The naming of a veterinary facility should not misrepresent the quality or type of practice that is conducted there. To avoid confusion on the part of the general public and to provide guidelines for consistency in the designation of veterinary facilities by the veterinary profession, the AVMA recommends that the following nomenclature be used:

Veterinary Teaching Hospital—A veterinary teaching hospital is defined as a facility in which consultative, clinical, and hospital services are rendered and in which a large staff of basic and applied veterinary scientists perform significant research and conduct advanced professional education programs.

Hospital/Clinic/Center—A veterinary or animal hospital/clinic/center is defined as a facility in which the practice conducted may include the confinement as well as the treatment of patients.

Office—A veterinary facility where a limited or consultative practice is conducted and which provides no facilities for the housing of patients.

Mobile facility—A practice conducted from a vehicle with special medical or surgical facilities or from a vehicle suitable only for making house or farm calls. Regardless of mode of transportation, such practice shall have a permanent base of operations with a published address and telephone facilities for making appointments or responding to emergency situations.

Emergency facility—A veterinary medical service with the primary function of receiving, treatment, and monitoring of emergency patients during its specified hours of operation. A veterinarian is in attendance at all hours of operation and sufficient staff is always available to provide timely and appropriate care. Veterinarians, support staff, instrumentation, medications, and supplies must be sufficient to provide an appropriate level of emergency care.

Note: A veterinary emergency service may be an independent, after-hours service; an independent 24-hour service; or part of a full-service hospital or large teaching institution.

On-call emergency service—A veterinary medical service that's veterinarians and staff are not on premises during all hours of operation, or one that's veterinarians leave after a patient is treated.

Veterinary/Animal Specialty/Referral facility—A veterinary/animal Specialty/Referral Clinic/Hospital/Center is defined as a facility which provides services by board certified veterinarian(s). The majority of veterinarians on staff must be Board Certified.

For more information, please contact: M&FS, Council on Veterinary Service