A New Year for Fellowship, Engagement, and Growth
Citation: Texas Heart Institute Journal 48, 1; 10.14503/THIJ-21-7628
With this first issue of 2021, I have fully assumed the role of Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Heart Institute Journal. Our former editors—Drs. Robert J. Hall, James J. Ferguson III, and James T. Willerson—were committed to providing physicians and healthcare professionals with information related to all aspects of treating patients who have cardiovascular disease. Their standards for quality and integrity were high, and I am eager to build on that foundation. We plan to improve the content, further our educational mission, and take advantage of our electronic platform. Following is an overview of our goals.
Leadership
Doctors Stephanie A. Coulter, Jose G. Diez, and Emerson C. Perin will serve as Associate Editors. Their broad experience and skills as leaders in our Texas Heart Institute (THI) educational and research programs uniquely qualify them to guide us in our endeavors.
We are also introducing Section Editors who will offer expertise in their disciplines to review submissions on structural heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, carotid artery disease, congenital heart disease, cancer, minimally invasive and noninvasive treatments, cardiovascular surgery, imaging, and electrophysiology. On occasion, Section Editors will contribute their original work, as well as state-of-the-art review articles.
Affiliation with Texas Heart Institute Alumni
Since its inception in 1962, thousands of cardiovascular professionals have trained at THI and have become well-recognized experts worldwide. We want to maximize that wealth of knowledge and experience and promote lifelong learning and engagement among our alumni around the world.
We are proud to announce that the Texas Heart Institute Journal will be the official publication for the Texas Heart Institute Cardiac Society, the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society, and the School of Perfusion Technology Training Program, as well as THI's affiliate alumni members from the Texas Children's Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship and Cardiovascular Anesthesiology Fellowship.
Educational Mission
We want the Texas Heart Institute Journal to provide practical, easy-to-access information to our readers. Therefore, we encourage authors to submit articles highlighting their original research with a focus on clinical diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. In addition, we will consider articles featuring clinical and technological advancements. Finally, we will solicit articles from experts and publish topical series.
The Texas Heart Institute Journal has always provided new authors the opportunity to gain publishing experience. We plan to formalize this practice by requiring senior authors to fully participate in writing and reviewing papers. Readers can expect to see many editorial commentaries on selected articles, which will enable new authors to start honing their skills.
We will continue to publish special sections for THI symposia, for which readers can obtain CME credit, when applicable.
In memory of Dr. Willerson, THI will present the James T. Willerson, MD, Editor's Choice Award to 3 authors—one physician, one fellow or resident-in-training, and one researcher—who publish the best original research article in the categories of cardiology and cardiovascular surgery in the Texas Heart Institute Journal. Each will receive $5,000.
Our Texas Heart Institute Journal website will also provide links to educational resources at texasheart.org. Currently available are video recordings on a variety of topics, including a series on Innovative Technologies and Techniques, which explores promising advances in medicine that aim to extend the life of cardiac patients and patients at risk for heart and vascular conditions.
Embracing Online-Only Publication
The Texas Heart Institute Journal began online-only publication in 2014 but has continued to follow the print publication model with articles published in periodic issues. Beginning with this first issue of 2021, we are shifting to continuous publication in addition to bundled issues. Thus, as soon as authors approve their PDFs, we will publish their manuscripts on our website, and the publication date will be the date the article goes online.
A New Year Brings New Beginnings
We are honored to further our partnerships with our alumni. With our improved review process and commitment to publishing articles in a timely fashion, we believe 2021 will increase our value to the cardiovascular community.
We appreciate readers who have loyally followed us through nearly 5 decades of publication, and we hope that our plans will encourage new readers to join us.
Contributor Notes
