Got our game faces on

As I write this, my colleagues are frantically filling out their NCAA tournament brackets with their predictions on who will be college basketball's glorious heroes for the next year. My bracket lies neglected, only partially filled out (with the Kansas Jayhawks winning the championship, of course), because—deep breath—there is a magazine to send to the printer. This magazine. Today.

Kristi Reimer

While not quite as exciting as a buzzer-beating three-pointer to win a tournament game, sending a magazine to press also has its fair share of drama and excitement. Especially this time, at least for me, since there's no name above mine on the masthead of this illustrious publication. Because of that, I've had an extra portion of nervous energy these last couple of weeks. I'm a little more hoarse than I normally would be during NCAA tournament time because I've turned to fan-hood as an outlet for my extra edginess.

But it looks like everything has come together incredibly well. I'm terribly excited about this issue—and all the future issues of Veterinary Economics that this editorial and design team will produce.

You want depth? We've got it. Every editor on this team is a seasoned pro, bringing a variety of experiences and skills to the table to create a mix of ideas and strategies for your practice that's the best you could possibly hope for. (Just check out Senior Editor Brendan Howard's article on the recession threat "The R word" and you'll see what I mean.)

How about conditioning? We've developed the strength and endurance to go the distance, not falling apart when it counts (like during our first deadline as a newly formed team—thank goodness).

According to Yahoo! Sports, last year American businesses lost an estimated $1.2 billion in worker productivity during March Madness. I would say that for us it's had the opposite effect. Because all of us (bar one—maybe two) want the same team to win the tournament, it's caused us to draw together. Somehow, pulling for the same basketball team helps us unite in other ways, too.

I hope your team does well this year. But, more than that, I hope you'll tell us about your concerns, your challenges, your victories, your shining moments, and give us a chance to share your story with your colleagues. That, after all, is what we are all about. Gathering the best ideas from the profession and presenting them to other doctors and practice managers—to the benefit of everyone, and especially to the benefit of pets.

Kristi Reimer, Editor

ve@advanstar.com