At Upstate Veterinary Specialties (UVS), we’re driven by a simple but powerful purpose: helping pets live longer, happier lives through exceptional medicine and compassionate care. As a privately owned, growing specialty and emergency hospital, we are seeking a visionary Chief Medical Officer (CMO) to help shape the future of clinical excellence at UVS.
This is more than a leadership role—it’s an opportunity to influence the future of veterinary medicine.
About the Opportunity
As our Chief Medical Officer, you will serve as the senior clinical executive responsible for defining and advancing the medical vision, strategy, and standards of care across the organization. Partnering closely with Ownership and Executive Leadership, you’ll guide strategic growth, support innovation, and ensure the highest standards of patient care across our specialty and emergency services.
This role operates at a systems level, supporting and developing medical leaders while driving long-term clinical excellence, quality, and organizational impact.
What You’ll Do
Strategic Clinical Leadership
- Set and champion the hospital’s long-term medical vision and clinical strategy
- Define and uphold hospital-wide standards of care, quality, and patient safety
- Evaluate and develop new specialty services, clinical programs, and growth opportunities
- Lead strategic oversight of medical quality metrics, innovation, and continuous improvement initiatives
Leadership & Organizational Impact
- Mentor and support Medical Directors and Chiefs of Service
- Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and clinical excellence
- Guide high-level review of medical trends, significant events, and systems-level opportunities
- Serve as the senior clinical voice within the executive leadership team
Clinical Innovation & Growth
- Shape service line growth, recruitment priorities, and specialty expansion strategies
- Partner cross-functionally with HR and Finance on compensation philosophy and medical staff strategy
- Evaluate emerging technologies, clinical programs, and care models
- Strengthen referral partnerships and support access, affordability, and consistency in care delivery
External Leadership & Governance
- Represent UVS within professional organizations and industry forums
- Support medical governance, regulatory compliance, and best practices
- Provide executive oversight of patient safety and clinical learning initiatives
What We’re Looking For
We’re seeking a collaborative, forward-thinking leader with both clinical credibility and strategic vision.
Qualifications
- DVM, VMD (or equivalent international degree); MD/DO considered
- Advanced training and board certification strongly preferred
- 10+ years in a 24-hour emergency/specialty referral setting
- 5+ years in senior clinical leadership with multi-service or hospital-wide oversight
- Demonstrated success leading through influence and driving organizational change
You Bring
- Exceptional strategic and systems-level thinking
- Strong executive presence and stakeholder alignment skills
- Deep commitment to medical excellence, ethics, and innovation
- A passion for developing people and advancing the profession
- A growth mindset grounded in compassion, dedication, and knowledge
Why UVS?
At UVS, you’ll join a highly collaborative leadership team and a hospital committed to innovation, excellence, and doing what’s right for patients, clients, and our teams.
What sets us apart:
- Privately owned, mission-driven organization
- 40,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art specialty and emergency hospital
- Advanced technology including MRI, CT, ultrasound, and expanding specialty services
- Strong referral partnerships and a reputation for exceptional medicine
- Opportunity to shape strategy at an executive level and leave a lasting impact on the profession
Ready to Help Shape What’s Next?
If you’re energized by building, mentoring, innovating, and elevating specialty care at an organizational level, we’d love to talk.
Join us in leading the future of veterinary medicine.
