The Beginning of a New Era for the Archives and the Nation

I am delighted to have begun my work as Editor of the Archives of Internal Medicine, succeeding Philip Greenland, MD, who has already taken this journal to new levels of excellence. It is a great pleasure to work with the superb JAMA and Archives team headed by Cathy DeAngelis, MD, MPH, and Phil Fontanarosa, MD, MBA.

While continuing the successful format, we will make some changes in the Archives to reflect the current environment for health care reform. Shortly after I began as Editor of the Archives, President Obama ushered in a new era in US history, handily winning the election on a platform of hope and change. He has clearly signaled that health care is a top domestic priority. His new Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Peter Orszag, PhD, has said that Washington's focus for now must be on slowing “the growth rate in health-care costs,” calling it “the single most important thing we can do to improve the long-term fiscal health of our nation,” and added “ . . . let me be very clear: health-care reform is entitlement reform. The path of fiscal responsibility must run directly though health care.”¹ The Archives will reflect the times we are living in by introducing a regular new focus called Health Care Reform. We will solicit commentaries on a wide range of subjects that will influence our practice of medicine as much as the latest scientific discoveries and clinical trials that we will continue to publish. This new series will include articles on comparative effectiveness, technology assessment, health economics, regulatory and legislative issues, and conflict of interest. We welcome your suggestions and contributions as we embark on this exciting new era for American medicine and the Archives of Internal Medicine.