Featured Quote:

I've been a fan of AAHA my entire veterinary career because I feel like AAHA is all about just providing the very best level of medicine and surgery in a veterinarian hospital, and that is pretty much the mission statement of our hospital.

Video Transcript:

Hi, I'm Dr. Michelle Drake and I'm here today to talk to you a little bit about the American Animal Hospital Association, which is otherwise known as AAHA. I've been a fan of AAHA my entire veterinary career because I feel like AAHA is all about just providing the very best level of medicine and surgery in a veterinarian hospital, and that is pretty much the mission statement of our hospital. So it's really easy to put the Drake Center with AAHA, they're a great match for each other.

We recently went through the re-accreditation process, which is every three years we go through this process. It's pretty arduous. There's somewhere around I think 900 very specific criteria that a veterinarian hospital must meet in order to attain the AAHA Accreditation. And so it's arduous, we go back through all the systems that we do, both as medical records or customer service that's certainly mostly related to our medical care and our surgical care, our pain management that we offer at this hospital. The equipment that we use, the continued education of our doctors, all these things really, you know, we do a great job of, but it's a reminder of making sure that all those processes are up to date, and that the new criteria that come out on a regular basis based on, you know, as medicine and surgery changes, that we also update our system as well.

Again, the Drake Center has been accredited for I think 13 years now, and we're really proud of that. Less than 15% of all veterinarian hospitals in the United States are AAHA Accredited. It is not a requirement, it's completely voluntary, and it's for hospitals that are truly trying to reach the best so that we have the best to offer our patients and our clients also.

So the reason that AAHA Accreditation is so important to the Drake Center is the mission of our hospital is to provide the best medicine, and surgery, and compassionate environment, and unsurpassed customer service for our clients. And really, that's really what AAHA is all about, I believe. So I feel like the mission statement of the Drake Center and AAHA are very well aligned.

So for us, it makes a great match, and it's a continual pushing ourselves to always provide the very best in all the services that we do and the continued education of our doctors, and how we work as a team, both with our technicians, our front staff, and the doctors, to just really make sure that we're providing the best care for our patients. So that's why being AAHA Accredited is so important for the Drake Center.

Accreditation is a major cornerstone of our practice and the special level of care we call The Drake Center Difference.
What exactly does it mean to be AAHA-accredited? This guide can help.
What is AAHA accreditation?
Unlike human hospitals, accreditation is not required for veterinary hospitals in the United States.
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is the only veterinary hospital organization in the country (and Canada!) that provides voluntary accreditation to companion animal hospitals that meet essential standards of excellence in every aspect of medical care.
AAHA-accredited practices are recognized among the best in the industry and in fact, only 15 percent of all small animal veterinary hospitals in the United States are accredited. An AAHA-accredited practice since 2005, The Drake Center is extremely proud to have earned this important achievement.
To maintain this status, AAHA-accredited veterinary hospitals like The Drake Center undergo on-site evaluations every three years. During the accreditation process, hospitals are assessed on approximately 900 different standards in various categories, including anesthesia, surgery, dentistry, pharmacy, laboratory, patient care, pain management, recordkeeping, cleanliness, disease prevention, client service, practice leadership, safety and continuing education.
To practice the highest level of veterinary medicine possible, all AAHA-accredited hospitals must abide by specific protocols in these areas. As AAHA’s standards for accreditation are reviewed and updated to reflect new developments and advances in veterinary medicine, protocols within an accredited practice must also be continuously revised and improved to remain on the cutting edge and ensure the highest quality of care.
Why is accreditation so important?
Accreditation is important for animal health for the same reasons it is important for human health. Without a governing body to review protocols and provide checks to ensure essential standards are being met, quality care is not a guarantee.
Meeting a universal standard allows pet owners to understand the level of care a practice provides long before ever stepping foot into the veterinary hospital.
AAHA accreditation is the most tangible way to show pet owners that our hospital is dedicated to practicing the highest level of medicine. More importantly, owners can feel confident knowing their pets are in great hands.
Learn more about why accreditation matters here.