Stephen Kates, MD, will serve as interim dean of the Richmond-based Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and interim executive vice president of medical affairs for VCU Health System, effective Dec. 24.
Dr. Kates serves as chair of the department of orthopedic surgery at VCU and has been a professor at the university since 2015. He will succeed Arturo Saavedra, MD, PhD, who was named interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, according to a Dec. 12 news release from the university.
A national expert in geriatric fracture care, Dr. Kates developed the Geriatric Fracture Center Model of Care and founded the International Geriatric Fracture Society and the journal Geriatric Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation.
Before joining VCU, Dr. Kates was the Hanjoerg Wyss Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Rochester (N.Y.) and associate director of its Center for Musculoskeletal Research. He is first vice president of the American Orthopaedic Association and is slated to become president in May 2026.
