LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has named Michelle W. Krause, MD, MPH, senior vice chancellor for UAMS Health and chief executive officer for UAMS Medical Center, and Ahmed Abuabdou, MD, MBA, chief clinical officer for UAMS Medical Center. Both have been serving in these roles on an interim basis since September 2022.
“Dr. Krause has been at UAMS for more than 20 years and led both our COVID-19 testing and vaccination efforts and helped lead the implementation of our operational surge plans for caring for additional hospitalized COVID patients,” said UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA. “Her clinical expertise, administrative experience and institutional knowledge make her the ideal leader for our statewide health system. She is well versed on the health care needs across Arkansas.
“We are fortunate to have two established leaders from within UAMS to step into these roles,” he said. “Their leadership and perspectives will be particularly valuable in our efforts to achieve our strategic goals to make Arkansas a healthier state and grow our national reputation for excellence.”
Krause is responsible for UAMS Health’s 535-bed hospital, outpatient clinics in central Arkansas, digital health services and clinics at eight regional campuses across the state. She serves as chair of the board of directors of the Baptist Health-UAMS Accountable Care Alliance and is also a professor in the UAMS College of Medicine.
Krause joined UAMS in 2002 and served in several administrative roles including ambulatory medical director and vice chair for Clinical Programs of the Department of Internal Medicine before being named director of the Integrated Medicine Service Line in 2015. In April 2022, she was named chief clinical officer and served in this capacity before taking on her current role.
She received her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and completed her internal medicine residency at the University of North Carolina. She completed fellowships in nephrology and research nephrology at the University of North Carolina and earned her master’s in public health in epidemiology at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health.
As chief clinical officer, Abuabdou will facilitate medical staff interactions with UAMS Health leadership and among service lines to ensure effective and efficient care delivery. He also has executive operational oversight of the clinical service lines and chairs the Clinical Leadership Council.
“Dr. Abuabdou has served in this new role on an interim basis for the past four months and has strong relationships with staff at all levels that help ensure we provide excellent patient care to all patients at all times,” said Krause. “As a trusted member of the UAMS Health leadership team, he will play an essential role in navigating our clinical operations through the opportunities ahead.”
Abuabdou joined UAMS in 2012. He is an associate professor of medicine at UAMS and previously served as associate chief medical officer. He also leads the UAMS Physician Advisor Group. He completed medical school at Gulf Medical College, United Arab Emirates, earning Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees. He completed an internal medicine residency at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, Ohio, and then completed a fellowship in blood banking and transfusion medicine at UAMS. He has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Nationally, Abuabdou serves as the vice president of operations for the American College of Physician Advisors.
