What is all the talk about AAHA at Stonecliff Animal Clinic of NH? Everyone's running around saying "yes, we did it, we are AAAAA HAAA accredited!"
Why are they so excited? Well to begin with I found out that AAHA stands for the American Animal Hospital Association. This organization is the only one of it's kind that accredits animal hospitals in the United States and Canada. Accredits? What exactly does that mean?
The definition of accreditation is: to consider or recognize as outstanding according to the Webster Dictionary. Unlike human hospitals, federal and state entities do not require animal hospitals to be accredited. This means that the quality of care is not regulated. When your AAHA accredited, the hospital and staff holds itself to a higher standard. Only 12-15% of all animal hospitals in the United States and Canada are accredited. Incredible huh?
So how did the staff at SACNH earn this award? We were evaluated on over 900 standards of veterinary excellence..... phew! After years of planning and working towards the day, SACNH underwent a six hour comprehensive onsite evaluation. They looked at all of our protocols and procedures, from pain management, anesthetic practices, medical knowledge, employee safety, diagnostic imaging and so on. It was a pretty crazy day..... lots of tension in the air because we wanted this sooooo bad!
Why was this so important to the staff?
Trusting someone with your best friend is such a hard thing to do, especially when they can't talk. AAHA accreditation is just one more way we can build your trust in our organization. Our staff are committed to doing everything we can to keep your pet healthy. You already know we are kind, compassionate, and intelligent. But with AAHA's backing we are showing you that behind the scenes we have what it takes to be the very best! It reaffirms to you that our staff are the best of the best. It reassures you that our medical practices follow the highest level of excellence. We are a team that works together cohesively, we share the same vision and strive to provide you with an incredible experience!
When the staff got word we had passed there was cheering, hugging, crying! Guess they all wanted this pretty bad! My parents are so proud of the team at SACNH! Mom hires for personality and smarts, my dad is an amazing surgeon and veterinarian. Somehow they have found the most talented and personable, and they did this for you and your pets. Don't worry, just because they finally passed the test doesn't mean they will let any of their practices falter. SACNH will continually be evaluated, just like a human hospital to help maintain excellence! Congrats to all, I'm proud to be a part of SACNH!!
*to find out more about AAHA please click here
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| me and my dad |
