Article Type
Changed
Mon, 01/02/2017 - 19:34
Display Headline
Editor transition—Getting up off the couch and walking out the door

Beginning in January 2012, version 2.0 of the Journal of Hospital Medicine will begin with the talented and capable Andrew Auerbach, MD, MPH taking over as Editor‐in‐Chief. A premier hospital medicine researcher, he possesses experience as a journal editor and practicing hospitalist. With Andy at the helm, JHM will certainly get an upgrade. As my 7‐year tenure comes to an end, I look forward to moving on to new activities, but will dally a bit and reflect on this wonderful opportunity provided to me by the leadership of the Society of Hospital Medicine.

Undertaking with trepidation my role as the founding Editor‐in‐Chief in 2005, I recognized that a talented team of editors would be needed to achieve the expected goals for JHMindexing in MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online) and selection for impact factor coverage by Thomson's Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) services. Thankfully, I learned from George Thibault, my egalitarian and brilliant residency program director at Massachusetts General Hospital, that successful leaders succeed by recruiting colleagues smarter than them. With no experience in journal editing beyond writing and reviewing articles, I leaned on numerous people more clever than me. Guided by Kathy Alexander and Vickie Thaw at Wiley‐Blackwell, we put together the framework for the journal. Fortunately, remarkable people agreed to serve as the founding Associate Editors. The abilities of Scott Flanders, Karen Hauer, Jean Kutner, James Pile, and Kaveh Shojania are reflected in their subsequent selection for leadership positions at their institutions and internationally.

JHM's leadership team evolved with replacements and the addition of superbly talented members: Thomas Baudendistel, Daniel Brotman, Vincent Chiang, Lakshmi Halasyamani, Brian Harte, Daniel Hunt, and Sunil Kripalani joined Jim Pile as Deputy Editors. Numerous Associate and Assistant Editors listed on our masthead also contributed their time and thoughtful reviews. Integral to our efforts, the exceptional Managing Editor Phaedra Cress kept us organized, cajoled everyone to meet deadlines, and offered a responsive and affable face to authors.

And succeed this team did! Midway through its second year of publication, JHM was selected for indexing and inclusion in the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINE. After just 2 years of publication, Thomson's ISI services selected JHM for impact factor coverage, and the journal received its first impact factor (3.163) in 2009. The nearly 100,000 article downloads this past year reflect JHM's acceptance beyond hospital medicine, becoming a valuable and respected resource across medicine.

In my first editorial, I remarked that the goal is for JHM to become the premier forum for peer‐reviewed research articles and evidence‐based reviews in the specialty of hospital medicine.1 This journal is on its way to achieving this ambition, possibly further and faster than expected, thanks to all the authors who confidently selected JHM as the publication venue for their scholarly work, the innumerable hours contributed by reviewers who volunteered their time and diligently evaluated thousands of manuscripts, and the terrific work by all the Deputy, Associate, and Assistant Editors. JHM never would have succeeded without their contributions, and I never will be able to thank them enough. Now trusted colleagues and lifelong friends, they deserve the bulk of the credit for JHM's success.

In my life, any accomplishments I achieve stem from the values and work ethic my father inculcated in me. Reportedly known as Bucket Seats by his Army Air Force colleagues because of his muscular size, required of a B‐24 bomber pilot who flew in World War II as a member of the 8th Army Air Force in Europe, a description of the B‐24 by Stephen Ambrose in The Blue Yonder aptly described my father's demeanor and power. It could be sternly unforgiving. It always required, and sometimes demanded, almost superhuman strength to fly. My siblings and I knew him as Smoky, a nickname attached to him by his military buddies after he fell asleep in bed with a cigarette setting his mattress on fire. Sadly, though he miraculously survived fighter plane bullets, flak and fire, unlike many of his fellow pilots and crew, kidney cancer ended his life before age 60, just after I finished my first year of medical school. The attentive and considerate hospital care he received, as well as compassionate care from my mother, who previously worked as a nurse and attended to him at home in his final months, influenced me throughout my career. I hope hospitalists everywhere never forget that patients and their caregivers should remain the primary focus of all our efforts. Document your work and share it with your colleagues through JHM, and all of us will benefit.

