AAHA Accreditation

AAHA Accredited. You may have seen this statement on your veterinarian’s website, or on a plaque in their waiting room, but you may not be aware of what it means. AAHA is the American Animal Hospital Association, an organization developed to create a Standard in Veterinary Excellence. Hospitals wishing to be accredited must adhere to specific guidelines. It is important to note that animal hospitals are not required to be accredited. It is something the hospital seeks to achieve to better themselves and ensure they are practicing the highest standard of care. AAHA accreditation shows that your veterinary practice has met or exceeded stringent quality standards that encompass all aspects of veterinary medicine. An AAHA Accredited hospital typically holds themselves to a high standard of care.

AAHA was officially founded in 1933 by seven veterinary professionals in order to raise the bar of veterinary excellence. This was in response to the growing need of quality care for companion animals. After WWI and the 1929 Depression, there was an increase in companion animals. More households included pets, and veterinarians found themselves treating dogs and cats whereas before they had focused mainly on agricultural animals. Since its inception, AAHA is continuously updating to reflect current standards.

To become accredited and maintain that accreditation, Animal hospitals are evaluated on 900 standards, including anesthesia, pain management, pharmacy, medical management, record keeping, safety, x-ray techniques, to continuing education. To maintain accreditation status, each animal hospital undergoes a vigorous, comprehensive on-site evaluation every three years.

Currently, there are more than 4,500 animal hospitals accredited in the United States and Canada. That accounts for approximately 15% of all animal hospitals in these countries. The Rhinebeck Animal Hospital is proud to be an AAHA Accredited Hospital since 1979. Earlier this year, we celebrated another passing AAHA evaluation. AAHA Accredited hospitals are considered among the finest in the industry and are consistently at the forefront of advanced veterinary medicine.

For more information, please visit https://www.aaha.org/