The University of California, Davis appointed Joy Hoover as hospital administrator for the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH), which in 2018 will embark on a 10-year expansion. Hoover, who is already hard at work getting to know the staff and the ins and outs of the VMTH’s specialty services, will have time to settle in before the hospital undergoes its $508 million facelift, designed to update crowded 1970s-era facilities designed for 5,000 animal patients but currently serving 55,000. Hoover will partner with Dr. Jane Sykes, BVSc, Ph.D., chief veterinary medical officer, as well as clinic directors, the financial officer and the office of the dean to help ensure the fiscal integrity of the VMTH. About working with Hoover, Dr. Sykes said, “Her experience in strategic planning and building project management in the human healthcare industry will be a tremendous asset as we move toward the construction of a state-of-the-art, multi-facility veterinary medical center on the UC Davis campus.” Additionally, Hoover will keep Sykes abreast of operational, financial, staff personnel, programs, facilities, equipment, compliance and academic support issues as well as have direct fiscal and operational management responsibility for all nonacademic services, balancing business operations with providing support for clinical teaching, research and service activities. Hoover comes to UCD from the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health, Bel Air, Md., where she served as assistant vice president of planning and business intelligence. While Hoover’s background comes from running human medical facilities, she said her previous experience is transferable and will prove a strength in her new role. “Many of the same types of diagnosis and procedures that occur in people are performed here at the UC Davis veterinary hospital, and the delivery of that care is similar to that in human medicine,” Hoover said. “With animals, the communication process is more subtle, so in that respect there is a difference. Also, the size of some of our patients provides more of a logistical challenge than humans face, so more variety in settings is required.” Hoover holds an MBA from Illinois State University and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the Healthcare Financial Management Association and the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development. She replaces former VMTH Hospital Administrator Frank LaBonte who retired after nearly a decade in the role.
