Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine seeks a proactive innovator for a key leadership role as Director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. The VTH is a full-service, academic hospital providing referral specialty services to the region, food animal and equine ambulatory services to the area, and primary and emergency veterinary care to local small and large animal patients.  The VTH supports the teaching, research, and clinical care missions of the College by providing compassionate and cutting-edge veterinary service.  The annual caseload is approximately 15,000 cases per year, with revenue of approximately $9 million.  Clinical care is provided by approximately 85 academic clinicians, 145 technical and support staff, 33 residents, 8 interns, and 140 veterinary students. 

Reporting to the dean, the Hospital Director is a senior position providing leadership and oversight of the strategic vision, financial management, operations, medical care, human resources, communications, regulatory compliance, and infrastructure of the VTH.  This includes a key role in the proposed expansion of the VTH physical footprint to meet its clinical, education, and research missions.  The Director is supported by an Assistant Hospital Director and a Hospital Administrator. The Director chairs the Hospital Board, serves on the college Operations Board and Executive Board, and works closely with the academic department heads and college leadership.

The Director’s role is to support the clinical education of DVM students through optimization of hospital structure, function, and culture. Specific responsibilities include:

• Promoting a positive work culture and a supportive, inclusive environment
• Balancing the demands for patient care, clinical research, and experiential education of veterinary medical students, interns, and residents
• Ensuring financial sustainability of the VTH through appropriate budgeting, resource allocation, strategic decision making, and financial management
• Ensuring clear and efficient communication of important college and hospital matters with clinicians, staff, and house officers
• Providing leadership and expertise through long-term strategy planning and implementation to promote and enhance fiscal, operational, and administrative management, as well as alignment with the College’s strategic plan
• Working with VTH administration, the Director will foster an environment supportive of the health and wellbeing of staff, clinicians, house officers, and students
• Representing the VTH to referring veterinarians, clients of the VTH, and the community, including promotion and further development of the Grateful Client program and marketing of clinical services to facilitate appropriate growth in clinical caseload
• Implementing processes for recruitment, on-boarding, training, professional development, and successful retention of clinicians, staff, and house officers
• Developing, implementing, and maintaining appropriate hospital policies and procedures
• Meeting the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education accreditation standards pertaining to clinical operations
• Serving as the Veterinarian in Charge and Chief Medical Officer of the VTH—includes serving as primary contact with regulatory agencies, including but not limited to the Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine, USDA, DEA, and FDA.
• Ensuring compliance with college and university policies, as well as state and federal laws
• Possible direct participation in didactic teaching, clinical service, and research missions of the College

Depending on the qualifications and interests of the successful candidate, a faculty appointment in one of the college’s academic departments is available.

Required:

1. DVM (or equivalent) with eligibility to hold a veterinary license in Virginia
2. Substantive experience in a leadership role in a primary, specialty or emergency hospital involving five or more veterinarians
3. A thorough understanding of veterinary clinical education
4. An appreciation for research in an academic hospital
5. Experience in organizational finance, budget management, fiscal planning and personnel management
6. Ability to lead a complex organization towards successful outcomes, using transparent, collaborative leadership
7. Ability to communicate vision, motivate others, and delegate effectively to facilitate change

Preferred:

1. Prior employment in a college or school of veterinary medicine
2. Previous experience in strategic planning and setting expectations for an organization or unit