At Aurora Animal Clinic we aim to reach the best level of Veterinary medicine and care possible. We want to provide our patients and clients with the best, and so we make it our aim to get accredited with the only institution in the United States and Canada that accredits companion animal practices.
We have included below a couple of blurbs from the Consumers Advocate website on AAHA The League of Champions
AAHA Accreditation is a Very Big Deal
We know this because human hospitals have their own accreditation standards. For example, if a CMS-approved program does not accredit a human hospital, they can’t offer Medicare. Being AAHA accredited is not about prestige. Yes, that comes with it. Being accredited is actually about operating at a higher level. And when it comes to health, that’s the only level to play on. The process of accreditation is challenging and rigorous. It is also voluntary and not guaranteed. When a veterinary facility steps up to become accredited, it means they are making a proclamation they are committed to excellence.
This doesn’t mean non-accredited veterinary practices are inadequate. No. It does mean AAHA’s roughly 900 accreditation standards have not measured them. Some veterinary practices think good enough is good enough. And that’s fine. But as AAHA’s President-elect, Dr. Darren Taul says, “It also raises the question of how much more successful would they be if they truly reached for their full potential by obtaining accreditation.”
As in any profession, some want to take their skillset to the next level. They want to be champions. AAHA can take them there. Since 1933, AAHA has charted a course to accreditation for approximately 3,700 practices. Dr. Bo Williamson, owner of the Tennessee Avenue Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, the oldest continuously accredited American Animal Hospital Association hospital in the world says, “Accreditation is a way to force yourself to be the best you can be. Owners and employees of accredited hospitals constantly look to make things better.”
Currently, only 12 to 15 percent of animal hospitals are accredited. AAHA wants more practices to make the journey to accreditation. They invite you to take the accreditation challenge and go at your own pace. This allows prospective practices to know exactly what lies in front of them.
What Do Pet Parents Think About Accreditation? – Great Question
Trone Brand Energy did a study on just that back in 2016. The study found that pet owners are overwhelmingly attracted to animal hospitals that have the AAHA accreditation.
Some of the survey highlights are below:
- 85% of pet owners would choose an AAHA-accredited hospital over a non-accredited one;
- 58% are willing to pay more to use an accredited facility (although veterinary health insurance is now within reach for most people); and
- 63% would drive farther to get treatment at an accredited practice.
