Vincent Johnson Jr., a health care executive with nearly 20 years of experience in hospital administration, is the new chief operating officer of UC Davis Medical Center. The UC Board of Regents recently approved Johnson's appointment. He will begin on Oct. 27.

Johnson, vice president of administration at Shands Jacksonville Medical Center in Jacksonville, Fla., was selected for the UC Davis position after a nationwide search. As COO, he will lead the operations of several departments and divisions at UC Davis Medical Center. Since 2003, Johnson has been vice president of administration at Shands Jacksonville, which is part of Shands Healthcare, a health-care network affiliated with the University of Florida.

— Dateline staff