William Kelley, M.D., has stepped aside as chief executive officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and dean of the School of Medicine.

President Judith Rodin announced on Feb. 17 that Peter G. Traber, M.D., chair of the department of medicine, will serve as interim Health System CEO and Medical School dean until a permanent successor is found.

Stanley Goldfarb, interim chair of the department of medicine, said of Traber, “He’s a person of incredible integrity. He’s shown that he can run a very complicated academic department, so he’s a perfect choice to run a large and complex health system.”

He also added, “I think most people in the Medical School have great respect and admiration for what Bill Kelley did.”

Kelley, who has been CEO for the past decade, will remain a member of the Medical School faculty and has been asked by Rodin to address broader issues of national health-care policy in his role as executive vice president for health affairs.