AAHA Accreditation and Your Pets
If you have taken the time to browse the Androscoggin Animal Hospital website, you may have noticed that little red logo in the bottom left corner that tells you that we are AAHA accredited. While that may sound fancy, do you really know or care what AAHA accreditation, means? Take a minute to learn more about why you should!
What is AAHA Accreditation?
AAHA is the American Animal Hospital Association, an organization that has been around since 1933. Their main goal is to ensure the highest level of care possible when it comes to the health care of pets.
AAHA has a huge presence in the veterinary community, setting standards for things like vaccination protocols and pain management. Most veterinarians look to AAHA as a valuable resource when treating their patients.
Another function that AAHA serves is to accredit veterinary hospitals across the United States and Canada. If a hospital earns AAHA accreditation, it means that it has met the over 900 standards the group has set. AAHA looks at hospitals in terms of 19 separate areas, such as patient care, record keeping, pain management, customer care, and more.
A hospital is accredited after demonstration of compliance to these standards, requiring an on-site inspection which is revisited every three years. Only about 15% of small animal practices can say that they have earned AAHA accreditation, and Androscoggin Animal Hospital is proud to be one of them.
Why You and Your Pets Should Care
While being AAHA accredited is an impressive credential, it is something that pet owners should look for when trying to find medical care for their animal family. AAHA accreditation has dramatic implications for you and your pets, including:
- A safe and clean facility
- A facility and staff that meet the best and highest standards of care
- Thorough and complete medical records
- Access to immediate diagnostic capabilities
- An extensive on-site pharmacy
- Access to emergency care
- Quality customer care
Hospitals that have undergone voluntary accreditation have also shown the initiative and desire to continue to learn, grow, and evolve as medicine and technology does. The dedication to veterinary medicine is an important quality to look for when it comes to caring for your furry babies.
Our AAHA endorsement is something that we are very proud of, and we hope that you can appreciate how it sets us apart from other veterinary hospitals. We are happy to be here for you and your pets and promise to continue to bring you only the best in veterinary care.