Students who visit the University Health Center may not notice anything different, but one important figure has moved out of his upstairs office.
Former health center Director Tom Ryan handed in his resignation just before winter break last year after serving four years in the position. Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Mike Eyster has temporarily taken his place.
Ryan declined to comment on why he left the post.
As of Jan. 1, Ryan’s primary, full-time job has been to perfect a pandemic emergency plan as part of the University’s Emergency Management Program, which prepares special procedures for the University to follow should bomb threats, weather-related incidents or medical emergencies happen.
The University has had a prepared emergency procedure since 1999, but such incidents as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina and last year’s Virginia Tech shootings have prompted the administration to create several different sets of procedures for different types of emergencies. Ryan’s focus is on pandemic viruses.
“I’ve done a lot of work on the pandemic plan, and now we’re ready to start refining it,” Ryan said. “I’m focusing mainly on infectious diseases like influenza.”
Ryan said if a deadly virus were able to transmit between people quickly, the University would employ a quarantine technique, sealing those infected off from the rest of students and staff.
Since Ryan resigned, Eyster has been busy learning how to fill Ryan’s shoes.
“I spend most of my time in the health center just so that I can get a good understanding of what’s going on here,” he said. “I’ve had to bring with me a new set of eyes.”
Eyster lacks the medical background Ryan brought to the table, but most aspects of his interim job don’t involve medical terminology, he said. He’ll mostly examine finances and resources, ensure the quality of service is good and see that the health center’s 10 departments work together well.
“It’s not unusual for health centers to be administered by a non-medical person,” Eyster said.
Eyster also must take care of overhanging problems from the recent addition to the health center building. Not only are staff finding consistent problems with the heating and ventilation systems, but the cost of the project has “caused revenue to drop substantially, so our budget is very tight.” Eyster has begun to cut back on spending, even though some employees are opposed to it.
“We have to make decisions that are going to be unpopular, and I’d like to make as little of those as possible, but if I have to, I will,” Eyster said.
Vice President of Student Affairs Robin Holmes appointed Eyster to serve as interim director while she launched a national search for a new permanent director.
“She wants to ensure the best possibility of generating a pool of applicants,” Eyster said.
Before choosing a new director, Holmes will ask for input from health center staff members and University faculty, deans and administration to decide what the institution needs.
“There’s always the question of, ‘Do you hire a physician or do you hire an administrator?’ and whether a medical degree is a prerequisite for the job,” Eyster said.
Regardless, the new director will have to be a strong leader who can manage “this size of an operation,” according to Eyster. Finding a candidate who can do as well as Ryan, he said, will be difficult.
“Tom Ryan was not only extremely knowledgeable, but he’s also one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet,” Eyster said. “He was well-respected.”
Eyster also views the open spot Ryan left as an opportunity to change the job description of health center director.
“People don’t think of positions until they’re vacant,” Eyster said. “Have we missed opportunities by the way we’ve defined it in the past?”
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