Astute readers may have noticed some differences in the cover dress of this issue of Healthcare Building Ideas; rest assured, there are more to come as you flip through this issue. As the brand new Editor-in-Chief of HBI and representative of new publishers Vendome Group, I'd like to take this opportunity to explain what exactly is going on around here.
As mentioned above, HBI is now being published by Vendome Group, also publishers of HEALTHCARE DESIGN magazine (of which, not coincidentally, I am also the Editor-in-Chief.) Vendome jumped at the chance to acquire HBI, seeing it as a perfect complement to HEALTHCARE DESIGN's focus on the architecture and interior design of healthcare facilities. In light of our sister publication, HBI's editorial focus will shift ever so slightly going forward, moving toward the key relationships between the construction, engineering, and design teams, and how they work together to put together these most important and highly specialized buildings.
Within the pages, you'll also notice in addition to the cosmetic changes, several new departments that will now be appearing regularly in HBI: Building Green focuses on the sustainability movement, while Build It Right looks at the many highly technical systems and installations that require careful, even specialized attention in adapting them to the healthcare environment from the points of view of all the players in the architecture/engineering/maintenance/ownership fields. We've also given the familiar Project Profile a face lift. Look for more new departments to appear in subsequent issues, and for even more exclusive content online at http://www.healthcarebuildingideas.com, our revamped Web site that now features daily news, back-issue archives, and more.
That said, there are some behind-the-scenes changes afoot here. In addition to my installation at the top of the editorial masthead, our very capable HEALTHCARE DESIGN editorial, production, and advertising teams will be coming aboard. We've also retained the services of HBI's Shannon Powers-Jones as a Contributing Editor. Shannon has done a great job steering this magazine in the past, and we are thrilled that she has agreed to be a part of our team. I encourage readers not already familiar with HEALTHCARE DESIGN to check it out online at http://www.healthcaredesignmagazine.com to see exactly what it is we've been doing all these years on that side of the street. Taken together, the two books should present a 360-degree picture of the healthcare design and construction industry.
This is a very exciting time for us and we hope the new HBI meets with your liking, as well. Good or bad, however, I'd love to hear from you, the reader, on what you think works, what doesn't, and what you'd like to see us cover in the future. Drop me a line at thutlock@vendomegrp.com with your thoughts. I look forward to experiencing this new adventure with all of you! HBI
Todd Hutlock, Editor-in-Chief Healthcare Building Ideas 2009 Winter;6(1):6