A 7‐year journey now ends for me, and I hope much less time sitting on the couch, as I will no longer be spending chunks of my weekends and evenings assigning work to the tireless editors of JHM, reviewing manuscripts, and editing articles. Coincidentally, our youngest child Caroline moved out this autumn, joining her older brothers Stephen and Jason to pursue their dreams. With an empty nest, my wife Karee and I look forward to exploring more of the world.

Lastly, I thank the members of the Society of Hospital Medicine and the readers of JHM, whose kind and frequent compliments provided the fuel for my efforts. Always grateful for this opportunity, I will never forget the unique and indescribable experience of serving as the founding editor of the Journal of Hospital Medicine. Take care, and best wishes to the new leadership as they upgrade the journal to the next level. Out the door I go, on to other endeavors.

References
  • Williams MV.Hospital medicine's evolution—the next step.J Hosp Med.2006;1:12.
Article PDF
Issue
Journal of Hospital Medicine - 6(9)
Publications
Page Number
485-486
Sections
Article PDF
Article PDF

Beginning in January 2012, version 2.0 of the Journal of Hospital Medicine will begin with the talented and capable Andrew Auerbach, MD, MPH taking over as Editor‐in‐Chief. A premier hospital medicine researcher, he possesses experience as a journal editor and practicing hospitalist. With Andy at the helm, JHM will certainly get an upgrade. As my 7‐year tenure comes to an end, I look forward to moving on to new activities, but will dally a bit and reflect on this wonderful opportunity provided to me by the leadership of the Society of Hospital Medicine.

Undertaking with trepidation my role as the founding Editor‐in‐Chief in 2005, I recognized that a talented team of editors would be needed to achieve the expected goals for JHMindexing in MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online) and selection for impact factor coverage by Thomson's Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) services. Thankfully, I learned from George Thibault, my egalitarian and brilliant residency program director at Massachusetts General Hospital, that successful leaders succeed by recruiting colleagues smarter than them. With no experience in journal editing beyond writing and reviewing articles, I leaned on numerous people more clever than me. Guided by Kathy Alexander and Vickie Thaw at Wiley‐Blackwell, we put together the framework for the journal. Fortunately, remarkable people agreed to serve as the founding Associate Editors. The abilities of Scott Flanders, Karen Hauer, Jean Kutner, James Pile, and Kaveh Shojania are reflected in their subsequent selection for leadership positions at their institutions and internationally.

JHM's leadership team evolved with replacements and the addition of superbly talented members: Thomas Baudendistel, Daniel Brotman, Vincent Chiang, Lakshmi Halasyamani, Brian Harte, Daniel Hunt, and Sunil Kripalani joined Jim Pile as Deputy Editors. Numerous Associate and Assistant Editors listed on our masthead also contributed their time and thoughtful reviews. Integral to our efforts, the exceptional Managing Editor Phaedra Cress kept us organized, cajoled everyone to meet deadlines, and offered a responsive and affable face to authors.

And succeed this team did! Midway through its second year of publication, JHM was selected for indexing and inclusion in the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINE. After just 2 years of publication, Thomson's ISI services selected JHM for impact factor coverage, and the journal received its first impact factor (3.163) in 2009. The nearly 100,000 article downloads this past year reflect JHM's acceptance beyond hospital medicine, becoming a valuable and respected resource across medicine.

In my first editorial, I remarked that the goal is for JHM to become the premier forum for peer‐reviewed research articles and evidence‐based reviews in the specialty of hospital medicine.1 This journal is on its way to achieving this ambition, possibly further and faster than expected, thanks to all the authors who confidently selected JHM as the publication venue for their scholarly work, the innumerable hours contributed by reviewers who volunteered their time and diligently evaluated thousands of manuscripts, and the terrific work by all the Deputy, Associate, and Assistant Editors. JHM never would have succeeded without their contributions, and I never will be able to thank them enough. Now trusted colleagues and lifelong friends, they deserve the bulk of the credit for JHM's success.

