Spencer Foreman, transformation, and community engagement.

The bold vision to transform our school into the nation’s first school of medicine and public health in 2005 was sparked by the desire to build an innovative academic infrastructure that would improve the health of all of the people of Wisconsin through the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease.1 This transformation is an acceleration and expansion of the “Wisconsin Idea,” with a lofty goal of serving the entire state through strong community partnerships in education, research, and service.2 Over the past 8 years, we have actively transformed all areas of our academic missions and have made substantial progress in fulfilling our vision. In November 2013, the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) recognized our commitment to community engagement with the Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Service. Spencer “Spike” Foreman established this award in 1993 during his tenure as AAMC chair, and it was renamed in his honor in 2007. Dr Foreman was a professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and served as president of Montefiore Medical Center. He was an inspirational visionary who viewed community engagement and service as an integral part of academic medicine. His namesake award recognizes the academic medical institution that demonstrates “a longstanding, major institutional commitment to addressing community