November 13, 2006
Berk embraces future opportunities
Board of Trustees Chairman G. Robert Witmer Jr. ’59 (right) presents a medallion to Bradford Berk during a November 7 ceremony to officially celebrate Berk’s appointment as senior vice president for health sciences and CEO of the Medical Center.
he Medical Center’s “Medical School for an Evening” on November 7 was punctuated with the formal installation of Bradford Berk as the University’s senior vice president for health sciences and CEO of the Medical Center and Strong Health.
Berk assumed the role on August 1, following a national search chaired by Seligman and involving a main search committee plus four advisory committees. In the months since, Berk has been leading a comprehensive strategic planning process that charts the Medical Center’s course for the next five to ten years.
Hurlbut recognized for service
Robert Hurlbut, who received the Eastman Medal on November 7, personally has been involved in many aspects of health care in Rochester and throughout New York, from health care planning to delivery to financing. He also has shaped the future of the Medical Center as an active member of several board committees—perhaps most dramatically by leading the planning and construction of the seven-story Ambulatory Center, parking garage, the Levine Lobby, and Wolk Pavilion.
Hurlbut most recently served as chair of the Future of Care Campaign for the School of Nursing. The campaign goal was $13.3 million, and $20.1 million ultimately was raised. The efforts resulted in an expansion and renovation project in Helen Wood Hall that will help the school increase student enrollment, boost technological capabilities, and enhance research.
The Eastman Medal recognizes individuals who, through their outstanding achievement and dedicated service, embody the high ideals for which the University stands. The medal was awarded for the first time in 2000 as part of the University’s sesquicentennial celebration.
“As he nears his 100th day as chief executive officer of the Medical Center, Brad has already demonstrated that he is the right person to lead URMC to a new level of clinical and research achievement. “said President Seligman.” He has an inspiring balance of scientific prowess, leadership talent, and care for the health of patients and the more than 13,000 individuals who work at the Medical Center. He is and will be a great leader.”
In his inaugural address, Berk borrowed a phrase from Martin Luther King Jr. when speaking of the importance of embracing future opportunities with “the fierce urgency of now.” Citing the shift from manufacturing to a knowledge-based economy and the awesome potential of new technology, Berk said, “never before in the history of this institution has the convergence of opportunities been greater.”
Berk also gave an update on the creation of the Medical Center’s strategic plan that he said is “designed to guide us through a landscape where intellect, innovation, and creativity are cultivated and where the spirit of exploration, discovery, and risk-taking leads the way.”
Chief of cardiology Mark Taubman traced Berk’s career as a leading cardiac scientist. Berk’s work has focused on characterizing the molecular signals that determine a person’s cardiovascular health—why, for instance, a person might have a stroke or heart attack, or why he or she may be prone to high blood pressure. Berk has made “perhaps the most substantial contribution in the world to scientists’ understanding of these signals,” Taubman said.
The evening began with Seligman presenting the Eastman Medal to Medical Center Board chair Robert Hurlbut. The medal recognizes individuals who, through their outstanding achievement and dedicated service, embody the high ideals for which the University stands. Hurlbut has been a long-time member of the University Board of Trustees and the Medical Center Board. Seligman cited Hurlbut’s “sage advice, loyalty, and willingness to help strengthen a great University and a great medical center.”
The community education event drew more than 400 “students” to learn about aging, cancer, cardiac care, ophthalmology, and orthopedics. James P. Wilmot Cancer Center scientist Craig Jordan gave the opening lecture on the application of stem cell science in cancer research.
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