Hospital exec Just to lead Yountville veterans home

A hospital executive from Riverside has been named the new head of the Veterans Home of California in Yountville, where a troubled Army vet shot three health care workers to death last month.

Gov. Jerry Brown announced the appointment of Frederick Just, 60, as administrator of the home on Thursday. He replaces Donald Veverka, who was dismissed last year.

The Yountville complex is home to about 1,000 disabled and elderly veterans. Founded in 1884, it is the biggest facility of its kind in the nation, and is undergoing a raft of improvement projects to clear a backlog of deferred maintenance and construction.

The home made national headlines in March when ex-soldier Albert Wong, 36, barged into a farewell party and took hostage three women who had been trying to help him with his post-traumatic stress disorder through the on-site Pathway Home program. He shot the trio — Jennifer Gonzales Shushereba, Christine Loeber and Jennifer Gray Golick — before killing himself.

Just worked as a director at Kaiser Permanente facilities from Modesto to San Bernardino County between 2005 and 2017, and before that held jobs including director of construction and plant administration at the Tri-City Medical Center in San Diego County. His annual salary will be $159,792.

Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com