Charles S. Lauer, former publisher of Modern Healthcare, has died at the age of 86.
Lauer joined Crain Communications, Modern Healthcare's parent company, in 1976 as publisher of Modern Healthcare and was named a vice president of Crain in 1981.
At the time of Lauer's retirement, Keith Crain, chairman of Crain Communications credited Lauer with taking Modern Healthcare from a "monthly money-losing proposition with great potential to one of profitability and long-standing dominance in its field.”
Modern Healthcare's current publisher Fawn Lopez worked under Lauer for several years.
"I'm deeply saddened by Chuck's passing. He was a special and unique man who had such incredible zest and high energy for life," she said. "He had an ability to connect with people, making them feel like they were the most important person in the room. Chuck's love and passion for healthcare was contagious and inspiring."
Crain's President and Editorial Director Rance Crain recalls how when the company purchased Modern Healthcare the entire sales staff resigned and Lauer rolled up his sleeves and took on their business.
"He was always unfailingly upbeat, and he zeroed in on key accounts and traveled the nation in search of new business. Chuck was a great leader, and he was proud of our people and he was proud and appreciative of the editorial independence that Modern Healthcare embodied," Crain said.
Lauer previously was an executive vice president at Family Media Inc. Throughout his career he was a mentor to many, said Lee Perlman, president of GNYHA Ventures, the for-profit arm of the Greater New York Hospital Association.
"Chuck personified the word mentor and 'invented' it for our industry," Perlman said, "He really cared about early careerists."
Perlman recalled Lauer taking him under his wing in his 20s.
"He made me feel so special," Perlman said. "I carry that care in my heart 30 years later and try to pass his love of our industry and its people forward in my daily life."
Lauer remained heavily involved in the healthcare industry until his death, speaking at conferences and events.
His career in publishing began at Life Magazine at Time. He later served as a sales manager for two McGraw-Hill trade publications and the publications of the American Medical Association. He also held executive management positions with Family Media and Petersen Publishing.
Lauer served as a corporal in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
Lauer was the recipient of numerous awards including the Michael E. DeBakey Award for Achievements in Healthcare, the Diversity Champion Award, National Healthcare Award from B'nai B'rith International and a lifetime fellowship from the American College of Medical Administrators.
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