I would like to announce that the North American Editorial Office has moved West. I have been appointed as Professor & Chairman of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department and Senior Associate Dean of Women's Health at the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) School of Medicine. The school has graciously encouraged me to continue my duties as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine and has provided office space for the North American Editorial Office to be moved from New York to Missouri. This move is somewhat of a ‘homecoming’ for me, having spent many years as part of the UMKC/TMC faculty before moving to New York in 1993. After 14 years as Professor and Chairman of the Obstetrics & Gynecology Department at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, New York, I am looking forward to returning to Kansas City and working with my new Editorial Assistant, Ms Linda Franta, to help move the Journal forward. Linda brings to the Journal a background in Journalism and a wealth of experience in editing, production and lay-out. She and I are already working with our publisher, Informa Healthcare, and Prof. Gian Carlo Di Renzo and his editorial office, to develop a new website for the Journal that will allow us to process manuscripts from author submittal to publication through one central site. This is an exciting development that will enhance the quality of the Journal.
Moving on is bitter-sweet as it also means that a chapter in one's life is closing and long-standing working relationships are ending. I am truly grateful to Winthrop-University Hospital for their steadfast support of the Journal for all these years. I would also like to extend my deep appreciation and gratitude to Ms Wendie Irving, who has worked closely with me as my Editorial Assistant for more than eight years. Wendie has shown unwavering dedication to the Journal and has been absolutely invaluable in bringing it through several transition periods over the last five years.
With the help of both Institutions and the hard work of Wendie and Linda, we have achieved a relatively painless move and Journal business has continued uninterrupted.