Here’s a question for you: When was the first issue of The Hospitalist published?
The answer: Winter (early) 1997.
In the late ’90s, The Hospitalist was little more than a bifold eight-page newsletter mailed to members of the then-National Association of Inpatient Physicians. The newsletter contained one page of classified advertising.
Contrast that first issue of The Hospitalist to the one you’re reading now: a whopping 45 pages of editorial content, with about the same number of advertising pages to match!
Nine years and dozens of changes later, The Hospitalist is about to transform itself again—a transformation that will put it at the forefront of professionally published, business-to- business titles. Sounds exciting, to be sure. But I bet you’re wondering, “Why another change?”
Simply put, The Hospitalist must reflect the progressive growth of SHM and of hospital medicine overall.
Partnering for the Future
In January SHM endeavored to elevate SHM’s publishing program on the national publishing stage and so partnered with John Wiley & Sons. SHM brought hospital medicine knowledge and expertise to the table; Wiley brought editorial and publishing knowledge and expertise.
Together, the two organizations determined that The Hospitalist needed to further grow—in format, frequency, and editorial excellence—to meet the needs of members and to respond to industry interest in The Hospitalist as the most trusted, credible source of news, issues, and trends in hospital medicine. SHM and Wiley also partnered to launch the first peer-reviewed hospital medicine journal (the Journal of Hospital Medicine—coming in January).
These initiatives, along with the commitment to maintaining strict ethical publishing guidelines (meaning—among other things—separation of editorial content and advertising) in both titles, pack the one-two punch that SHM members deserve.
What You’ll See
Beginning with the September 2005 issue, you’ll notice quite a few improvements in The Hospitalist. Here’s my short list of what you can expect:
- Size change: The publication will grow from its current iteration (a standard or 8.5” x 11” size) to a “tabloid” (or 11” by 17” size);
- Frequency change: We’ll begin publishing The Hospitalist on a monthly basis. Instead of six issue per year, you’ll receive 12; • The “look:” The design of the publication will evolve from a text-driven format to a more diverse, visually appealing format;
- Who’s who: The editorial staff will grow from a sole physician editor to a two-editor team: A professional editor from SHM publishing partner John Wiley & Sons—that’s me—will pair with Physician Editor Jamie Newman, MD, from the Mayo Clinic Rochester, to create each issue. In addition, we’ll utilize hospital medicine experts from around the country, as well as tap professional health-care writers to report on and investigate the most pressing issues in hospital medicine; and
- Content changes: Each month we’ll continue to present the quality articles you’ve come to expect from us. Our singular editorial goal is to be the voice of hospital medicine. And, thanks to the format changes, we’ll be able to offer you even more each issue. In the coming months, look for such enhancements as
- Balance: a blend of clinical, management/leadership, administrative, and policy articles in each issue—all written and edited with one question in mind, “Why is this article meaningful to you, the hospitalist reader?”;
- More strategies on how to get information on subjects: extended references, resources, and other bonus guidance in each article;
- Fast reads: “bottom line” sections that condense articles into at-a-glance summaries and shorter articles;
- SHM focus: organized, easy-to read news specific to SHM members and activities;
- Voices, voices: hospitalists from all parts of the country used as sources and in quoted material throughout the publication; and
- Much more!