NVA hires Dr. Jo Ann Morrison as VP of clinical excellence and patient safety

National Veterinary Associates created a position for clinical excellence leadership and hired Dr. Jo Ann Morrison, formerly Banfield Pet Hospital's global director of veterinary science, to fill it, according to the company. For associate DVMs at NVA hospitals and owner-DVMs who sold to the network, the hire signals how much clinical autonomy remains after the deal closes.

What the role does and what it replaces

According to NVA, the newly created position will synthesize clinical research and outcomes data across the company's "network of more than 1,200 North American hospitals and pet resorts to strengthen patient safety and advance evidence-based medicine."

Dr. Morrison is a board-certified internal medicine specialist who spent 11 years teaching at Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine after working in primary care and mixed-animal practice, according to the announcement. NVA chief medical officer Dr. Stacy Burdick said Dr. Morrison will help the organization "turn what we learn from the care delivered every day into insights that support our veterinary teams and ultimately improve outcomes for pets."

The hire comes from Banfield, where Dr. Morrison served as global director of veterinary science.

How this changes clinical decision-making inside the network

For associate DVMs at NVA hospitals, the role's scope will determine how much clinical autonomy changes. The stated aim is to synthesize research and outcomes data to support veterinary teams and improve patient outcomes, but the announcement does not detail how the role will interact with individual hospital medical directors or what governance structure will guide clinical decisions across the network.

Relief veterinarians working across NVA hospitals could see more data-backed support on tough cases, depending on how NVA implements the position. What remains unclear is whether the role produces recommendations or requirements, and whether those apply uniformly across all 1,200-plus hospitals or vary by region or practice type.

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What owner-DVMs should ask before signing

For owner-DVMs considering selling to NVA, the company is building centralized clinical-excellence infrastructure. We'd ask what that means for local clinical decision-making before signing, specifically whether the VP role produces binding protocols or advisory guidance, and how much latitude remains at the hospital level when the data-driven recommendation conflicts with the attending DVM's clinical judgment.

For independent owner-DVMs staying independent, NVA is now hiring dedicated leadership to synthesize outcomes data across its network while you rely on CE and your own case experience. Our read: join or build a peer network that shares de-identified outcomes data, or accept that you will practice with less aggregated information than corporate competitors. The cost of being wrong shows up in outcomes and in the comp gap when associates compare what clinical support looks like at an independent practice versus a network hospital.

The announcement does not specify the reporting structure for the position or how clinical decisions get escalated when a hospital medical director and the VP of clinical excellence disagree. If the role changes clinical decision-making in ways that do not fit individual hospitals, associate DVMs get squeezed between network direction and clinical judgment, and that tension is measurable in outcomes and retention.

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