Each year on July 22, the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center celebrates American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Accredited Hospital Day. We celebrate because we have been an AAHA certified hospital since 1976 and a certified referral hospital since 2023. AAHA is an industry leader that originally set the standards for small animal hospitals in North America but now has certified hospitals in Japan, South Korea, China, the West Indies and Guam.

AAHA Certification: Providing High Quality Care

Every three years, the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center undergoes an accreditation evaluation by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). The hospital is benchmarked against more than 900 different standards. The standards are grouped into 20 large categories covering quality of care in diverse areas such as contagious disease, dentistry, diagnostic imaging, emergency and critical care, and pain management. Mandatory standards detail 46 critical/crucial hospital functions required of every AAHA accredited hospital. These “deal breaker” standards include the requirement that dentistry is performed under general anesthesia through a breathing tube placed in the windpipe and all patient care is provided under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. The standards require hospitals to provide diagnostic services (x-ray and laboratory), facilitating quick and accurate diagnosis of your pet’s illness. Accredited hospitals must also dispense medications so treatment can begin immediately.

AAHA Certification: Teamwork

The benchmarks not only emphasize patient care, but also how the veterinary team interacts to deliver high quality patient care. The evaluation process includes criteria that pet owners might not typically expect, such as an assessment of confidentiality, security, and integrity of medical records; fire safety; diagnostic image archiving; continuing education; and referral standards. While not exactly medical standards, these functions are clearly critical to an accredited hospital’s ability to provide top-notch patient care.

AAHA Certification: The Site Visit

To certify a hospital, an AAHA team conducts a daylong, on-site, thorough and comprehensive review of the hospital. Preparing for an AAHA evaluation is like preparing for a pop quiz; they can ask questions about any of the 900+ standards, and they don’t have to give you a heads-up as to which ones are on the quiz! The examiners speak with a variety of staff and review hospital policies to ensure standards are met. If any deficiencies are identified, they suggest methods of improvement. Only 15% of all veterinary hospitals meet these stringent quality standards, and AMC is proud to say we exceeded the required criteria, receiving 97% of the total possible points in our latest evaluation in 2023.

AAHA Certification: Standards Met

For 115 years, AMC has been a leader in veterinary teaching, research and exceptional clinical care. AAHA is another leader in veterinary medicine trusted for setting high hospital standards. Achieving AAHA certification is just one way we continue to provide the highest quality of medicine and surgery.