Challenging AAHA Accreditation Secured

The practices that achieve this accreditation prove that they’re committed to a higher standard of care for their patients and clients, and better staff training and clinician development,” says Hospital Technician Development Coordinator Mike Santasieri, B.S., CVT, LVT, FFCP.

The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University recently passed its American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) re-accreditation evaluation in 15 specialties. Only approximately 15 percent of veterinary practices in the United States and Canada achieve this designation through a voluntary assessment and evaluation on stringent quality standards encompassing all veterinary medicine aspects.

“The practices that achieve this accreditation prove that they’re committed to a higher standard of care for their patients and clients, and better staff training and clinician development,” says Hospital Technician Development Coordinator Mike Santasieri, B.S., CVT, LVT, FFCP.

The school’s AAHA accredited specialties are anesthesia, avian, behavior, emergency and critical care, exotic companion mammal, internal medicine (cardiology, neurology, oncology, and small animal), nutrition, ophthalmology, radiation oncology, radiology, surgery, and zoology. In addition, the internship program at Cummings School has been accredited by the AAHA.

AAHA is the only accrediting organization of American and Canadian veterinary practices. AAHA-accredited hospitals are the only animal hospitals that regularly pass onsite evaluations based on more than 900 standards of care.

Cummings School passed its first AAHA evaluation in 2002 and has maintained its accreditation every 3–5 years since then. The school passed the first AAHA Referral Accreditation in 2017.

According to Santasieri, general veterinary practices earn an accreditation indicating that it meets a certain percentage of the 900 guidelines. “The referral accreditation is specifically for referral hospitals and separated into specialties,” he explains. “And each of those specialties needs to meet a certain percentage of the guidelines, rather than being judged as a whole facility.”

Representatives from the AAHA applauded Cummings School’s facilities and equipment but were floored by its staff and clinicians. “They repeatedly commented on our compassionate and dedicated care for our patients and applauded our use of fear free practices throughout the hospital,” says Santasieri. “They noted our open, inviting, and gracious nature and were impressed by our commitment to teaching and learning.”

Thanks in large part to the Accreditation and Regulatory Compliance Committee, chaired by Santasieri, and the steadfast dedication of faculty and staff, Cummings School continues to serve as a leader in veterinary medicine education and practice.