University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, announced today that he will step down as leader of the state’s only academic health sciences university once a transition plan is in place.
Patterson, a renowned cardiologist, began as chancellor June 1, 2018. He said in an announcement to employees that he is facing medical and personal issues that need more attention than he can give them while serving as chancellor. He noted he will continue at UAMS as a professor in the College of Medicine’s Division of Cardiovascular Medicine.
“The work our team has done at UAMS over the last seven-plus years has been the high point of my career,” Patterson said. “We have a lot to be proud of, and I’ve been the luckiest guy to be a part of it. I am excited about the opportunity to return to the faculty and engage more deeply in the academic and clinical missions at our institution.”
The University of Arkansas System announced in a release that President Jay B. Silveria will name an interim chancellor in the coming weeks and begin planning for a national search to find UAMS’ next permanent leader.
“Leading UAMS is a demanding task, and I appreciate Dr. Patterson’s need to do what he feels is best for himself and his family and for the long-term success of the university,” Silveria said. “His contributions to UAMS came through unusually restrictive times, and he should be celebrated for his efforts to push the institution forward while navigating a challenging environment. I wish Dr. Patterson and his family well moving forward and thank him for his service to UAMS and the UA System.”
Patterson took over as chancellor after previously serving as the senior vice president and chief operating officer of New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Komansky Children’s Hospital in New York. During his tenure at UAMS, Patterson oversaw both challenges and improvement in the university’s economic outlook, despite the myriad issues presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and other unforeseen variables.
Under Patterson’s leadership, UAMS has received national recognition, including U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospital ranking and Arkansas’ only Best Regional Hospital for Equitable Access. This year, U.S. News ranked the College of Medicine a Tier 1 school in Primary Care, as well as fifth nationally for the most graduates practicing in medically needy areas and 12th for graduates practicing in rural areas. The publication also recognized the colleges of Pharmacy, Nursing, Health Professions and Public Health highly among their peers nationwide, while the College of Nursing’s undergraduate program continues to be the only Arkansas program to make the publication’s top 100.
Also in 2024, UAMS achieved designation as a Magnet® hospital, the highest international recognition for excellence in nursing from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Additionally, UAMS and its employees frequently populate “Best of” lists by Arkansas publications, including earning coveted “Best Place to Work” nods.
Patterson has received numerous personal accolades during his time at UAMS, including twice being named an Influencer of the Year by Arkansas Money & Politics. In 2023, he was recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of its “physician leaders to know,” the only Arkansas leader on the list. He also received the Arnall Patz Lifetime Achievement Award from the Emory Medical Alumni Association at Emory University in Atlanta, where he earned his medical degree.
Over the course of his career, Patterson has received more than $60 million in grants as principal investigator or co-investigator from the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His work has been published in 323 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
He graduated summa cum laude with his Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Vanderbilt University, where he was a Harold Sterling Vanderbilt Scholar. He earned his medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine and his Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler School of Business.
His wife, Kristine Patterson, M.D., is an infectious disease specialist in the College of Medicine who is an expert in treating menopausal women with HIV. They have three children — Celia, Anna and Graham.
