Here at Warrensburg Animal Hospital, we take immense pride in our AAHA accreditation and are delighted to share with you the ways in which this esteemed designation benefits your pet. We are passionate about providing top-quality care to all of our patients and delivering exceptional customer service to their owners.
What is the AAHA Accreditation?
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is a professional organization originally founded in 1933, for the purpose of establishing a respected and reputable accreditation program for veterinary hospitals. It is the only organization in the United States and Canada that provides accreditation for veterinary hospitals across North America. As a veterinary hospital, becoming AAHA accredited is a major achievemant as it represents the 'highest standard’ of veterinary care provided for your pet.
Did you know that accreditation for animal hospitals is voluntary? Surprising, isn’t it? Unlike people hospitals, where similar accreditation is mandatory, the AAHA accreditation process is voluntary. Only about 3,600 (12-15%) of all small animal veterinary practices in the United States and Canada are AAHA accredited.
How Does a Practice Become AAHA Accredited?
To become accredited by AAHA, hospitals must demonstrate an exceptional level of medical care and client service, and must be evaluated on over 900 standards of excellence in the veterinary industry. These standards are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that they stay current with scientific and technical advancements, as well as other new developments in veterinary medicine.
AAHA standards address the following areas of veterinary care:
- Patient Care
- Pain Management
- Examination Facilities
- Diagnostics
- Anesthesia
- Surgery
- Laboratory
- Pharmacy
- Medical Records
- Contagious Diseases
- Dental Care
- Emergency & Critical Care
- Client Service
- Continuing Education
- Cleanliness
- Housekeeping & Maintenance
- Leadership
- Referral Standards
- Safety
To maintain accredited status, veterinary hospitals must undergo a comprehensive, on-site evaluation every three years to ensure that they are meeting and practicing veterinary medicine in accordance with the AAHA guidelines. This includes a broad range of requirements in each of the categories, many of which involve specific protocols and/or procedures, as well as extra steps and detail well above those generally accepted in the veterinary field.
How Does an AAHA Accreditation Benefit Your Pet?
Accreditation through the American Animal Hospital Association ensures that a veterinary practice is operating within the highest standards of excellence. In order to practice medicine at the level required by these standards, veterinarians at accredited hospitals are also required to have over 50 hours of continuing education each year. All support staff, including, veterinary technicians and assistants, are also required to stay current on new trends and practices in their areas of expertise.
By choosing an AAHA accredited practice for your pet’s care, you are ensuring that your pet is in very good hands.
Click Here for AAHA Guidelines for Pet Owners.
AAHA Accreditation at Warrensburg Animal Hospital
The AAHA accreditation process is the opportunity for us to be critiqued and to receive feedback regarding what we are doing well, along with recommendations on what we can do better. Meeting these stringent standards is a challenge we gladly accept, as it helps us in achieving our commitment of providing the highest quality care for your pet.
Warrensburg Animal Hospital Needs Your Feedback!
You’ve chosen an AAHA-accredited veterinary hospital, one of only 15% in the U.S. and Canada. Our accreditation by the American Animal Hospital Association means that we’ve undergone a rigorous evaluation process to ensure that we comply with strict standards in patient care, pain management, surgery and many other areas. Think of it as a guarantee that your pet is receiving the highest quality care available.
Just as we are committed to providing top-level medical care, our practice is dedicated to providing you with the best service possible. Your feedback helps us anticipate your needs and make improvements. We’d sincerely appreciate it if you could let us know how we’re doing by taking our quick and easy, online survey. The survey features about 20 questions and should only take about 10 minutes of your time.
Your responses are strictly confidential unless you request a call back. Rest assured that we will never sell your email address to a third party vendor.
To begin the survey, please click here.
The first question will ask for a PIN. Use: 821301726.
You have until 11/14/2021 – 90 days past the original date your hospital received a PIN – to complete the survey. Thank you for your time and valuable feedback!