accredited practices are at the heart of better care for pets and their people.
AAHA is the only organization that accredits veterinary practices in the United States and Canada. AAHA-accredited practices are evaluated on stringent standards that encompass all aspects of veterinary medicine—from pain management and patient care to team training and medical recordkeeping. AAHA’s standards are continuously updated to keep accredited practice teams at the forefront of the profession.
Today, approximately 15% of veterinary practices in the US and Canada hold the “AAHA-accredited” designation.
Members may log in to view the list of AAHA standards.
What do the AAHA Standards of Accreditation mean?
When 2019 AAHA-accredited Specialty/Referral Practice of the Year Winner Pet Specialists of Monterey first opened, they had no guidelines for standards of care. So they decided to pursue AAHA accreditation.
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Frequently Asked Questions about AAHA Standards
What are AAHA standards?
Practices seeking AAHA accreditation are evaluated on nearly 50 mandatory standards as well as additional applicable standards. So, what are AAHA standards? They are developed by experts in the field and cover
- Patient care
- Your facility
- Services
- clinical protocols.
For example, all major surgeries are performed by a licensed veterinarian (MA36.1)* in a surgical suite (MA36.2) and your surgery suite must be single-purpose (i.e., not also contain your radiology equipment, for example) and enclosed. (MA38.2)
*Mandatory (MA)
Are AAHA standards voluntary?
Unlike the human health world, accreditation of animal hospitals is voluntary. Nearly 5,000 practices have joined AAHA as an accredited practice because they are striving to meet a higher standard of care. An AAHA accreditation is a strong indication that a veterinary practice delivers quality medicine – which positively impacts not only your clients, patients, and team, but raises the bar for the veterinary profession.
What standard are mandatory for accredited veterinary practices?
All practices must meet mandatory standards in these areas:
- Anesthesia
- Dentistry
- Emergency & critical care
- Human resources
- Laboratory
- Medical Records
- Pain Management
- Patient care
- Pharmacy
- Surgery