2017; Volume 18, No 12, December
Editor’s corner
This month’s issue introduces you to four palliative care workers in Africa: a nurse in Khartoum, who wrote the feature; a Ugandan Traveling Scholar; and a pair of Increasing Membership Award winners whose enthusiasm was directly responsible for 18 new or renewing IAHPC members this year.
Advocacy Officer Dr. Katherine Pettus brings us to Latin America, then UN events in New York and Geneva. Of special note, see IAHPC News for fast-approaching deadlines to apply for 35 Traveling Scholarships for upcoming conferences.
As this is my first issue as newsletter editor, I’d like to tell you why I applied for the job:
Every reporter starting out in her career strives to make a difference.
At my first job — for a regional newspaper comprising small towns and family farms — I became deeply immersed for the first time in local politics and the concerns of residents and businesses. Chronicling the inner workings of the community was a revelation. I learned that newspapers and newsletters don’t simply report on the communities they serve. They serve to build and maintain the communities.
Thirty years later, I can say with conviction that disseminating information changes lives. As I head into my last decade or so on the job, I choose to work for those — such as the IAHPC — that strive to enact positive change. During my eight years as managing editor of the Journal of Palliative Care, I was keenly aware that it had international impact. Editing the IAHPC newsletter allows me the privilege to continue making a difference in the world.
Best wishes for a healthy and happy finish to 2017!
Alison Ramsey
Senior Editor