In my life, any accomplishments I achieve stem from the values and work ethic my father inculcated in me. Reportedly known as Bucket Seats by his Army Air Force colleagues because of his muscular size, required of a B‐24 bomber pilot who flew in World War II as a member of the 8th Army Air Force in Europe, a description of the B‐24 by Stephen Ambrose in The Blue Yonder aptly described my father's demeanor and power. It could be sternly unforgiving. It always required, and sometimes demanded, almost superhuman strength to fly. My siblings and I knew him as Smoky, a nickname attached to him by his military buddies after he fell asleep in bed with a cigarette setting his mattress on fire. Sadly, though he miraculously survived fighter plane bullets, flak and fire, unlike many of his fellow pilots and crew, kidney cancer ended his life before age 60, just after I finished my first year of medical school. The attentive and considerate hospital care he received, as well as compassionate care from my mother, who previously worked as a nurse and attended to him at home in his final months, influenced me throughout my career. I hope hospitalists everywhere never forget that patients and their caregivers should remain the primary focus of all our efforts. Document your work and share it with your colleagues through JHM, and all of us will benefit.

A 7‐year journey now ends for me, and I hope much less time sitting on the couch, as I will no longer be spending chunks of my weekends and evenings assigning work to the tireless editors of JHM, reviewing manuscripts, and editing articles. Coincidentally, our youngest child Caroline moved out this autumn, joining her older brothers Stephen and Jason to pursue their dreams. With an empty nest, my wife Karee and I look forward to exploring more of the world.

Lastly, I thank the members of the Society of Hospital Medicine and the readers of JHM, whose kind and frequent compliments provided the fuel for my efforts. Always grateful for this opportunity, I will never forget the unique and indescribable experience of serving as the founding editor of the Journal of Hospital Medicine. Take care, and best wishes to the new leadership as they upgrade the journal to the next level. Out the door I go, on to other endeavors.

Beginning in January 2012, version 2.0 of the Journal of Hospital Medicine will begin with the talented and capable Andrew Auerbach, MD, MPH taking over as Editor‐in‐Chief. A premier hospital medicine researcher, he possesses experience as a journal editor and practicing hospitalist. With Andy at the helm, JHM will certainly get an upgrade. As my 7‐year tenure comes to an end, I look forward to moving on to new activities, but will dally a bit and reflect on this wonderful opportunity provided to me by the leadership of the Society of Hospital Medicine.

Undertaking with trepidation my role as the founding Editor‐in‐Chief in 2005, I recognized that a talented team of editors would be needed to achieve the expected goals for JHMindexing in MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online) and selection for impact factor coverage by Thomson's Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) services. Thankfully, I learned from George Thibault, my egalitarian and brilliant residency program director at Massachusetts General Hospital, that successful leaders succeed by recruiting colleagues smarter than them. With no experience in journal editing beyond writing and reviewing articles, I leaned on numerous people more clever than me. Guided by Kathy Alexander and Vickie Thaw at Wiley‐Blackwell, we put together the framework for the journal. Fortunately, remarkable people agreed to serve as the founding Associate Editors. The abilities of Scott Flanders, Karen Hauer, Jean Kutner, James Pile, and Kaveh Shojania are reflected in their subsequent selection for leadership positions at their institutions and internationally.

JHM's leadership team evolved with replacements and the addition of superbly talented members: Thomas Baudendistel, Daniel Brotman, Vincent Chiang, Lakshmi Halasyamani, Brian Harte, Daniel Hunt, and Sunil Kripalani joined Jim Pile as Deputy Editors. Numerous Associate and Assistant Editors listed on our masthead also contributed their time and thoughtful reviews. Integral to our efforts, the exceptional Managing Editor Phaedra Cress kept us organized, cajoled everyone to meet deadlines, and offered a responsive and affable face to authors.

