LITTLE ROCK (Tuesday, June 10, 2025) — University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Chancellor Dr. Cam Patterson announced today that he will step down from the top position at the state’s only academic health and sciences university, paving the way to return to a faculty position in cardiology.
Patterson, a renowned cardiologist and health care administrator who also serves as UAMS Health Chief Executive Officer, began as chancellor June 1, 2018. He said he is facing medical and personal issues that require more attention than he can give them while serving in the chancellor’s position.
“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.”
University of Arkansas System President Jay B. Silveria will name an interim chancellor in the coming weeks and begin planning for a national search to find UAMS’s 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 on June 1, 2018, 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, 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. In 2024, U.S. News ranked the College of Medicine a Tier 1 school in Primary Care, as well as ninth for the most graduates practicing in health professional shortage areas and 11th nationally for graduates practicing in rural areas. UAMS and its employees frequently populate “Best of” lists by Arkansas publications, including earning coveted “Best Place to Work” nods.
Patterson also 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 earned his bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University, his medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine and his Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina.