DENTON (UNT), Texas -- The University of North Texas' Student Health and Wellness Center received accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.

Only 14 other universities in the state of Texas are accredited, which places the Health and Wellness Center at the top of the list for professional, quality patient care.

"We are professional staff and we're meeting standards that some hospitals don't meet," said Kerry Stanhope, assistant director of outreach at the Student Health and Wellness Center.

The center had to meet over 700 different standards in patient care, administration facilities, patient privacy, marketing and other areas in order to achieve the accreditation.

"It's something we've been working on for a number of years," Stanhope said. "We've revised our policies, created new procedures and ensured we have documentation of different services."

In order to receive the accreditation, the center underwent a rigorous on-site survey process. The team from Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care met with the center's staff, looked at records and sat in on examinations in order to determine whether the UNT health care facility provides its patients the highest quality of care.

UNT's Student Health and Wellness Center's accreditation proves that it is doing just that.

"We're doing everything we can to provide consistent, high-quality care and service to our patients," Stanhope said. "We're committed to improving care and service throughout the clinic pharmacy and health education offices."

More information about the Student Health and Wellness Center can be found online.