SALT LAKE CITY — University of Utah Health CEO Dr. Vivian Lee, who resigned on Friday, will be replaced in the interim by Dr. A. Lorris Betz, a widely respected former leader of the U. hospital system, according to U. President David Pershing.
Pershing, who made the announcement Saturday, called Betz "uniquely suited to fill this role."
Betz, who is Lee's predecessor, served in the triple-role of senior vice president for health sciences, executive dean of the medical school and CEO of University of Utah Health Care for 12 years from 1999 to 2011.
"Dr. Betz is well respected by university faculty, the community, and national leaders in health care," Pershing said in a prepared statement. "He and I worked closely together for many years at the university and I deeply appreciate his willingness to leave retirement to return to a position and an institution he knows so well."
Dr. Richard Sperry, a professor in the U.'s anesthesiology department who worked closely with Betz for years as the former associate vice president for academic and clinical affairs, said Betz's appointment should "smooth the waters" at the U.
"People are wondering how we're ever going to heal the rifts and move forward and I think Lorris is as good a choice — and probably maybe one of the best — that could try to bring people back onto the same page," Sperry said.
"It's a rocky place right now," he added. "He's got a tough job ahead of him."
Lee resigned from her post on Friday evening after facing backlash for her and Pershing's decision to fire popular Huntsman Cancer Institute Director Mary Beckerle on April 17.
The decision drew the ire of faculty, students and the Huntsman family, with billionaire philanthropist Jon Huntsman, Sr. calling for her firing. Pershing re-hired Beckerle on Tuesday.
Huntsan said on Saturday that he was "delighted" Betz is coming out of retirement to take the helm of University of Utah Health again.
"He's very fair and he understands all issues," Huntsman told the Deseret News. "I give Dr. Pershing very high marks for pulling in someone of Dr. Betz's character and caliber."
He added: "Dr. Betz understands the U. better than probably any person alive. He's a man who is loved and revered by everyone who knows him."
Lee, in announcing her resignation, said that she believed it was in the best interests of the university that she step down.
"We should not permit the events of the past two weeks to divert us from our fundamental mission, and with my decision today, I believe our entire community can readily return to its vital focus on health sciences, health care, education and service," she said.
Lee added later that the installation of "new interim leadership" would be "another important step forward" in unifying the campus.
A national search for Lee's permanent replacement is underway, according to Pershing. Lee will stay on as a tenured professor of radiology at the U.
Bruce Edgar, a molecular biologist and professor at the U. who advocated for Beckerle's reinstatement, said he hopes the search for Lee's replacement will be transparent.
"I would hope that the board and president consider whether it's really wise to have all three positions given to one person," Edgar said.
He added that the medical school dean is primarily an academic position tasked with supporting education and research, while the CEO of the university hospital system is more of a financial and management role.
"They may have very different and often opposing goals," Edgar said.
Betz is known for his decade-long leadership of the university's health system in which he pushed the university to focus on patient-centered care. He also twice served as interim president of the university and was an early advocate for the Utah Science Technology and Research initiative.
Both Betz and Pershing declined interview requests Saturday.