A Fresh Perspective

Jan 1, 2001 12:00 PM, Marie Blakey

Or How Our New Boss Spurred Us to Change

I DON'T KNOW if you noticed in our last issue, but a new name tops the masthead: Karen Cavallo, HomeCare's publisher.

Gotten a new boss recently? In case you don't remember, it can be an adjustment. The good news is that Karen and I worked together several years ago at another magazine, so we already know each other's style and work habits.

That's why, when she started asking questions about why HomeCare covers one topic but not another, or why we run the stories on these pages and not those, I took it in stride and managed to come up with some good answers.

I couldn't come up with good answers to all her questions, however. Her fresh perspective on HomeCare forced me to rethink what we do, why and how. It also spurred me to make changes.

One of the things I like best about being a magazine editor is being able to make something brand-new each month. The overall look is the same, the editorial focuses on the same key topics, but the news and features are different. Each issue literally starts as nothing more than a blank piece of paper I pull out at a brainstorming meeting with my staff.

Karen was on the job just about a month before she had us pull out a blank piece of paper and start coming up with new ideas to improve the magazine. And once we got started - as is the way with change - we came up with lots of them.

Here are a few highlights of some changes we wrought in this January issue:

- We added a sidebar called Coming in the Next Issue next to my column to give you some idea of what we're preparing for the next issue, from features to special product coverage. Hopefully, the heads-up will help you in your business planning and day-to-day operations.

- We also added an Editor's Pick sidebar to this page. Here you'll find a favorite fact or quote chosen by one of the editors (we're taking turns) from something he or she included in a story or read elsewhere about the home health industry.

- We pulled our Provider News and Manufacturer News sections to the front of the magazine with the rest of the news. More convenient reading.

- We expanded our news coverage, too. We added two sections called The Provider NewsWire and The Manufacturer NewsWire so you can read more news about what's happening in the industry. Check it out. And I encourage you to send us news of your company's special events, milestones and honors.

- We changed the way we write product reviews to a bulleted format that lets you assess key product features in a glance. We also now include the manufacturer's phone number so you can call with questions you wish to have answered immediately.

- We expanded the size of our Good Thinking columns so that they can include more how-to details on the ideas and best practices they showcase.

- Finally, Cara Bachenheimer has come on board HomeCare as a columnist. You can read her introductory Washington Wit & Wisdom column on page 72.

I hope all these changes make HomeCare more useful and easier to read. Let me know what you think. Karen has.