1,1IB6ISHER'S NOTEBOOK
Making The Case
For Sinai's Human Resources
ood evening, readers. Today
we'll focus on that often-
overlooked part of corpo-
rate America's balance sheet
— people. Shortly, you'll be presented
with four brief examples showing
businesses that have been
acquired — or are looking to
be acquired — and how
human resource issues make
or break almost any deal.
/-
on its balance sheet?
Subsequent headlines focus on
Ford's underlying challenge — not
tinkering with sheet metal and stamp-
ing plants but with a corporate culture
at Volvo that rewards its workers with
higher wages, shorter work
weeks, more vacations and
other benefits (heated swim-
ming pools and onsite
masseurs) that would make
a United Auto Workers
negotiator's mouth water.
Case Study #1, Travel-
ers/Citicorp
Case Study #3, Monsan-
Travelers and Citicorp,
to/DuPont
already two of the world's
DuPont and Monsanto,
largest financial services com-
two giants in the chemi-
ARTHUR M.
panies, merge into a behe-
cals/pharmaceuticals busi-
HORWITZ
moth with billions of dollars
ness, contemplate a merger.
Publisher
\_ of tangible assets. However,
Before any papers are
In this 1953photo, Maimonides Medical Society Women's Auxiliary representatives
something is awry. Travelers
signed, Monsanto's cardi-
Mrs. I.W Silver (third from left), president, Mrs. Charles Gitlin (right), fund-raising
management, with its swash-
gan-and-chino-clad chief executive
coordinator, and Mrs. Lewis Wasserman, a board member,presents Dr. Julien Priver,
buckling style and penchant for risk
questions whether his company would Sinai Hospital director, with a check on their pledge for a lecture room to teach
taking, is locking horns with the
be a good fit with the stodgy, stuffy
interns, residents and other hospital personnel.
winged-tipped shoe culture of Citi-
DuPont. On paper, there appear to be
corp. The result? Financial results are
great synergies with considerable
disappointing, heads roll ... and there's
lion, are placed in a fund to provide
ing (and consolidating) health care
opportunity to enhance shareholder
no end to the culture clash in sight.
health-related support to members of
environment, its leadership seeks
wealth. However, Monsanto's egalitari-
the Jewish community and those
potential merger mates.
an, participatory culture is expected to
residing in the general community,
Detroit Medical Center, owner of
be scrapped in a merger. Folks at
Case Study #2, Ford/Volvo
particularly
in northwest Detroit.
the nearby Grace Hospital, sees a
Monsanto are balking.
Ford acquires Volvo's automobile
DMC
vows
to maintain Sinai's dis-
strategic
opportunity.
By
acquiring
business with considerable fanfare. A
tinctive
Jewish
identity and extends it
Sinai,
DMC
keeps
other
health
care
Case Study #4, Sinai/Detroit Med-
brilliant strategic move, claims the
by
adding
the
Sinai
name and star to
systems
out
of
its
northwest
Detroit
ici' Center
trade press, because Ford is buying a
Huron
Valley
Hospital
in Commerce
back
yard
and
provides
cost
savings
Sinai
Hospital,
near
financial
col-
market niche (young families with
Township.
through
a
consolidation
of
Sinai
and
lapse
in
the
early
1990s,
rebounds
and
children) for less cash than it would
So why, then, is DMC closing
Grace programs and campuses.
begins posting modest surpluses. Rec-
cost to create a car line from scratch
The deal is done. The proceeds,
ognizing Sinai cannot survive as a
for this group. Besides, what else will
SINAI HOSPITAL on page 33
reported at approximately $65 mil-
stand-alone entity in a rapidly chang-
Ford do with all of that surplus cash
Case closed . . . almost.
A lingering concern is the ease with
which some dismiss attempts to be
sensitive as mere political correctness.
No one should be ashamed of trying
to be sensitive to diverse cultures,
even if, sometimes, such efforts are
misguided. We think it is worth the
effort. Our increasingly diverse coun-
try makes it important to understand
and appreciate how different cultural
and historical experiences shape one's
world view. The challenge to be cul-
turally sensitive, while being histori-
cally accurate, will be with us long
after the Walled Lake controversy is a
distant memory.
Michael P. Horowitz, President
Donald H. Cohen, Director
ADL Michigan Region
Southfield
Team Scores
Off Court
The Jewish News ran a story about the
Akiva varsity basketball team's experi-
ence at the Hebrew Academy Basket-
ball Tournament in Montreal ("Akiva
Ties For Second," Feb. 26). It totally
focused on the basketball court where
the team did quite well. I would like
to reveal another, maybe more impor-
tant, accomplishment of the team that
occurred off the court.
The basketball team has been invit-
ed to tournaments because of its abili-
ty. It used to be invited, and still is
invited, because of its leadership off
the court. Whether it is the Yeshiva
University tournament in New York
City or the CHAT tournament in
Toronto, the Akiva boys are the ones
who lead the services, read from the
Torah and attend and lead discussions
at the Shabbatons.
Montreal was no exception. Luli
Gotfreid and Nathan Gonik read from
the Torah Thursday morning and
Shabbat morning. Mikey Skoczylas led
the afternoon services on Shabbat in
the main sanctuary. Many of the boys
took time during the non-playing
moments to study Gemarah. This was
all seen by the hosts, who later came
to me and marveled that modern
Orthodox boys would be so commit-
ted to prayer and study, faced with
out-of-state friends and tournament
play. They are unique among their
peers.
I congratulate the parents of these
boys and Akiva for having formed
these young men into the leaders they
are, literally having a foot in two
worlds and creating excellence in both.
By the way, the guys are now 19-3,
with a stellar season on and off the
court that the entire community can
be proud of.
Kenneth I. Kohn
Basketball Coach
Akiva Hebrew Day School
Lathrup Village
Tortuous
Dilemma
Your Feb.12 editorial ("An End To
Torture") argued that Israeli police
interrogators should not use force
when questioning Arab terrorists.
The problem for Israel is that
sometimes using force against a cap-
tured terrorist is the only way to
LETTERS on page 33
3/12
199',
Detroit Jewish News
31