LITTLE ROCK - University of Arkansas System President Donald R. Bobbitt has recommended Cam Patterson, M.D., as the next chancellor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).
Patterson, currently senior vice president and chief operating officer at Weill-Cornell Medical Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital, is expected to join UAMS June 1, 2018 after seeing a major construction project on that campus through completion. The other finalist, Stephanie F. Gardner, Pharm.D., Ed.D., interim chancellor, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost at UAMS, will continue to lead the institution through the transition.
"We were very fortunate to have two extremely high-quality candidates who both offered strong skill sets to help lead UAMS into a very crucial period in its continued tradition of innovation and excellence," Bobbitt said. "In the end, Dr. Patterson's experience in leading a very complex clinical enterprise and his varied background in clinical care, research and administrative leadership elevated his candidacy. I am thrilled to bring him on board and welcome him and his family to Arkansas.
"I am also extremely grateful to Dr. Gardner for her leadership and her candidacy for this position. She has proven herself to be an exceptional leader and an invaluable member of the UAMS leadership team."
The recommendation is subject to approval by the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas, which will meet by telephone to consider the appointment after the holiday break.
"I am humbled and honored for the opportunity to lead UAMS during such an important time for academic health centers across the country," Patterson said. "I know that we have many key initiatives underway and decisions to make in both the short- and long-term, and I am committed to working with our team to ensure we continue to provide the very best education, health care and research for the state. I enjoyed my time visiting with the students, faculty and staff on campus and look forward to learning more about UAMS and the state of Arkansas as I prepare to make this transition. I also want to acknowledge and offer my sincere thanks to Dr. Gardner for her leadership. I am excited to work with her to advance the mission of UAMS."
"I want to offer my congratulations to Dr. Patterson and welcome him to the UAMS family," Gardner said. "I look forward to working with him. I truly believe there is no other institution more important to our state than UAMS and I am excited about our future under Dr. Patterson's leadership."
Chaired by Jeannette Shorey, M.D., associate provost for faculty and professor of Internal Medicine, the advisory search committee included representatives from campus faculty, administration and staff, supporters from across the state and a Trustee of the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas.
"The committee deserves a lot of praise for the hard work and many extra hours they put into this national search that came in addition to a commitment to their current positions," Shorey said. "Our group worked hard alongside the search firm to help identify individuals who we felt to be the best fit for this campus at this time. I'm very grateful to each of them."
Patterson has served as senior vice president and chief operating officer at Weill-Cornell Medical Center since 2014. A cardiologist, Patterson previously held numerous academic and clinical appointments at the University of North Carolina, including as physician-in-chief at the UNC Center for Heart and Vascular Care and executive director of the UNC McAllister Heart Institute.
