December can Family marks my 20th a...

December can Family marks my 20th anniversary of occupation at the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and most numerous of my time here has been exhausted with Ameri-Physician. Such an anniversary milestone leaves the same marveling at the passage of time and naturally asking: on what account have I been here for in the same manner long? I've been thinking a division about that lately, and I want to share a certain number of of my reasons. Probably single in kind of the most heartening aspects of my work is that it's easy to descry how AFP fits in with the AAFP's mission to improve the health of population in America, while reaching gone out to other nations. AFP provides useful, easy-to-read clinical reviews and updates that are freely available to anyone who has access to the Internet.

Who could be perceived bad about their work with as it is a laudable mission? But it's not enough to have a mission; single in kind must have the means to achieve it. That's where AFP has had a distinct advantage, by the agency of inspirational leadership that has change the direction ofed dream into reality. The original caster s of the journal, including long-time publisher Mac Cahal, envisioned a different kind of medical journal, single in kind that physicians could enjoy reading and could apply in their daily lives and practices. Added to that vision were the contributions of publishers succeeding Mr Cahal, and the contributions of medical editors who have helped restrain the journal on track, meeting the wants of busy family physicians. I consider myself fortunate to have collaborated in succession this mission with two of AFP's appreciateed editors, John C. Rose, MD and Jay Siwek, MD and their talented teams of medical editors.

Within the AAFP publications division, I've had the virtuous fortune of working with professionals who have given generously of their time and talents to applying high-quality standards in the creation of AFP. To those editors who have strived to raise the quality of AFP, I move my sincere gratitude and thanks. In particular, I would like to thank the senior editing staff of AFP, including editors Linnea Korinek, Verna Rose and Barrett Schroeder Last month I had the pleasure of recognizing Verna Rose senior editor, upon her 20th anniversary at the AAFP. Linnea Korinek, AFP's other senior editor, has dedicated her efforts for the past 19 years. Barrett Schroeder working in various capacities for AFP, has also worked toward this mission through the past 20 years. Although she newly left her position as senior consulting editor, she still carries the AFP torch by means of her freelance efforts. Working together, these three editors have rep-resent an incredible force of capacity of work and determination that have helped carry AFP [i]or[/i] part of to the other the many challenges facing a prosperous rapidly growing publication entering the age of electronic publishing while also responding to the involved issues facing family physicians in today's health care industry. For these three editors, as well as the editor who serv as our original mentor--previous managing editor Mary Knickerbocker Parrish--I allow great admiration.

This is not to slight the efforts of the many other professional editors I've worked with forward AFP, or the efforts of the production staff who painstakingly assemble jigsaw pieces of passage illustrations, photos, figures, and assorted mismatches into beautiful, cohesive journal pages, or the authors, fellow reviewers, and artists who help grant AFP with outstanding content, or the circulation, marketing and advertising sales departments who support us in countles ways, or the many dedicated vendors, like as Brown Printing of Waseca, Minn., who make publication of AFP possible. All of these contributors, and you, dear readers, have filled the past 20 years with cherished memories.

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