Editorial.(Editorial)

The news reminds us that the entire world is in turmoil. Banks are failing. Wars and disease are raging. Glaciers are melting. People are panicking. Turmoil seems to be the only condition humans have in common, if we were to go by the headlines.

Luckily, JHM is not the news. The trends and research included in this (and every) issue have a deeper intention than merely to report or sound an alarm. Each installment is an instruction manual written by experts and insiders who participate in developing, teaching, and encouraging novel but sensible ideas.

In our interview, Kimberly Russel credits her long-time mentor and her broad experiences for the opportunities and successes she has achieved. She advises new health administration graduates to not be disheartened by the ongoing economic crisis that has resulted in mass layoffs across the field.

Physician Relations columnist Ken Cohn is joined in this issue by David Harlow. The authors submit proactive strategies for physician recruitment, an enormous undertaking in the age of physician shortages. In Trends, the green-building movement takes center stage. Columnist Walter Vernon discusses seven practical approaches to reducing energy consumption and saving money in healthcare facilities.

The study by Joseph Coyne and colleagues, evaluates the link between a hospital's size and ownership and the cost and efficiency of operations. The findings presented in the article may inform leaders who are contemplating mergers or consolidations to remain operational.

Dan Messina and colleagues set out to determine whether patient satisfaction plays a role in inpatient admissions. In the article, the authors detail this correlation in both teaching and nonteaching institutions and offer recommendations for improving patient satisfaction and organizational performance.

Research conducted by Christina Wurster and colleagues explores a real concern about information technology (IT) implementation: What happens when the IT project fails to deliver on its promised enhancements? The article discusses this dilemma and provides a strategic, political, and cultural framework for better implementation.

Finally, Pavani Rangachari's abstract highlights the main points of his study on knowledge sharing related to quality measurement and reporting.

Turmoil will always be around. This is another reason that publications like JHM should be around as well.

Kyle L. Grazier, DrPH

Editor

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