Senior management changes announced at UHS

Longtime University Health Services (UHS) Executive Director Kathleen Poi will retire on Nov. 9, to be succeeded on an interim basis by UHS director of prevention services Susan Crowley.

"Kathy has done a wonderful job in leading UHS and leaves the organization in very good shape," says Darrell Bazzell, UW–Madison vice chancellor for administration, who oversees UHS and announced the changes today. "Susan has the experience and background to help ensure a smooth transition."

Poi has served as UHS director since July 2001 and has contributed in numerous additional roles there since 1968, including clinical nurse specialist, assistant director, associate director and deputy executive director.

Poi says her biggest accomplishment is having advocated successfully over the past decade for a modern, new facility for UHS. The four program areas of UHS — clinical, counseling, prevention and administration — are scheduled to be united in the same building for the first time in December 2008 in the rebuilt University Square on the 700 block of University Avenue.

"I feel extremely fortunate that I’ve had this incredible opportunity to spend my career within this organization," she says. "This was the right time to step aside and let a new director come in and complete the transition to the new building."

Crowley, who says she will not apply to become permanent director, adds that she is looking forward to assisting on details of the move, while also helping UHS transition to a computerized clinical records management system.

Crowley holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Grove City College and a master’s of public administration from Penn State University. In addition to her time at UW–Madison, Crowley has experience in design, implementation and management of human services programs. From 1998-2000, she served as director of Dane County Human Services.

She will continue to lead the university’s efforts against high-risk drinking as director of Policy Alternatives Community Education (the PACE Project). A search and screen committee is being formed to search for Poi’s permanent successor.