Associate Dean of Clinical Services

ASO DEAN & ASO/FULL PROF

The University of Florida (UF) College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is recruiting a positive, influential and visionary leader for the Associate Dean (AD) of Clinical Services (small animal emphasis) for the UF Veterinary Hospital Systems (UFVHS). This leadership position will report to and advise the CVM Dean on matters related to the management and operations of the Small Animal Hospitals and will be responsible for future development and implementation of strategic plans, service growth and the delivery of excellent patient-centric care. The AD will collaborate with CVM and UFVH leaders, including academic department chairs, associate deans, chief medical officer, directors and service chiefs, to (1) ensure effective delivery of outstanding patient/client-centered care, (2) ensure that the UFVH meets the major needs for clinical training of professional students, interns, residents and fellows and (3) provide an effective environment to conduct clinical research and clinical trials within the UFVH. The rank and salary will be commensurate with the 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 health colleges are located on the same campus. The CVM has equally strong ties to the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. 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 in becoming a leader in veterinary medical care. The campus is in Gainesville, a vibrant and growing community with numerous cultural amenities and outstanding natural beauty (see http://www.visitgainesville.com/arts-culture-history/).

The UF Small Animal Hospital enterprise has the largest caseload in academic medicine. It spans 3 locations (one in Gainesville and two in Ocala), over 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 small animal 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 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 AD will have primary or shared responsibilities include:

• Leadership - The AD will develop and execute strategic plans for the small animal hospital to lead academic veterinary clinical medicine. The AD will actively establish programs to improve the quality of life and well-being of staff, house officers and faculty regarding the work environment. The AD will develop and provide mentorship to foster leadership skills for managers, service chiefs and new personnel.
• Administration – The AD will oversee operations of the UF small animal hospital and the satellite emergency clinic (UF Pets Emergency Hospital) offsite in Ocala, FL. Management includes overseeing facilities and equipment and maintaining compliance with UF, state and federal regulations.
• Personnel Management – The AD will oversee the small animal clinical activities of faculty, locums, house officers and hospital staff.
• Financial Responsibility – The AD will work with the Director of Administration & Finance and CFO to develop and oversee the small animal annual service budgets, satellite business operation, fiscal performance, revenues, expenditures, fee structures and accounts receivables.
• Clinical Service Activities – The AD will oversee the quality of veterinary medical care provided by small animal clinicians and staff. The AD will oversee the Assistant Dean/ Chief Medical Officer and the Patient, Quality and Safety Program. The AD is responsible for maintaining the highest level of patient care and exceptional client experiences. The AD is expected to maintain VECCS and AAHA accreditation.
• Clinical Educational Activities – The AD will work with the CVM Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs and UFVH service chiefs to provide an exemplary clinical training program for DVM students and meet the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education accreditation standards. The AD is expected to foster innovations in clinical teaching. In concert with the CVM leaders, the AD is expected to develop new or enhanced clerkship training opportunities to meet the needs of a changing veterinary profession. In addition, the AD will oversee programs for small animal professional training of house officers, including interns, residents and fellows, in conjunction with the Director of House Officer Programs.
• Clinical Research Activities – The AD will work with the CVM Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies, academic department chairs and CVM faculty to oversee the use of the small animal facilities, equipment and personnel in the conduction of clinical research and clinical trials and will be responsible for compliance with hospital rules and regulations about patient safety and confidentiality.
• Outreach, Public Relations and Marketing – The AD will oversee the organization of annual events and continuing education opportunities that pertain to and promote clinical services of the UFVH. In addition, the AD will contribute to outreach activities, including UFVH marketing operations, engagement with the community of referring veterinarians (RDVMs) and efforts to determine the level of satisfaction with UFVH clinical services among critical stakeholders, including RDVMs and clients. The AD will work with the Office of Advancement to cultivate philanthropic support that benefits small animal operations.

The rank and salary will be commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the candidate.

Applicants must have a DVM (or equivalent) and six or more years of professional experience in academic veterinary medicine or specialty practice.

Applicants should demonstrate leadership skills in managing complex organizations with an understanding of delivering high-quality client/patient-centric care in a learning environment.

Applicants must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, a solid foundation in building a collaborative and transparent work environment and demonstrated experience in conflict resolution and team building.

Advanced clinical training and board certification in a clinical specialty is preferred.

The successful candidate will have an academic appointment as Associate Professor or Professor (Clinical or Tenure Track as appropriate) in the UF CVM and, accordingly, will be able to develop a focus area for scholarly activity. The successful candidate may contribute to the CVM teaching mission by participating in professional DVM student education. Potential areas for scholarly activities will be defined through negotiations with the Dean and may include one or more broad initiatives related to clinical research, clinical service, academic veterinary hospital management or other areas that are relevant to the AD's background and interests.

All applicants must apply online through Careers at UF to be considered. Applications for job number 533148 must submit: (1) a cover letter including a statement of the applicant's leadership philosophy, articulated vision and how the candidate's experience supports that vision (2) a curriculum vitae; and (3) the name and contact information of three professional references. Email inquiries to Dr. Charles Vite, Search Committee Chair [email protected] are welcome, however for full consideration, applications must be submitted online. Review of applications will begin on October 7, 2024, and will continue until the position is filled.

The successful candidate will be required to provide official transcript(s) upon hire. A transcript will not be considered "official" if a designation of "Issued to Student" is visible. Degrees earned from an educational institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/.

The University of Florida is an equal-opportunity institution. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352/392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800/955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law.

Application must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date.