Chris J. Gray, who has served as an innovative leader for the largest provider of veterinary emergency services in the United Kingdom for the past five years, has been selected as the new director of the Michigan State University Veterinary Medical Center, one of the leading veterinary medical referral centers in the world. He begins the position on January 13, 2014.

Gray has been national head of clinical operations for Vets Now and general manager of vets2.net, a new division of Vets Now that provides business to business services to the veterinary profession in Great Britain. In addition, he has been regional clinical manager. During his tenure at Vets Now, Gray's successful innovations included developing and implementing new benchmarking and reporting mechanisms. He is a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, where he has served on the Advisory Committee and the Disciplinary Committee.

The Hospital provides the foundation for clinical teaching in the DVM and veterinary technology programs and provides primary, specialty, and emergency care to thousands of patients each year.

"Dr. Gray is a distinguished leader, and I am thrilled that he is joining us as director of the Veterinary Medical Center," says Dr. Chris Brown, dean of MSU College of Veterinary Medicine. "He has an outstanding track record of training, as well as developing, implementing and delivering professional services to the public, which puts him in an excellent position to build on our outstanding educational and clinical programs, as well as continuing the translation of scientific discoveries in the laboratory into the most advanced care for our patients."

"I am excited to see such a competent leader at the helm of the Hospital," says Dr. Coretta Patterson, associate dean for Professional Academic Programs and Student Services. "Teaching is fundamental to the mission of the Hospital, and Dr. Gray has shown himself to be an innovative thinker and effective communicator, qualities that are critical to providing the very best education to the next generation of veterinarian professionals and scientists."

"This is an exciting time for the Hospital, and I think Chris is a great choice for Hospital director," says Dr. Matthew Beal, Director of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Section Chief of Medicine, Director of Interventional Radiology Services, and Associate Professor, Emergency and Critical Care Medicine. "We're in the development stage of a major renovation to our emergency and critical care facilities, and his achievements with Vets Now will be a great asset in that project."

Gray earned his veterinary degree and his masters in biological anthropology from Cambridge in 1992. Gray earned his MBA at Durham University in 2011. His clinical interests are emergency and critical care, anesthesia, and analgesia. Before he joined Vets Now in 2004, he worked for eight years in mixed animal practice and then as chief surgeon for the UK's leading veterinary charity, PDSA, which provides care for more than 400,000 patients each year. He is a member of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association and the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society.

As director, Gray is responsible for the overall operation of the Hospital and, together with the Chiefs of Staff and Department Chairpersons, will build on the Hospital's existing level of excellence. He also will direct and build communication with referring veterinarians, animal owners, staff, other units on campus, and the community.

"The Hospital has had excellent leadership over the years, including under Dr. Pat LeBlanc, who served as director from 2003 to 2012, and Dr. Cheri Johnson, who has served as acting director since that time," says Brown. "We look forward to continued excellence and innovation under Dr. Gray."

January 13, 2014