Oregon Humane Society Medical Center
Joins Elite Group of Veterinary Hospitals

Nov. 4, 2008

 

 

OHS medical team and patients.

The Oregon Humane Society’s Holman Medical Center last week joined an elite group of veterinary hospitals that meet rigorous national standards in all aspects of medical practice.

The OHS hospital, part of the Animal Medical and Learning Center adjacent to the OHS shelter, was measured against more than 900 standards of excellence in virtually every area of practice by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). Only a handful of humane society hospitals have gained AAHA accreditation, and only 15 percent of all animal practices in the US and Canada are accredited.

“This event marks another time in OHS history when our organization has gone the extra mile to deliver the best quality care to the pets we love,” said Dr. Kris Otteman, OHS director of shelter medicine.

Staff at the one-year-old Holman Medical Center, which provides care to thousands of shelter animals at OHS, completed detailed AAHA questionnaires on all aspects of the hospital’s work. An AAHA official conducted an onsite audit of the facility   last week and conferred the accreditation.

In its first year of operation, the center has performed more than 5,000 spay and neuter surgeries plus an additional 600 surgical procedures covering virtually every aspect of animal care. OHS veterinarians and staff worked with more than 80 veterinary students from Oregon Sate University who completed a mandatory two-week clinical rotation at the center. The work of the center is supported entirely by private donations.

AAHA is the only organization that accredits veterinary practices in North America. Hospitals that voluntarily accept the challenge of accreditation are measured against standards that range from patient care and pain management to team training, surgery, anesthesia and medical record keeping. The AAHA standards are continuously updated to keep accredited practices at the forefront of veterinary medicine and patient care.