American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Accreditation

Breckinridge Park Animal Hospital is one of only two Richardson facilities accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). That puts us in the top 10 percent of the nation’s veterinary hospitals.

Why is AAHA Accreditation Important?

AAHA is the acronym for the American Animal Hospital Association, a professional organization founded in 1933, for the purpose of establishing a respected and reputable accreditation program for veterinary hospitals. As the only organization in the United States and Canada that provides accreditation for. AAHA represents the ‘gold standard’ for veterinary hospitals across North America.

Unlike human 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?

In order to become accredited, a veterinary hospital must be evaluated on over 900 standards of veterinary excellence. 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.

By voluntarily meeting a stringent set of 900 medical care standards designed by AAHA, these exceptional practices are providing the highest levels of veterinary care when it comes to:

• emergency services
• pain management
• contagious diseases
• surgery and anesthesia
• radiology services
• pathology services
• nursing care
• diagnostic and pharmacy
• dentistry
• examination facilities
• pet medical records
• medical library
• housekeeping and maintenance

Meeting these standards is challenging and requires serious dedication by the entire practice. 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 standards. 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.