MANAGED CARE October 2007. ©MediMedia USA
Putting out a trade publication doesn't mean losing sight of just how energizing "hard news" can be. True, our brethren in the mainstream media get to hang their passion on a different headline each day, from the serious (an Iranian strongman's visit) to the silly (Lindsay's in rehab again!).
But name a field that's more in flux than managed care? This month, we look at the proceduralist [1], and how he might help keep hospital costs down, not to mention improve patient care. We investigate ambitious experiments in cost control, such as the effort to tier specialists [2], or how one insurer and provider have formed a respectful working relationship to treat cancer [3]. Our Q&A on page 40 features William Winkenwerder Jr., MD, MBA [4], who wants to bring some lessons to the commercial sector from his old job, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. He is a longtime member of our Editorial Advisory Board.
Take a look at our cover story. Contributing Editor Martin Sipkoff looks at the legacy of Asheville and how that pharmacy experiment 10 years ago legitimized medication therapy management [5] and made it possible for pharmacists to take on an important new function.
Also, on a personal note, we say farewell to Patrick Mullen, who's been Senior Contributing Editor for well over a decade. Pat, the first managing editor of Managed Care, and later editor, has been an adviser in recent years and has contributed most of the Q&A features. He is moving on to a new opportunity and we thank him for all that he's contributed and wish him the best.
At the same time, we are pleased to announced that our new senior contributing editor is MargaretAnn Cross, who has written many wonderful articles for us for many years. Good luck to MargaretAnn as well.
Whoever said that the more things change, the more they stay the same must have been pulling somebody's leg.