In introducing Spencer Foreman, MD, as the 2001 presenter of the annual Robert E. Mack, MD, Lecture, WSU Dean John Crissman, MD, quite appropriately cited a passage from a volume recently edited by Dr. Mack.

Holding up his copy of the newly released fourth volume of the “History of the Society of Medical Administrators,” Dr. Crissman noted that both Dr. Mack and Dr. Foreman had played major roles in the society’s history, and how such a fact could be quite beneficial to the audience of WSU and hospital administrators.

“In his forward for this volume, Bob Mack speaks of the many special new challenges that face administrators as we enter the third millennium,” Dr. Crissman said. “Hopefully, Dr. Foreman can better articulate some of those challenges – and even some possible solutions – here today.”

In his lecture, Dr. Foreman, president of Montefiore Medical Center, the university hospital and academic medical center for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, showed many parallels between his situation in the Bronx and that of WSU and the Detroit Medical Center.

In speaking of his own successes over the past 15 years, Dr. Foreman specifically touched on the importance of strategic planning in the academic medical center, a topic of great relevance to the many WSU School of Medicine administrators in attendance.

“Your assets and your environment must drive your strategy,” Dr. Foreman said. “You must build to your strengths and decide how best to fill real needs in your community.”

Robert E. Mack, MD, is former WSU associate dean for Medical Center Relations and senior vice president for Medical and Educational Affairs for the Detroit Medical Center. He also served as president of Hutzel Hospital and DMC senior vice president for Medical Affairs. A professor of internal medicine, Dr. Mack has helped shape policy and regulation related to medical education.

The Robert E. Mack, MD, Lecture is sponsored by the Wayne State University School of Medicine to promote education and continuing discussion of administrative and management issues in academic medicine.