What does AAHA – Accredited mean? by Monika Dembowy, Veterinary Assistant

Around our clinic, and also on our website, you may have noticed the “AAHA Accredited” logo and perhaps been stumped by what it signifies. To help explain what it means to be an accredited practice, it is necessary to first explain what the AAHA is and what it does.

‘AAHA’ stands for the ‘American Animal Hospital Association’. It was founded over 80 years ago by a group of veterinarians whose goal it was to create standards that would help bring common guidelines, practices and procedures to the veterinary profession. Providing small animal practices better facilities and methods in order to achieve veterinary excellence has been the mission of the AAHA since its inception. Today the association is respected internationally and offers a variety of resources to veterinary professionals, such as educational programs, seminars, publications, client information, and more.

One of the key ways the AAHA helps veterinary practices raise their quality of care is through its Accreditation program. To become AAHA-Accredited a veterinary hospital must implement the AAHA Standards of Accreditation –specific written standards of quality care and procedures that are widely used as benchmarks to measure excellence in veterinary medicine.  These standards are continuously updated to reflect current medicine and at present there are over 900 standards that hospitals are evaluated on in order to achieve accreditation.

Of the 3500 veterinary clinics to hold the “AAHA- Accredited” designation in North America, Riverview Animal Hospital has proudly been one of them for over 20 years! Going that extra mile for our clients, patients and team makes Riverview Animal Hospital part of the top 15% of practices in the country.

That “AAHA-Accredited” logo signifies that our clinic is devoted to excellence. Whenever you see it, it should serve as a reminder that here at Riverview Animal Hospital, we are striving to give your pet the best quality care!

Find out more about the AAHA here: https://www.aaha.org/your-pet/pet-owner-education/ask-aaha/