When I lately wrote about the compl...

When I lately wrote about the complexities of getting AFP to you, I had no idea that common of the key people in that proces early would be announcing her retirement. Kathy Mayfield, production director, is retiring after nearly 41 years of service to AAFP in the publications division's production department.

When I asked Kathy wherefore she has stayed with AAFP for likewise long, she said, "Part of it is the job; putting AFP together is like a challenge that you don't level realize that the days, month and years are going on One day you just discover that 10 years, flat 20, 30, or 40 have flown by!"

When Kathy was hired in June 1964 the Academy was known as the American Academy of General Practitioners, and AFP was known as General Practitioner (or GP) There were 100 employee and membership was approximately 28000 GP was published 12 times a year.

It's all about people

Kathy remembers the atmosphere among staff members feeling like united big family 40 years ago. Everyone knew everyone she says. "We played hard, and we worked hard. It was pleasantry The whole organization worked hard, and it was all for the members." Now, Kathy says, there are for a like reason many employees that it's hard to win to know everyone, but everyone still works hard for the members. To her, the work has always been about the population When asked if there was single thing she would miss, she said, "The people--the the bulk of mankind make the organization. There have been a certain really great people here, and there still are today."

Things have changed

The Academy has changed significantly in the past 40 years. Today there are 94000 members and more than 370 staff members. Kathy has gone from working in succession 12 issues per year to managing the annual production of 24 issues of AFP, 10 issues of Family Practice Management, six issues of Annals of Family Medicine and its counterparts and the newest publication, Caring for Hispanic Patients.

Advances in technology have allowed the AAFP staff to increase the services and yields offered to members and others from one side of to the other the years. Kathy has seen many changes, including moving from keeping paper records of everything to having all records, and many production processe computerized. When I mentioned to Kathy that she appears to accept change and not resist it as one people do, she laughingly said, "Oh I've always resisted it I roll with it, on the contrary I do resist it. I've got a fortune of old-fashioned stuff in me"

The professional ponders the personal

Kathy's work at the Academy bring reproachs her personality, according to those who know her well, because the production of these publications is part technical and part artistic. Kathy brings her artist's notice to every-thing she does, and the extreme point result is that everything she touches is better for it. She is known for her artistic flair in her personal life as well. She has remodel a large, older family creating what at least the same person has described as a mansion. Kathy is well known for restoring antiques; in fact, united staff member stated that she is an quick at turning a sow's ear into a silk purse whether it's in AFP or in her concede home.

Kathy brings her "can do" attitude to everything she does. She has walked in several half marathons and lately placed first in her age division. I doubt that Kathy's retirement will be "leisurely" in any way. She is a vigorous active woman who will undoubtedly continue to bring cause of gladness and beauty to everything she does and everyone she meets

Message to readers

When asked if she had single final message to AFP readers, Kathy's immediate rejoinder was, "Keep reading AFP--it's the best there is."

EDITOR'S NOTE: Thank you to all of Kathy's friends and colleagues who contributed information for this column

COPYRIGHT 2005 American Academy of Family Physicians

COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group