Arturo Saavedra, MD, PhD, MBA
Arturo Saavedra, MD, PhD, MBA, chair of the UVA Department of Dermatology and president/interim CEO of the University Physicians Group (UPG) will be departing UVA, given his appointment to the prestigious positions of dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and executive vice president of medical affairs for VCU Health System.
Dr. Saavedra has been an exceptional leader as chair of the UVA Department of Dermatology and president/interim CEO of the University Physicians Group during his tenure in both roles. Serving as chair since 2017 Dr. Saavedra has provided exemplary leadership by growing the department, forging financial and operational improvements, and ensuring substantial increases in both patient volume and patient satisfaction. Of equal importance to Dr. Saavedra has been his ability to drive successful change in the areas of workplace improvement and provider wellbeing, with a specific interest in the mitigation of provider burn-out, while consistently maintaining a focus on driving continuous improvement in the overall quality and value of patient care.
Dr. Saavedra is highly regarded across the UVA Health enterprise and is known as a genuine and results-oriented physician leader. As UVA Health continues to grow in order to deliver exceptional patient care to more patients across the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond, Dr. Saavedra has played leadership roles in key strategic initiatives including Revenue Cycle Integration and United on Access, serving as a consistent champion of both initiatives’ impact and importance to the future of UVA Health. We are incredibly grateful for his leadership and tremendous commitment to his department faculty and staff as well as the University Physicians Group.
Dr. Saavedra’s last day with the UVA School of Medicine will be April 4. Over the coming weeks, a search committee will be formed and a national search for a new chair of dermatology will be launched. Details about interim leadership for the Department of Dermatology will soon be forthcoming. The search for a chief executive officer for UPG is still in progress, with the expectation of naming the new CEO prior to Dr. Saavedra’s departure. And, as per official protocol, the UVA School of Medicine clinical chairs will convene in March to elect a new UPG president.