Luckily, Jeff is not one to rest on his laurels. He will be joining the editorial staff of the Journal of Hospital Medicine. Jeff has been the face of The Hospitalist for so long that it will be hard to think of The Hospitalist without him. Danielle, I’m sure, will do a great job. She also knows she has massive shoes to fill.
What I just said about Jeff can and should be said also for Mark Williams, who recently stepped down as JHM’s editor in chief. As the first editor of our field’s preeminent scientific journal, Mark set a high standard. His successor, Andy Auerbach, will be challenged to surpass this high standard. Like Jeff, Mark’s leadership of JHM was only the tip of the iceberg. Mark has done virtually everything there is do at SHM, including serving as an annual meeting course director, SHM board member, and SHM president. Mark is a recognized national leader in transitions of care and was instrumental in development of SHM’s Project BOOST. All of us owe Mark and Jeff a tremendous debt of gratitude. I am a big fan of both of them and feel fortunate to know both HM leaders.
My expectation is that Mark and Jeff, like others who have been so influential in our field—Jeff Wiese, Tina Budnitz, and Larry Wellikson among them—will one day join the Wachters, Nelsons, and Whitcombs as Masters in Hospital Medicine. The views and ideas in The Hospitalist and JHM formulated and shaped the ideas of this young profession. Over the past few years, nobody’s voice has been louder than those of our editors, Mark Williams and Jeff Glasheen.
The field of hospital medicine and our professional society, the Society of Hospital Medicine, has been blessed with visionary leaders, hard-working volunteers, and a talented staff in its first 15 years. They have laid a solid foundation for our field. HM and SHM will continue to grow only if we are able to produce high-value care for our patients. Our ability to increase healthcare value will be based on our ability to improve the quality of care for patients inside and outside the hospital. Individuals like Mark and Jeff have shown us the way. The challenge is for individuals like you and me to help them carry the torch over the next decade and beyond.
I welcome your feedback. Email me at [email protected]
Dr. Li is president of SHM.