Dr. Eric Whitaker, vice president of strategic affiliations and associate dean of community-based research at the University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC) and a close friend of President Barack Obama, will be stepping down from his post this March in order to pursue other opportunities in the health field.

Whitaker plans to remain involved with the Urban Health Initiative (UHI), a program dedicated to improving health and access to care on the South Side, which he has led since 2007, by taking a position on the program’s advisory board.

Despite speculation that Whitaker might work in the Obama administration, he told the Chicago Tribune that he does not plan to take any government position so that he can continue his work on public health in Chicago.

The UCMC will conduct a national search for his replacement in the coming months, during which Whitaker plans to continue working on the UCMC’s community outreach in order to facilitate a smooth leadership transition.