Editor’s Page: A Few Final Thoughts

This page is often the hardest to fill. I typically save it for last, writing it to wrap up the issue before sending the final proofs to the printer. I’m often up late the night before deadline day trying to formulate my thoughts and convey them coherently. That’s probably not best practice, but the busyness of the month prevents me from carving out the time needed to give these words the attention they deserve.
This month’s page is proving to be the most difficult to write because it’s my last one. I’m moving on to a new opportunity and looking forward to starting the next chapter of my career. I’m truly excited for what’s to come.

That doesn’t mean it’s easy to leave the only real job I’ve ever known. I began as a green entry-level editor and leave in the top spot, a journey full of incredible highs, countless challenges and enough memories to last a lifetime. It’s been an honor to run this magazine, which has been an integral part of my life for close to two decades.

I’m truly grateful for our hardworking and dedicated editors — Jared, Joe, Adam and Danielle — who made me and, more importantly, the magazine look great every month. I’m proud of the content we created, particularly during the height of the pandemic when it would have been easy and understandable to do just enough to produce a magazine from our respective remote workspaces. Instead, the editors bought into doing more than what was expected and teamed up to create compelling cover stories about some of the biggest issues in health care. I’ll always remember what we accomplished together.

Ethan Anderson, the magazine’s talented art director, has been responsible for the look of the magazine for nearly as long as I’ve been filling its pages. For years our brick-and-mortar offices shared a common wall. Now I reach him remotely in his basement — the Dungeon of Design — to discuss layouts and picture choices. Mostly I just send him Word docs full of copy and he creates beautiful layouts that make the words pop. The covers he designs are eye-catching and draw you inside the issues. We have a great system in place that has developed over years of working together. I’m going to miss that bond.

The discussions I’ve had with you, the top minds in surgery, have been inspiring and left me energized. I’ve always appreciated and been amazed by your constant willingness to share your insights and stories with our editors so we can pass them along to surgical leaders across the country. I’m thankful for the professional and personal connections I’ve made with many of you.

I hope the articles our team has produced over the years have been informative and engaging. You’ve made our magazine the most-read and highest-rated publication in the surgical space, and we couldn’t do what we do without your continued interest and input.

It didn’t hit me until now, as I’m once again up late before deadline day, that this is the last issue I’ll ship to the printer. Although I’m finding it difficult to say goodbye, I know it’s time to step away and the right decision. I’m looking forward to becoming a loyal reader who truly loves this magazine and I’ll always be its biggest fan. OSM