And succeed this team did! Midway through its second year of publication, JHM was selected for indexing and inclusion in the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINE. After just 2 years of publication, Thomson's ISI services selected JHM for impact factor coverage, and the journal received its first impact factor (3.163) in 2009. The nearly 100,000 article downloads this past year reflect JHM's acceptance beyond hospital medicine, becoming a valuable and respected resource across medicine.

In my first editorial, I remarked that the goal is for JHM to become the premier forum for peer‐reviewed research articles and evidence‐based reviews in the specialty of hospital medicine.1 This journal is on its way to achieving this ambition, possibly further and faster than expected, thanks to all the authors who confidently selected JHM as the publication venue for their scholarly work, the innumerable hours contributed by reviewers who volunteered their time and diligently evaluated thousands of manuscripts, and the terrific work by all the Deputy, Associate, and Assistant Editors. JHM never would have succeeded without their contributions, and I never will be able to thank them enough. Now trusted colleagues and lifelong friends, they deserve the bulk of the credit for JHM's success.

In my life, any accomplishments I achieve stem from the values and work ethic my father inculcated in me. Reportedly known as Bucket Seats by his Army Air Force colleagues because of his muscular size, required of a B‐24 bomber pilot who flew in World War II as a member of the 8th Army Air Force in Europe, a description of the B‐24 by Stephen Ambrose in The Blue Yonder aptly described my father's demeanor and power. It could be sternly unforgiving. It always required, and sometimes demanded, almost superhuman strength to fly. My siblings and I knew him as Smoky, a nickname attached to him by his military buddies after he fell asleep in bed with a cigarette setting his mattress on fire. Sadly, though he miraculously survived fighter plane bullets, flak and fire, unlike many of his fellow pilots and crew, kidney cancer ended his life before age 60, just after I finished my first year of medical school. The attentive and considerate hospital care he received, as well as compassionate care from my mother, who previously worked as a nurse and attended to him at home in his final months, influenced me throughout my career. I hope hospitalists everywhere never forget that patients and their caregivers should remain the primary focus of all our efforts. Document your work and share it with your colleagues through JHM, and all of us will benefit.

A 7‐year journey now ends for me, and I hope much less time sitting on the couch, as I will no longer be spending chunks of my weekends and evenings assigning work to the tireless editors of JHM, reviewing manuscripts, and editing articles. Coincidentally, our youngest child Caroline moved out this autumn, joining her older brothers Stephen and Jason to pursue their dreams. With an empty nest, my wife Karee and I look forward to exploring more of the world.

Lastly, I thank the members of the Society of Hospital Medicine and the readers of JHM, whose kind and frequent compliments provided the fuel for my efforts. Always grateful for this opportunity, I will never forget the unique and indescribable experience of serving as the founding editor of the Journal of Hospital Medicine. Take care, and best wishes to the new leadership as they upgrade the journal to the next level. Out the door I go, on to other endeavors.

References
  • Williams MV.Hospital medicine's evolution—the next step.J Hosp Med.2006;1:12.
References
  • Williams MV.Hospital medicine's evolution—the next step.J Hosp Med.2006;1:12.
Issue
Journal of Hospital Medicine - 6(9)
Issue
Journal of Hospital Medicine - 6(9)
Page Number
485-486
Page Number
485-486
Publications
Publications
Article Type
Display Headline
Editor transition—Getting up off the couch and walking out the door
Display Headline
Editor transition—Getting up off the couch and walking out the door
Sections
Article Source
Copyright © 2011 Society of Hospital Medicine
Disallow All Ads
Correspondence Location
211 E. Ontario Street; Suite 700; Chicago, IL 60611
Content Gating
Gated (full article locked unless allowed per User)
Gating Strategy
First Peek Free
Article PDF Media