It is an honor to assume the role as editor in chief of JAMA Surgery, succeeding the outstanding tenure of Julie Freischlag, MD. During her 10 years of editorial leadership, Dr Freischlag led JAMA Surgery with many new initiatives that strengthened the journal鈥檚 impact, contributions, and relevance to the field of surgery, including the move to publishing all content online first and changing the journal title from Archives of Surgery to JAMA Surgery. All of these initiatives, along with the input and contributions of the editorial board and international advisory board, have placed JAMA Surgery among the top-ranked surgery journals.
So, what lies ahead for JAMA Surgery? My goal is simple, to provide the most relevant and important peer-reviewed content pertaining to the practice of surgery. We plan to continue publishing important research that will contribute to and advance the care of patients with surgical disease. At the same time, we want to supply a vehicle through which surgeons can remain up to date on current standards of care and provide surgeons with novel data and innovative concepts and approaches that challenge current paradigms, forcing us to think more broadly about how we treat patients with surgical disease to develop better and safer ways to care for them.
To help me achieve this goal, I welcome an energetic team of thoughtful, innovative, and accomplished surgeons as deputy editors: Timothy Pawlik, MD, MPH, PhD (Johns Hopkins University), Julie Ann Sosa, MD, MA (Duke University), and Adil Haider, MD, MPH (Brigham and Women鈥檚 Hospital). Together, with an actively engaged editorial board and international editorial board dedicated to the advancement of JAMA Surgery, I have no doubt that we will achieve this goal. I am fortunate to benefit from the expertise of most of the current editorial board members who are continuing in their roles. However, I am pleased to announce the addition of one new editorial board member, Karl Bilimoria, MD, MS (Northwestern University). I look forward to engaging a very active international editorial board, one that will support contributions and provide perspectives from all over the world. I am excited to announce the following new members to the international editorial board: Liane Feldman, MDCM (Canada), Alberto Ferreres, MD, PhD, MPH (Argentina), Simon Y. K. Law, MBBChir, MS (Hong Kong), Olle Ljungqvist, MD, PhD (Sweden), Chung Mau Lo, MBBS, MS (Hong Kong), Avery Nathens, MD, MPH, PhD (Canada), John Windsor, MD (New Zealand), Han-Kwang Yang, MD, PhD (South Korea), and Cheng Har Yip, MBBS (Malaysia).
Readers can look forward to some changes to JAMA Surgery. First, JAMA Surgery will implement a new monthly review article section with the goal of providing evidence-based reviews from leaders in the field on common topics important to the practice of surgery. This section will be led by a new review editor position capably helmed by Gerard Doherty, MD (Boston University). Second, JAMA Surgery will establish a new monthly section on surgical innovation, highlighting innovations that will affect the future of surgery. This section will be led by a new surgical innovation editor, Justin Dimick, MD, MPH (University of Michigan), who is known for his commitment to innovation. Third, we will continue to publish Clinical Challenges and offer CME, and we look forward to offering Maintenance of Certification (MOC) to our readers. I am very happy to report that Pamela Lipsett, MD, MHPE (Johns Hopkins University), will serve as the Clinical Challenges and CME editor. Fourth, JAMA Surgery is happy to welcome the expertise of 3 biostatisticians to the editorial board who will provide important contributions to methodological design and analysis for publications in JAMA Surgery: Amy Kaji, MD, PhD (University of California, Los Angeles), Alfred Rademaker, PhD (Northwestern University), and Terry Hyslop, PhD (Duke University).
JAMA Surgery will continue to publish Invited Commentaries from leaders in the field who provide unique perspectives on new research鈥攖his has been a hallmark of JAMA Surgery. We will continue to solicit and publish scholarly Viewpoints on timely issues important to the practice of surgery. At the same time, we pledge to continue to render editorial decisions rapidly, to publish articles as quickly as possible online first, and to reach and maintain a time from acceptance to print publication of 60 to 90 days.
Important to the future success of JAMA Surgery will be its presence on the web and in social media. JAMA Surgery has more than 1.8 million online visits each year, and more than 8000 Twitter followers. Amalia Cochran, MD (University of Utah), will serve as the web and social media editor. With her knowledge of social media and through her creative approaches, I am confident that JAMA Surgery will continue to expand its reach to an even broader audience and will provide content that is relevant, interactive, and engaging to current and new generations alike.
Lastly, I look forward to working closely with Terri Carter, the managing editor, who has been with JAMA Surgery for the past decade. Her knowledge, critical input, and efficiencies will continue to be an asset to the journal. I also look forward to maintaining strong relationships with both of our affiliate societies: the Pacific Coast Surgical Association and the Association of VA Surgeons.
To lead JAMA Surgery is truly a privilege. To be part of the 糖心vlog family of journals, led by Howard Bauchner, MD, editor in chief of JAMA, is an extraordinary opportunity full of tremendous expertise, support, and resources I never imagined possible. The 糖心vlog reaches approximately 750鈥�000 physicians worldwide each week through print, online journal e-mail alerts, and social media posts, and the 糖心vlog Journals have nearly 30 million web visits each year. For JAMA Surgery to be part of this network that reaches such a broad worldwide audience is incredibly exciting to me. I am deeply grateful to Dr Bauchner for this opportunity and am thrilled to take the reins!
Corresponding Author: Melina R. Kibbe, MD, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 676 N St Clair, Ste 650, Chicago, IL 60611 (mkibbe@northwestern.edu).
Published Online: January 7, 2015. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2014.3564.
Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.