Abstract
In this time of endless political opinions, bad financial news, and worldwide unrest, it is sometimes difficult to feel optimistic. However, looking at the progress of JMT and our future is cause for celebration. As the new editor in chief, my mind is reeling with new ideas and possibilities for the journal, and its impact on the specialty of medical toxicology and poisoned patients will continue to grow. Rather than getting bogged down in the myriad details of the day to day activities of the journal, I really want to take this opportunity of transition to step back and look at the big picture. The editorial board is certainly the heart of the journal. As we considered our future, we realized that the composition and roles of the editorial board required some updating to match the workflow of the journal. In addition to adding five new members, there are new associate, case report, review, and veterinary editors. An ultimate goal of our board redevelopment is to produce a strategic plan for JMT that will map our future. A journal is obviously nothing without good content. After being accepted for indexing, both the quality and quantity of submissions improved and that trend continues as the journal grows. With our experienced and hard-working reviewers, we are striving to optimize the journal content. Since 2006, our turnaround time from reviewer invite to decision has gone from 67 to 16 days. Our partnership with Springer has also allowed us to publish articles online within 3–4 weeks of acceptance. We thank our authors for continuing to provide cutting-edge content. Of course, one cannot ignore the 800-lb gorilla in every plan to increase exposure–social media. Work continues on our mobile app for journal reading as well as expanding our presence on Facebook. Our initial podcast was presented to the editorial board at the meeting in DC. Having been in the audience of a recent Paul McCartney concert, I cannot help but think of the Beatles, “I get by with a little help from my friends,” because a journal can only be as great as the people who participate, from the editorial board, the publisher, the authors, and the reviewers to the readers. I am so fortunate to be surrounded by incredible talent, some new and some in new roles. I cannot thank Christian Tomaszewski enough for his mentoring in his tenure as editor in chief. As the board liaison to JMT, Lewis Nelson, the president of our organization, has been a steadfast confidante and tireless advocate for improvements. Mark Mycyk was recently named associate editor and brings a depth of expertise and a fresh look at our publication. Many of my knowledge gaps in publishing have been filled by the kindness and hard work of Michael Weston, our Springer senior editor. Michelle Ruha, first as case report editor and now as review editor, and Jeanmarie Perrone, the current case report editor, continue to advance the quality of JMT. And I have been able to count on all of the feature editors to consistently provide quality and timely material. We have an engaged and active editorial board that is my light in the night. A reviewer thank you is included in this issue; we continue to increase the strength and depth of our reviewer pool, but many of our best reviewers have been with us working hard since the journal began, and our gratitude continues. It is an honor and privilege to be entrusted with the helm of this wonderful journal. We are always looking for more member input. Please contact me directly with any suggestions or interests in participating.
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