Kathleen Poi chosen to lead University Health Services

Kathleen Poi, interim executive director of University Health Services at UW–Madison, has been appointed to the position permanently, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Paul Barrows announced today, July 3.

“Kathy has risen to the occasion many times as a leader at UHS and those leadership roles have prepared her to become UHS’s executive director,” Barrows says.

Poi, a clinical professor in the School of Nursing, has spent 33 years at UHS in positions of increasing responsibility. She joined UHS in 1968 as a staff nurse and later became a nurse clinician and clinical nurse specialist.

Poi took on a leadership role at UHS in 1979 when she was appointed assistant director for community health before finally ascending to associate director and later deputy executive director of UHS.

She also served as interim executive director prior to Richard Keeling’s appointment in 1993 and again since his departure in November 1999.

“I am very excited to have the chance to lead UHS. I have spent the bulk of my career at UW–Madison and look forward to helping UHS continue to improve the services it provides to this campus,” Poi says.

Administering an annual budget of approximately $8 million, Poi will continue to lead the UHS senior management team in the overall direction, design, implementation, and continuous improvement of UHS programs, services, academic relationships and special projects.

Barrows says a proposed UHS facility, which would integrate UHS services and a student activity center, will be one of Poi’s top priorities. “Her leadership will be especially important to helping us see this new UHS and student organization building through to completion,” he says.

Poi also will help strengthen partnerships with academic departments, student service programs, and student organizations to integrate the work of UHS with the university’s mission and campus life.

“One of the ongoing driving issues is to link UHS with the goals of the university. I plan to tap the talents of the staff at UHS for ideas to do just that,” Poi says.

Poi’s appointment was effective July 2 at an annual salary of $125,000.