VCU names medical school dean

Dr. Arturo P. Saavedra will be the next dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and executive vice president for medical affairs at VCU Health, the university announced Monday. His appointment is effective April 15.

Saavedra is currently chair of the University of Virginia’s dermatology department and interim CEO of the U.Va. Physicians Group, and before that, he was chief of population health and health policy, and chief of ambulatory strategy and operations for UVA Health. A Harvard and University of Pennsylvania alumnus, Saavedra specializes in HIV dermatology, drug reactions that cause dermatologic complications and care of cancer and post-transplant patients. He also is the senior editor of Fitzpatrick’s Color Atlas and Synopsis of Clinical Dermatology.

“I am very impressed by VCU’s unwavering commitment to its mission and by its citizenship,” Saavedra said in a statement. “I can’t wait to be part of this great university, to learn and grow with it, and to create strong partnerships in advancing all goals of the School of Medicine.”

Saavedra, who was hired after a national search, replaces Dr. David Chelmow, who stepped in as interim dean Jan. 3, 2022, after Dr. Peter F. Buckley resigned to become the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s chancellor.

“I am pleased to welcome Dr. Saavedra to VCU and our School of Medicine,” VCU and VCU Health President Michael Rao said. “Dr. Saavedra shares our commitment to put the needs of students and patients first. His work at U.Va. demonstrates a deep understanding of medical care and of health policy at every level, experiences that will be invaluable as he leads our work to educate the next generations of physicians and research scientists.”