Director of Veterinary Inpatients and Emergency and Critical Care

Classification Title:

DIR & CLIN AST/ASO/FULL PROF

Job Description:

The University of Florida (UF) College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is recruiting a passionate veterinary leader to serve as the Director of Inpatients and Emergency and Critical Care for the UF Small Animal Hospital. This leadership position will report to the Associate Dean of Clinical Services. UF is looking for a leader committed to delivering excellent patient/client-centric care in a 24/7 referral hospital. The Director will be responsible for the technical staff in the small animal hospital's ICU, Progressive Care, Emergency Room, and Blood Bank. The Director provides administrative supervision over three main areas which exceed $7 million in revenue and a team of 92 FTE veterinary technical staff. Rank and salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience of the candidate.

The College of Veterinary Medicine is part of the University of Florida Health Science Center which houses six health related colleges (Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health & Health Professions, and Veterinary Medicine). It is the only health science center in the southeast, and one of only three nationally, where all six colleges of health are located on the same campus. The CVM has equally strong ties to the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Together, these alliances create opportunities for vibrant research collaborations, academic depth in Artificial Intelligence and a robust human clinical enterprise which has aided the UF Veterinary Hospital system to be a leader in veterinary medical care. The campus is in Gainesville, a vibrant and growing community that has numerous cultural amenities in a setting with great natural beauty (see http://www.visitgainesville.com/arts-culture-history/). 

The UF has the largest small animal caseload in veterinary academic medicine with 20 specialty services, 90 small animal clinicians, 96 small animal house officers, 235 small animal clinical support staff and 65,500 small animal patients in FY24. The hospital in Gainesville is a Level 1 Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Society (VECCS) certified facility and an American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) accredited hospital.  The UF Veterinary Hospital (UFVH) has a $59.6M annual operating budget. The UFVH supports a growing Clinical Trials program, a unique small animal open heart surgery program, and the most sophisticated and integrated Patient Quality and Safety program in veterinary medicine.

Specific activities for which the Director will have primary or shared responsibilities include:

• Leadership – The Director will advance the vision of the UF Veterinary Hospital's (UFVH) patient/client-centered care model, providing the capstone learning environment for the DVM students and house officers. The Director will build a culture of trust among the UFVH employees, demonstrating initiative to build and maintain a vibrant work environment that supports the well-being of the staff, learners and clinicians. in concert with service leaders, the Director will recommend future planning and strategic goals for the ICU, PCW and ER.
• Personnel Management- The Director will oversee the veterinary managers, technicians, and assistants who provide inpatient care, emergency care and run the blood bank. This includes recruitment, engagement and retention of veterinary technical staff. The Director will advise managers and supervisors on hiring, orientation, performance appraisals and human resource issues. The Director will develop, implement, and maintain an effective orientation program for new employees, including orientation to the facility, hospital policies and procedures, and his/her job duties. The Director will work closely with the management team to ensure staff comply with current policies and procedures. The Director will develop active recruitment strategies to attract veterinary technicians to the small animal hospital and innovate retention strategies for current employees. The Director will maintain data on the ICU, PCW and ER workforce hires, training status and annual turnover rates.
• Operational Management – The Director will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the inpatient areas, emergency and critical care, and blood bank. This includes but is not limited to ensuring proper staffing for optimal patient care; communication throughout the hospital on staffing pressures related to patient care; clinicians and staff are informed of changes and issues; facilities and equipment are in working order; and charges are accurate and submitted on time. The Director will work with the Director of Administration & Finance, CFO, Associate Director of Operations and Service Chiefs to ensure the success of the units. This will