About Accreditation

View costs on the Earn Accreditation page.

We help you get through the process at the best pace for you. Generally, it takes from 3 to 6 months.

If you are unable to achieve AAHA accreditation after your initial evaluation, your practice consultant will convert that visit into a “courtesy walkthrough,” and you won’t be penalized. Your consultant will review any adjustments that you may need to make in order to achieve accreditation during your next visit. We will then work with you to reschedule your formal evaluation once you’ve had a chance to put your consultant’s recommendations into effect.

Accreditation can seem daunting with nearly 1,000 standards, but embracing it is a game-changer for your practice. By evaluating and aligning your operations with these best practices, you can significantly enhance the personalized care you provide to every animal. This commitment builds trust with clients, fosters a positive workplace, and elevates your facility’s reputation. AAHA Standards can be broadly grouped into these categories:

Diagnostic Imagining

• Imaging services are intended to aid in the diagnosis of disease, but if performed incorrectly, may pose a serious health risk to exposed individuals and patients. AAHA’s Standards of Accreditation aid in the establishment of safe practices, continual education, and routes for practitioners to provide the highest quality of care.

Pain Management

• The consistent practice of preemptive pain management reduces the need for the former methodology of relying on retroactive attempts. This overlooked the discomfort associated with certain disease processes, surgical procedures, and the client’s role in intervention

AAHA’s Standards of Accreditation set the expectation that pain control is a team effort, requiring timely multimodal interventions. Our members accomplish this through effective communication, consistent pain scoring, and the age-old quote, “if you’re not ahead, you’re behind”.

Dentistry

• A pet’s oral health requires care within their home as well as the professional services provided by a licensed veterinarian. This team approach is vital to a pet’s health and at AAHA, our members are encouraged to create an environment that is:
  • Filled with resources for pet parents
  • Safe and inclusive of an aseptic environment for pets during dental procedures
  • Compatible with thorough and detail-oriented care (above and below the gumline)

Patient Care

• When seeking medical care for a loved one, families want reassurance that their concerns are heard and thoroughly investigated. If diagnostics suggest hospitalization will provide the best outcome, that same assurance should be offered to ensure trust is not lost in the family’s absence.

Member practices are provided guidance on how to guarantee the patient, as well as the family, are taken care of with the level of care we expect for ourselves.

Medical Records

• While certain regulations may vary by jurisdiction, patient records should always be clear, concise, secure, and contain thorough documentation. AAHA’s Standards of Accreditation set stringent expectations for the content and security of medical records, regardless of practice location.

Anesthesia

• Sedation and anesthesia require extensive medical and equipment knowledge to offer patients the most desirable outcome. Though every situation is unique, our standards assure every anesthetist is prepared prior to the first medication’s administration.

Surgery

• “How” and “why” a surgery is performed is surgeon dependent, but the “where” and “when” are determined based on the recommended level of sterility and asepsis. It takes the watchful eye and true tenacity from the entire team to establish, maintain, and guarantee sterility for the patients under our care.

AAHA’s Standards of Accreditation ensure sterility is never compromised.

Client Services

• Practices are often reminded of the ever-changing social climate and its increasing reliance on technology. As we continue to shift into a more futuristic world, AAHA’s Client Service Standards aid in the determination of the methodologies that exist to reach the largest number of clients and how to best serve the local population.

Housekeeping and Maintenance

• AAHA’s Housekeeping and Maintenance Standards go beyond the general upkeep and sanitation of the practice. AAHA member hospitals must provide a welcoming environment that is free of obvious defects and offensive odors while adhering to stringent cleaning protocols. Our members exemplify the meaning of a warm and welcoming environment.

Contagious Disease

• There is a high probability of exposure to a pathogenic organism whenever one enters a healthcare facility. As veterinary professionals, we must perform our due diligence to educate, mitigate, and ideally prevent exposure as often as possible. AAHA’s Standards of Accreditation help to guide veterinary facilities towards successful disease prevention by limiting unintentional exposure to pathogens.

Safety

• The safety and security of clients, patients, staff, and even sensitive data is a global responsibility. Though some risk may not be anticipated, protocols intended to forego potentially compromising occurrences will be paramount in establishing a trustworthy environment.

Leadership

• A team-centered approach to leadership promotes an environment rooted in trust and inclusive of a continual feedback loop. With this approach, leaders and their team have greater access to one another, thereby encouraging open communication, immediate responses to challenges, and higher employee engagement.

AAHA’s Standards of Accreditation encourages this leadership style while allowing leaders to maintain a culture that is unique to their individual practice.

Human Resources

• The consistent and uniform enforcement of policies shields practices from litigation stemming from employee relations. Additionally, team members remain cognizant of their rights as employees and any additional expectations, unique to the individual facility.

It is advisable to seek the opinion of an employment attorney whenever a policy is created, revised, or removed to ensure compliance with your area’s regulations.

Pharmacy

• From prescription label must-haves to chemotherapy handling best practices, AAHA ensures the distribution and administration of medications are a safe and compliant experience.

Laboratory

• Patient samples, whether processed using point of care equipment or sent to a reference lab, must be handled with care and knowledgeable intent. Adequate training, accurate tracking methodologies, and properly calibrated equipment are all necessary to ensure patient care and staff safety are prioritized.

AAHA’s Standards of Accreditation ensure member laboratories operate efficiently and effectively for the most desirable patient outcomes.

Continuing Education

• Licensed professionals must acquire a number of continuing education credits every renewal period, but this expectation should not be limited to specific roles. Every day, new and innovative ways of performing procedures and services are explored and that creativity can inspire the next generation of standard practices.

AAHA believes every team member contributes to successful patient outcomes. Let’s learn and grow together!

Examination Facilities/Home Care/Satellite

• Providing exceptional patient care can happen in a multitude of environments and AAHA recognizes that many practices have found creativity in their adaptability. Whether creating a calm space in an unfamiliar building or entering a client’s home, our member hospitals have what it takes to remain efficient and effective in any landscape.

Emergency

• While it’s unreasonable to be prepared for every emergent situation, having the supplies and knowledge nearby helps to navigate the daunting uncertainties. Our member practices are equipped with recommendations and educational expectations to stabilize the most critical patients.

Referral

• The primary care team often relies on specialists to guide the decision-making process or even assume responsibility for a patient’s care. How this is accomplished and when the transition occurs should be understood by the respective teams, and more importantly, the client.AAHA members work to have meaningful relationships with other members of the veterinary community to ensure our patients receive the highest level of care.