Contact:
Jacquelyn SprucePhone: (210) 567-0414
E-mail:
sprucej@uthscsa.edu Strong leadership – that is one thing that makes the Health Science Center such a successful institution. And, it is individuals like Martha Medrano, M.D., M.P.H., professor of psychiatry and associate dean for continuing medical education, and Robin Brey, M.D., professor of neurology and assistant dean for research in the Medical School, who are furthering their skills to keep the Health Science Center moving forward.
Both Drs. Medrano and Brey were accepted to the 2006-2007 ELAM (Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine) class – a prestigious and rigorous program designed to prepare senior women faculty at schools of medicine and dentistry to move into positions of institutional leadership, where they can help make positive changes.
“It is a great honor to be part of the upcoming ELAM class and, in particular, joining Dr. Robin Brey, for whom I have great respect,” Dr. Medrano said. “As a Health Science Center, we have a wonderful opportunity to be a national leader in community-based, community-participatory research. I will focus my efforts via ELAM leading the community outreach component of the Clinical and Translational Science Award, with the goal of addressing health disparities in our San Antonio and South Texas communities. I will also focus on further extending our continuing medical education into South Texas.”
ELAM’s yearlong program develops the professional and personal skills required to lead and manage successfully in today’s complex health care environment, with special attention to the unique challenges facing women in leadership positions.
“This will give me an opportunity to develop a network of other women who are academic leaders, to gain leadership and administrative skills, and to work closely with and learn from our new Medical School dean throughout the year,” Dr. Brey said. “And, I am happy to be in the same ELAM class as Dr. Martha Medrano.”
Dr. Medrano received her M.D. degree and completed her residency at the Health Science Center’s Medical School. She joined the Health Science Center as a full-time faculty member in 1986. As the current director of the Medical Hispanic Center of Excellence, her mission is to improve the health of Hispanics in South Texas by increasing the Hispanic health care and research workforce.
Dr. Brey joined the Health Science Center in 1989, and was recently named the assistant dean for research in the Medical School. “While this job is tremendously challenging, I am very happy to be in this position,” she said. “I have the opportunity to help support and create programs that benefit the research efforts of all of our faculty and students. Many exciting things are happening at the Health Science Center right now.”
Drs. Brey and Medrano said they have already spoken about how they can work together on their respective ELAM projects.
“I look forward to putting my new skills to work right away in my duties as the assistant dean for research,” Dr. Brey said.
The selection of the 2006-2007 ELAM class was very competitive. “It speaks volumes that we have two faculty representatives at the Health Science Center as part of the ELAM class,” Dr. Medrano said. “It shows that we certainly have high-caliber women faculty within our institution.”
Jan Patterson, M.D., professor and vice chair of medicine, and Lily Garcia, D.D.S., M.S., professor and chair of prosthodontics, have also represented the Health Science Center as part of the ELAM class.
