Hematology 2002 [antikvár]

i ^JoC-'" President's Message 44th Annual Meeting and Exposition 2002 Education Program Book The successful publication each year of Hematology, the ASH Education Program Book, is truly a minor miracle. What began years ago as a collection of commentaries to accompany lectures at the ASH Education Sessions has grown into a full-fledged mini-textbook of hematology. The book is uniformly felt to be of the highest quality and is now referenced and citable through the National Library of Medicine. Keep in mind that the book alsó has an enviable circulation. First, it is distributed to as many as 20,000 people who attend the annual meeting and to hematology trainees throughout the US. ASH alsó distributes the book and its accompanying CD-ROM gratis to physicians in developing countries as part of its international outreach program. Finally, the book's contents are available electronically on the ASH web site. Hematology 2001 has had more than 214,000 "hits" by individuals who have signed on to our website since it was posted last November. Much of the success of Hematology can be attributed to our recently retired executive editor Geraldine Schechter, who devoted untold hours to the project and elevated it from a small booklet to the well-regarded text you see today. Let me review why I believe the publication of Hematology is a miraculous event. Each January, the Education Committee Co-chairs outline their vision of the education sessions to the Program Committee. After vigorous discussion and somé modifications, a üst of sessions and potential speakers is assembled. The Education Committee Co-chairs-this year, Janis Abkowitz and Julié Vose-then begin the formidable task of recruiting speakers and securing their agreement not only to do the oral session, but alsó to produce a manuscript in a timely fashion. The June deadline for those manuscripts seems to arrive earlier each year! Eventually the papers do appear, and once in hand, they are sent out to two independent reviewers and are alsó carefully read by one of the editors-Janis Abkowitz, Virginia Broudy, or Julié Vose-and Assistant Editor Janine Bajus. The authors receive the reviewers' comments and must incorporate the changes into the manuscripts within a few weeks. And, of course, there is the artwork, which must be of high quality and is often rendered in color. The revised manuscripts, figures, and tables are set as page proofs and returned to the authors for review along with any remaining editorial queries. The corrected proofs are then sent to the printer in October to be published and distributed at the annual meeting in December. Those who have tried to edit a textbook know how hard it is to get all this work done in eight months. They alsó understand how delicate and fragile a textbook is and how one recalcitrant author or substandard submission can leave a gaping hole in an otherwise excellent book. Fortunately, this has not happened to Hematology. On behalf of my fellow officers and the members of the Executive Committee of the Society, I want to congratulate the authors, editors, and ASH staff on their superb effort. Like the discipline itself, Hematology 2002 looks vibrant, exciting, scientifically based, and clinically relevant. Virginia Broudy, our new Executive Editor, has skillfully guided everyone through the process and has produced another outstanding publication. We all hope that you, the readers, will concur and that well-worn copies of Hematology 2002 will grace your bookshelves and help you and your colleagues care for patients with hematologic disorders. This is, after all, the goal.