Cam Patterson, MD, MBA, chancellor of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), was invested as the third recipient of the Harry P. Ward Chancellor’s Distinguished Chair.
Created in 2005, the Ward chair became the first chancellor’s chair endowed at an Arkansas university. I. Dodd Wilson, MD, who succeeded Harry P. Ward as chancellor in 2000, was the inaugural recipient, followed by Daniel W. Rahn, MD, who succeeded Wilson in 2009. Patterson has served as chancellor since June 1, 2018.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson praised Patterson’s accomplishments since he joined UAMS, saying, “You’ve been able to build confidence in UAMS in terms of the budget and in terms of legislative support. We wanted to see answers, we wanted to see solutions, and Dr. Patterson came to us and he said, ‘This is what we want to do, and this is how we’re going to get there.’”
“I’m so proud to be one of the many great people who have had the chance to hold the Harry Ward Distinguished Chair,” Patterson said. “The medals that we wear to exemplify these distinguished chairs contain connections to each of these individuals, and the work that they did to make UAMS what it is, and these connections will continue as we do big things. We have so much more that we need to do.”
“These connections ensure that we do what is necessary to provide for every Arkansan, and to ensure that, day by day and year by year, the people of Arkansas have better health and better healthcare,” Patterson said. “To me, that is what this medal embodies.”
“I’ve known Cam for 30 years and he is bright, friendly, and an incredibly great friend,” said Steve Carpenter, MD, with the Center for Digestive and Liver Health in Savanah, Georgia, and academic chair of the Department of Internal Medicine in the Mercer University School of Medicine at the Savannah Campus of the Memorial Health University Medical Center. “Dr. Patterson has said, ‘The mission of UAMS is not to make money. The mission of UAMS is to serve the people of Arkansas. We’ve got to be sure we stay on that.’ So if you stick with that, Cam, I think it’s going to work out just fine.”
The chair is named for Harry P. Ward, MD, UAMS chancellor from 1979 to 2000, who is remembered as a “giant” in the history of healthcare and higher education in Arkansas. Ward led UAMS’ transformation from a small medical school with a charity hospital into a health sciences university and research leader, with an annual economic impact in Arkansas of more than $4.5 billion. His wife, Betty Jo, attended Patterson’s investiture.
An endowed chair is among the highest academic honors a university can bestow on a faculty member. A distinguished chair is established with gifts of at least $1.5 million, which are invested and the interest proceeds used to support the educational, research and clinical activities of the chair holder. Those named to a chair are among the most highly regarded scientists, physicians and professors in their fields.
The Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation provided the lead gift of $1 million for the chancellor’s distinguished chair, with support from other donors reaching $2.5 million. The chair provides funding for the UAMS chancellor to use in recruiting faculty and administrators of the greatest possible caliber and vision.
Prior to arriving at UAMS in 2018, Patterson was senior vice president and chief operating officer at Weill-Cornell Medical Center and Komansky Children’s Hospital/New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York.
In his first year as chancellor, Patterson led efforts to trim a potential $72 million deficit to produce a balanced budget. In February, UAMS established the Institute for Digital Health & Innovation to increase healthcare access across the state through technology, one of Patterson’s key priorities. Patterson has also worked alongside the governor and the Arkansas General Assembly to receive a commitment of at least $10 million in annual state support in UAMS’ quest for National Cancer Institute designation for the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.
Patterson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Vanderbilt University, a medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler School of Business.