Jessica Wiard is an accomplished healthcare operations leader with 17 years of experience at University of Kentucky HealthCare (UKHC), where she has dedicated her career to advancing ambulatory care, improving the patient experience, and developing innovative models to support the growth and evolution of healthcare delivery.
Jessica currently serves as an Ambulatory Operations Director at UKHC, overseeing a complex musculoskeletal and neuroscience portfolio that includes Orthopedics, Interventional Pain, Neurology, and Neurosurgery. Throughout her career, she has held progressive leadership roles, including serving as a Practice Manager for multiple specialty practices and as an IT Implementation Director, where she led UKHC Ambulatory Operations through the implementation of Epic as its electronic medical record. In her current role, Jessica has helped lead significant clinical growth, the development of new programs and care models, and the planning and design of new clinics and state-of-the-art ambulatory facilities. She also serves on numerous institutional committees focused on advancing healthcare through innovation, technology, operational excellence, and new models of care.
Developing future healthcare leaders is a particular passion for Jessica. She is an active mentor through the University of Kentucky College of Public Health and UK Master of Health Administration programs and regularly serves as a preceptor for Eastern Kentucky University Health Care Administration students. She is also active in her Frankfort community and supports several local organizations through volunteer service.
Jessica earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Michigan and her Master of Public Health from the University of Kentucky College of Public Health. As a proud alumna, she is honored to give back to the college that has played an important role in her professional journey.
Outside of work, Jessica enjoys spending time with her husband and their three children, ages 4, 7, and 9, and can most often be found cheering them on from the sidelines of a ball field.
