Memo from the Editor

. . . four new members of our Editorial Board. They join their colleagues-listed on the second page of the Table of Contents each issue-to help us shape the content of the magazine. Actually, you may recognize their names; we've run articles by some of them and quoted others extensively in these pages over a number of years. You see, long before we invite people to join our Editorial Board, we've established solid working relationships with them, more often than not through their participation in our Kitchen Cabinet.

Without further ado, then, let me present:

Jeffrey M. Kagan, an internist in Newington, CT. Jeff is one of those who came to us via the Kitchen Cabinet. He's helped us prepare articles on subjects ranging from malpractice to house calls, from taking on a partner to marketing techniques, from behavioral counseling to teaching your kids about money. Jeff is also an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut and serves as a consultant to the division of health systems regulation for the state department of public health.

Elizabeth F. Pector has bylined eight articles in these pages on subjects from her own search for her birth parents to multicultural considerations to tailoring practice guidelines for real life. Beth practices family medicine in Naperville, IL, and certainly doesn't confine her writing to our magazine. She's published well over 30 articles and does peer review for three clinical journals. One of Beth's special interests is bereavement research and counseling, and her website ( http://www.synspectrum.com) is a treasure-trove for patients looking for consolation.

Salvatore S. Volpe is double-boarded in internal medicine and pediatrics, so he was a natural source for our story last year on the 3,500 med-peds now in practice. He's also one of our go-to guys on technology issues. Sal, who practices in Staten Island, NY, serves on the e-prescribing committee for the IT group HIMSS, on his state society's technology committee, and on his area's Regional Health Information Organization, so he's well-positioned to give us the inside scoop as RHIOs become a more and more important force in medicine.

I thank these four outstanding physicians for agreeing to serve on our Editorial Board. You and I will benefit from their insights for years to come.