The accompanying vignettes about Irwin Freedberg as the "organization man" are written by three individuals who both worked with him and closely observed his unique organizational and interpersonal skills. The vignettes are an acknowledgment of our respect and gratitude to this remarkable teacher, leader, and mentor. A great many of the people reading this brief remembrance essay will have known Irwin Freedberg, and therefore nothing we write will be new to them; but what a privilege it is for us to remember the contributions of this exceptional man to any organization of which he was a part. Following are brief thoughts from the three of us on "Irwin the organization man."
Stephen B. Webster, colleague: Irwin was a mentor to all of us, with wise counsel and support concerning any situation we might discuss with him. In the same manner, Irwin was always a mentor to the organizations with which he worked, and he was active in many organizations. As Irwin cared about his students and colleagues, he cared about the organizations of which he was a part. He could see the broad picture, and he could suggest the best course for the organization, always with the greatest tact and sensitivity to its particular environment or time frame.
I served with Irwin in many organizations, and he was active in so many it is impossible to cover them all; but I especially remember his work with the American Board of Dermatology. As its president, his sincere concern and interest in the resident dermatologist were so apparent as he dealt with the many issues and challenges facing the Board in its mission of certifying dermatologists. He was fully aware of the responsibility of the Board to assure the public that its diplomats have the training and background to provide the highest standard of care for patients with cutaneous diseases. At the same time he was always cognizant of the need to respond to and to support candidates seeking certification. Irwin was always at his best in a one-on-one situation. When he spoke with a candidate, that candidate felt, almost intuitively, that Irwin had a special interest in his or her professional life. Again, as he was a mentor to so many in the educational world, he was also a mentor to the American Board of Dermatology in its "certifying world."
Irwin's ability to present an honest and sincere interest in problems relating to medicine was also in strong evidence as he served as a delegate to the American Medical Association from the Society for Investigative Dermatology. When Irwin spoke to delegates, either singly or in a group, he was listened to with respect. Irwin always represented the highest ethical and professional standards for our specialty of dermatology. Again, Irwin Freedberg was a mentor to us all in dermatology, and as he represented dermatology, he was a mentor to all of medicine.
Bradford Claxton, Executive Director, American Academy of Dermatology, 1975–2000:
I first met Irwin Freedberg during the 1978 debate regarding the publication of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. At that time Dr Freedberg argued that there was no need for another dermatological publication. As was typical of Dr Freedberg's correctness, he stated to the audience that he was the current editor of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. This statement of potential conflict predated, by many years, the Academy's requirement for disclosure. A few years later when Irwin and I were on a joint committee together, he made a point to tell me that he was wrong in his assessment of the need for the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. I recount this story because it speaks of his essence, his character and integrity — a person willing to listen and, when appropriate, change his opinion.
I next had the opportunity to work with Irwin when he was appointed to the Council on Government Liaison (currently the Commission on Health Policy) of the American Academy of Dermatology. At that time the Academy was shifting its Washington presence from one of monitoring to a more pro-active role in the socioeconomic arena. Irwin, whose background was in academic and research issues, studied the effect of government's involvement in the practice of medicine and became one of the most knowledgeable members of the Academy on diagnosis-related groups, gatekeepers, and physician reimbursement. He led strategy sessions on how to inform and influence legislators and regulators regarding dermatologists' unique contributions to patient care. Irwin was so effective as a committee member that he was appointed chairman. During his career, Irwin served on 16 Academy committees, councils, and task forces with a topic range from education and evaluation to research.
In addition to his work for the Academy, this "organization man" held leadership positions in the Society for Investigative Dermatology, the American Board of Dermatology, the Association of Professors of Dermatology, the American Dermatology Association, the American Medical Association House of Delegates, and numerous advisory boards — and, of course, his real job as professor and chairman of the Department of Dermatology at New York University School of Medicine.
When Irwin was elected to the Board of Directors of the Academy he was what every director of an association hopes for in a newly elected board member — knowledgeable, hardworking, attentive, responsive, and articulate. He studied the issues, asked questions, formed opinions, participated in debates, and had a positive influence on outcomes. He was respected by his colleagues on the board and was elected by them to the Executive Committee.
John Grupenhoff, consultant to the American Academy of Dermatology and the Society for Investigative Dermatology, 1975–2003:
Dr Irwin Freedberg played a unique role in dermatology and its interface with federal government activities from the middle 1970s.
While involved in governmental issues for the American Academy of Dermatology (he chaired the Government Relations Committee from 1980 to 1982), he also played leadership roles in the Society for Investigative Dermatology and in National Institutes of Health activities. He was president of the SID from 1981 to 1982 and had served on its board of directors earlier. He had a particular interest in research funding and regulatory issues. He served on councils for several of the National Institutes of Health, including the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (1977–1980), the National Cancer Institute (1983–1985), and the National Institute of Arthritis, Diabetes, and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (1985–1986).
Dr Freedberg fully understood the issues surrounding the congressional activities in 1987 to establish a separate National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases, which included skin research though its name did not reflect it. He worked with Dr Peyton Weary and other dermatologists across the country to convince Congress to include "Skin" in the Institute's new name.
I especially enjoyed discussing with Irwin the politics of research, the personalities of members of Congress, and how the process was moving along, as well as the advocacy efforts that were ongoing. As can be seen from the sample above, the intertwined nature of his experiences has been invaluable to dermatology.
My last opportunity to work with Dr Freedberg was the "Burden of Skin Diseases" workshop in 2002 at the National Institutes of Health, which he chaired. The purpose of the meeting was to support, in a report on a congressional bill, language calling for evaluation of the economic impact of skin diseases as well as the emotional burdens they impose on patients and their families. At the meeting, I observed with considerable interest Dr Freedberg's encouragement of the patient interest groups to outline their concerns to make sure they were fully discussed.
As many leaders of patient groups know, I regard them as the best advocates for skin disease research in the federal government, especially in Congress. Dr Freedberg was a major advocate of patient groups and helped cement their relationship with dermatology organizations.
In summary, Irwin Freedberg contributed great leadership to the specialty of dermatology and to the organizations of which he was a member.
