Texas A&M Veterinary Teaching Hospital Re-Accredited In 14 Specialty Areas, As Emergency Facility
Story by Aubrey Bloom, CVMBS Communications
The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ (CVMBS) Small Animal Teaching Hospital (SATH) recently earned re-accreditation from the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) in several specialty areas and as a level II emergency and critical care facility by the Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Society (VECCS).
“I am extremely proud of the efforts of the SATH faculty and staff,” said Dr. John R. August, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M. “These types of designations are not easy to earn, so it speaks both to the exceptional level of care that our patients receive and to the hard work of our faculty, staff, and students in maintaining this high level of care.”
Receiving an AAHA specialty accreditation includes adhering to high-quality standards in all areas, including pain management, patient care, team training, and medical record keeping. Each accredited area also must have a board-certified specialist on staff.
Dr. Stacy Eckman, CVMBS associate dean for hospital operations, said the AAHA accreditation, which is renewed every three years, shows the commitment of the SATH across its specialties.
In 2009, the SATH became the first teaching hospital to receive the prestigious AAHA accreditation.
“We are one of only a handful of academic teaching hospitals and specialty hospitals that have received the AAHA accreditation,” she said. “The rigorous standards AAHA sets allow us to hold ourselves to an even higher quality and standard of care and ensure that we are accountable across all levels.”
The areas receiving AAHA specialty accreditation include:
- Dentistry
- Emergency and Critical Care
- Feline Specialty
- Surgery
- Dermatology
- Internal Medicine – Neurology
- Internal Medicine – Oncology
- Internal Medicine – Small Animal (Internal Medicine)
- Internal Medicine – Cardiology
- Radiology
- Anesthesia
- Feline and Canine Specialty – Primary Care
- Ophthalmology
- Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation
The reaccreditation as a level II emergency and critical care facility is also an important designation.
According to the VECCS, a level II designation means “the facility is a 24-hour acute care facility with the medical staff, personnel, and training necessary to provide emergent and critical patient care. This facility is open to receive small animal emergency patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.”
The only teaching hospital in the state of Texas, the SATH sees more than 21,000 cases per year and is also designated as a gold standard Cat Friendly Practice by the American Association of Feline Practitioners.
According to Eckman, even though attainting these designations is hard work, they are important so that clients are confident they are receiving the highest standard of care.
“These accreditations and certifications guarantee external experts are reviewing our hospital and the way we operate, which ensures we are practicing the highest quality of veterinary medicine in many areas for our clients and our patients,” Eckman said.
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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216
