From the March 2007 Issue
Sticking the Quantum Leap
Remote Control Training: Case History
From a Distance: Saving Lives Through Remote Care: Case History
The Keys to the Kingdom
When Consumers Drive, Physicians Don’t Have to Get Taken for a Ride
From The Editor
A Season of Change
By Mike McBride
Life is funny sometimes.
Just when things seem to be working out, a wrench lands in your lap and everything goes awry. Such was the case mid-year 2006. After Associate Editor Kathleen Waton’s departure, we set about to find a qualified replacement. This turned out not to be such an easy task as Kathleen is an excellent editor. We persevered and eventually found E. Victor Brown, HMT’s newest Associate Editor, who has already proven himself to be an enormous asset. Once again, it seemed HMT was rigged for smooth sailing when unexpectedly our Editor-in-Chief, Robin Blair, fell ill and needed surgery. Thankfully, Robin is recovering and doing fine, however, she has decided to retire from HMT.
I cannot adequately convey our admiration for Robin in this editorial, nor will I try. She is simply the finest editor with whom I’ve had the privilege to work. Robin’s 30 year’s experience writing about the healthcare industry, particularly in the areas of government legislation and health plans, made her uniquely qualified to be HMT’s Editor. Her alacrity was contagious, her purview astounding. Healthcare IT, as anyone reading this will know, is an enormous, ever evolving industry. How could anyone know so much about so much, we often would ask out loud. Robin would say healthcare is the only industry where the learning curve never stops. She was like that, our Robin. Always looking at the bright side.
Robin is an editor’s editor. She has been writing and publishing since childhood and intuitively understands the importance and power of clear, concise communicating. She set the highest standards for HMT editors, to which we rose again and again, sharpening our skills and honing our craft, and when ready, she loosed us to fly or fall. If we fell, her hand of experience returned us to the nest. Never were we allowed to indulge in self-recrimination—to Robin, it was simply part of the process. What more could one want from a boss, a mentor or a friend?
“It ain’t over till it’s over,” said Yogi. Well, an era is over; the torch is passed. HMT sails forth under a new prerogative. By the time you read this, much of the shock will have dissipated. However, as I write it, many remain stunned by the significance of this event, the impact of which we will feel for a long time—Robin, is a hard act to follow.
As the Editor, I will blend two decades of writing and editing on a plethora of technical topics with the knowledge I gained while an Associate Editor of this magazine. You can expect the same unbiased, in-depth case studies and feature articles you rely on from HMT. We also have a few surprises in store. And, keep a look out for expanded content on our Web site and in e-News, our electronic newsletter.
Seasons come and seasons go. It’s a necessary cycle. Robin has left the building, but her standards remain. We will always rise to meet them.
“This opens the door on another chapter of history.”—Walter Cronkite
© 2007 Nelson Publishing, Inc