The chair of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences will step into the interim role of vice provost for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, GW announced Thursday.

Jeffrey Akman will serve in the newly combined position of dean and vice provost during a review of the Medical Center – the center that houses the Medical School – making him one of GW’s top administrators.

“While it’s been very much a whirlwind for the past two days, the reality is I feel like I’ve been preparing for this for a long time,” Akman said.

He will transition into the dual role as the senior vice provost for health affairs, John “Skip” Williams,  prepares to leave the University for a yearlong sabbatical and as Dean James Scott steps down from his position as dean of the Medical School.

The Washington Post reported that both Williams and Scott were being pushed out of their jobs by senior University officials.

“Dr. Akman brings to the position more than 33 years of service to the school, including 25 years as a full-time faculty member and numerous leadership roles,” University provost Steven Lerman said.

This staffing switch comes on the heels of the first phase of a multi-part review of the Medical Center, which will look at the organizational structure and strategy for the Medical Center. The review committee suggested GW create a “double-hatted” position that combines the roles of the vice president for health affairs and the medical school dean. This new administrator would be tasked with “managing the Medical Center-partner relationships and running the school.” The committee also suggested shifting the reporting relationships of the deans of the public health school and the nursing school to the provost.

“There is a need to clarify the vision, strategy and financial plan, including philanthropy, shared among the University, [GW University Hospital] and [the GW Medical Faculty Associates],” according to documents explaining the review.

University President Steven Knapp said having interim officials will avoid a situation where officials would be determining the future of their own positions at the Medical Center.

“This is not a response to a crisis in the financial right or the academic right,” Knapp said. “It is looking to the future.”

Akman will step down as chair of the psychiatry department while interim dean, and an interim chair will be named, Lerman said. Akman will assume his new leadership role on Jan. 3 and will stay on until GW finishes its search for a new dean.

Dr. Vincent Chiappinelli, the chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, will serve as interim associate dean of the SMHS and associate vice provost for health affairs during the review.

Priya Anand contributed to this report.