Cam Patterson named new UAMS chancellor

The University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees has approved the appointment of Cam Patterson as the new chancellor for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. The board voted through teleconference Wednesday (Jan. 3) to approve Patterson, who was recommended for the job in December by UA System President Donald Bobbitt.

Patterson, now the chief operating officer at Weill-Cornell Medical Center at New York Presbyterian Hospital, is expected to join UAMS June 1. He is staying on at Weill-Cornell to oversee the completion of a major construction project on that campus, according to the UA.

Stephanie Gardner, the other finalist for the position, will continue in her role as interim chancellor through the transition. Gardner is also senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost at UAMS.

“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 a December press release announcing his recommendation. “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 he 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,” Bobbit said.

Patterson has served as senior vice president and COO at Weill-Cornell Medical Center since 2014. He is a cardiologist and 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, according to the UA.

“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 in the December press release. “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, healthcare and research for the state.”

The chancellor search was conducted by Bobbitt and a campus advisory search committee, along with the help of Isaacson Miller, a contracted national search firm, according to the UA.

Dan Rahn, the fourth chancellor of UAMS, retired July 31. He held the position since 2009.

Chaired by Jeannette Shorey, 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 member of the UA Board of Trustees.

“I want to express my sincere appreciation to Dr. Shorey and her committee for their outstanding work,” Bobbitt said. “Jan brought critical insight to the search process and the committee worked very well together to help identify our next chancellor.”

More information on the search, including Patterson’s full resume, is available online here.