Dr. Marsha D. Rappley will be the new medical leader for Virginia Commonwealth University, a major health center in the state.

VCU announced the choice of Dr. Rappley on June 16. She is a renowned pediatrician and veteran dean of Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine.

Her selection appears to signal that VCU plans to put more emphasis on children’s health care in its own operations. It also comes just weeks after pulling out of a community effort to create an independent children’s hospital locally.

Dr. Rappley, who is to start at VCU on Aug. 15, will succeed Dr. Sheldon Retchin as the vice president for health sciences at VCU and chief executive officer of the VCU Health System. Dr. Retchin is now at Ohio State University.

Dr. Rappley, who will be the first woman to head health operations, will have wide responsibility for VCU’s hospitals for children and adults and its outpatient clinics.

She also will oversee the education of new physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and other health specialists, as well as other key elements of VCU’s health system, including the Massey Cancer Center and its participation in the Medicaid health plan.

During her 10 years at MSU, she led the expansion of the school’s medical operations across Michigan and the growth of federal research awards. She also chairs the board of the Association of American Medical Colleges.

“I am very pleased that we have recruited such an inspirational, deeply experienced leader, clinician and educator who is prepared to join an exceptionally strong team at VCU,” Dr. Michael Rao, president of VCU and of the health system, stated in the announcement.