TRIBUTE
Two decades at the helm
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those days. Noni’s original Editorial Board cononi MacDonald took on the daunting task of inaugural editor of Paediatrics & Child sisted of many of the ‘usual suspects’ (Robert Haslam, Robert Issenman, Michael Rieder, Health (fondly referred to as ‘PCH’ by those of us ‘in the know’) 20 years ago. This was a highGary Smith, Anthony Ford-Jones and others) who went on to provide major service to PCH risk endeavour because a previous Canadian and/or the CPS, suggesting that she had a keen Paediatric Society (CPS) journal lived a very short life until the publisher went bankrupt. eye for who had the optimal skill-set for the job. Noni is on the World Health Organization Noni’s goal was never that PCH become a competitor for the mainstream paediatric journals. Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) working group dealing Instead, Noni was speaking the language of with vaccine hesitancy. She was one of the ‘knowledge translation’ (presenting research findings in such a way that clinicians start using founders of MicroResearch – a program that orithem in their clinical practice) before that term ginated at Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia) and aims to improve local medical was even coined. She constantly reminds everyresearch capacity in Africa. Between these and one that readers want short and clear articles her many other commitments, Noni is constantly that have a ‘take-home’ message. In fact, she enroute to or returning from a foreign locale. may be less than pleased that we are using up a Dr Noni MacDonald When I was a medical student, I did an elective precious page in PCH for this tribute to her. in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. A patient had been admitted overOn Noni’s watch, PCH achieved the major milestone of being night with chest pain but I was told that there was no electrocardioindexed in PubMed and achieving a respectable impact factor for a gram to view as the attending physician (Wolfgang) “didn’t believe Canadian specialty society journal. This step markedly increased the in EKGs”. Well, Noni is a doubter like Wolfgang and does not number of readers who have access to the Journal. Before this, Noni believe in jet lag. She probably does not realize that behind her back, spearheaded a program in which paper copies of PCH were mailed many people refer to her as ‘The Energizer Bunny’. As incoming to interested physicians with limited Internet access in resourcePCH Editor-in-Chief, my feet are no doubt several sizes larger than poor countries to try to improve the state of global paediatric care. are Noni’s, but it will still be a challenging task to fill her shoes. Elizabeth Moreau, the long-time Director of Communications and Knowledge Translation for the CPS tells me that the first ediJoan L Robinson MD torial board teleconference was held in the office of the beloved Dr Incoming Editor-in-Chief, Paediatrics & Child Health Victor Marchessault, the Executive Vice President of the CPS in
Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta Correspondence: Dr Joan L Robinson, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, 11402 University Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J3. E-mail [email protected] Accepted for publication April 7, 2016
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Paediatr Child Health Vol 21 No 5 June/July 2016
Two decades at the helm
N
those days. Noni’s original Editorial Board cononi MacDonald took on the daunting task of inaugural editor of Paediatrics & Child sisted of many of the ‘usual suspects’ (Robert Haslam, Robert Issenman, Michael Rieder, Health (fondly referred to as ‘PCH’ by those of us ‘in the know’) 20 years ago. This was a highGary Smith, Anthony Ford-Jones and others) who went on to provide major service to PCH risk endeavour because a previous Canadian and/or the CPS, suggesting that she had a keen Paediatric Society (CPS) journal lived a very short life until the publisher went bankrupt. eye for who had the optimal skill-set for the job. Noni is on the World Health Organization Noni’s goal was never that PCH become a competitor for the mainstream paediatric journals. Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) working group dealing Instead, Noni was speaking the language of with vaccine hesitancy. She was one of the ‘knowledge translation’ (presenting research findings in such a way that clinicians start using founders of MicroResearch – a program that orithem in their clinical practice) before that term ginated at Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia) and aims to improve local medical was even coined. She constantly reminds everyresearch capacity in Africa. Between these and one that readers want short and clear articles her many other commitments, Noni is constantly that have a ‘take-home’ message. In fact, she enroute to or returning from a foreign locale. may be less than pleased that we are using up a Dr Noni MacDonald When I was a medical student, I did an elective precious page in PCH for this tribute to her. in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. A patient had been admitted overOn Noni’s watch, PCH achieved the major milestone of being night with chest pain but I was told that there was no electrocardioindexed in PubMed and achieving a respectable impact factor for a gram to view as the attending physician (Wolfgang) “didn’t believe Canadian specialty society journal. This step markedly increased the in EKGs”. Well, Noni is a doubter like Wolfgang and does not number of readers who have access to the Journal. Before this, Noni believe in jet lag. She probably does not realize that behind her back, spearheaded a program in which paper copies of PCH were mailed many people refer to her as ‘The Energizer Bunny’. As incoming to interested physicians with limited Internet access in resourcePCH Editor-in-Chief, my feet are no doubt several sizes larger than poor countries to try to improve the state of global paediatric care. are Noni’s, but it will still be a challenging task to fill her shoes. Elizabeth Moreau, the long-time Director of Communications and Knowledge Translation for the CPS tells me that the first ediJoan L Robinson MD torial board teleconference was held in the office of the beloved Dr Incoming Editor-in-Chief, Paediatrics & Child Health Victor Marchessault, the Executive Vice President of the CPS in
Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta Correspondence: Dr Joan L Robinson, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, 11402 University Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J3. E-mail [email protected] Accepted for publication April 7, 2016
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