Dr. William J. Novak, DVM, MBA, Diplomate ABVP, Named Chief Medical Officer of Banfield, The Pet Hospital, Nation's Largest Private Veterinary Practice.

Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BW HealthWire)--March 26, 2001

Dr. William J. Novak, DVM, MBA, Diplomate ABVP, began his career with Banfield, The Pet Hospital, in 1996 as Chief of Staff of the practice's Arlington Heights, Illinois, hospital.

Today he has been named Chief Medical Officer of the nation's largest private veterinary practice, after serving successively in the posts of Field Counselor, Director of Quality Assurance, and Vice President for Medical Development and Quality Assurance.

Dr. Novak, board-certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Kansas State University. He also holds a Bachelors in Business Administration from Wichita State University and a Masters in Business Administration from Oklahoma City University. Prior to joining Banfield he managed a successful small animal practice in Kansas and provided veterinary practice management consulting services to other practice owners.

"Dr. Novak and our practice have grown tremendously together, and the expansion of his responsibilities reflects both his past accomplishments and our expectations for the future," said Banfield Chairman and CEO, Scott Campbell, DVM. "The cornerstone of our practice is and always will be excellent veterinarians -- and Will is an excellent veterinarian!"

"We're tremendously fortunate to have in Dr. Novak a man of exceptional medical skill and management capability," added Banfield President and COO Kregg Hanson.

As Chief Medical Officer Dr. Novak will set the strategic medical direction -- and oversee all quality assurance and education operations -- for a practice consisting of 410 full service hospitals and clinics. Among these responsibilities will be developing medical standards and doctor training, conducting and reviewing client satisfaction surveys, peer reviews, medical records reviews, preventive care reviews, annual education symposiums, continuing education programs, field training operations, and a new internet based training module that will be rolled out in 2001. He will oversee the practice's board certified medical consultants and medical counselors, who provide management and training programs for all of the doctors in the practice. Dr. Novak will also continue to teach Banfield's certified anesthesia education program, which is required of all doctors working in the practice.

An initial priority for Dr. Novak will be managing the practice's recent switch (from the older generation of isoflouraine products) to Abbott Laboratories' Propofol and Sevoflurane products for all procedures requiring general anesthesia.

"We push ourselves hard to lead the practice of veterinary medicine in terms of quality, innovation, and learning about Pet health," said Dr. Novak. "From clinical research to proprietary data collection and patient care software, from in-house, continuing education programs to a quality improvement program, everything we do is in the service of making life better for families and Pets."

A high-resolution digital image of Dr. Novak is available to accompany this release.

Banfield, The Pet Hospital, is a national practice led by veterinarians with 410 hospitals and clinics in 37 states. The Practice was founded in 1955 in Portland, Oregon, where it is still based today. Banfield, The Pet Hospital, is located on the internet at www.banfield.net. For more information please contact Jeff Muir at 503/345-5124 or at [e-mail].