If you're a masthead watcher, you'll notice a number of changes on AFP's masthead in this issue (page 8), each with a story behind it:

• Clarissa Kripke, M.D., has finished her year-long medical editing fellowship in the Washington, D.C., editorial office and is starting a new position as assistant clinical professor in the Department of Community and Family Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine.

• Amy Weichel, D.O., is joining AFP's Washington, D.C., staff this month as the new medical editing fellow. Dr. Weichel served as chief resident in the family medicine residency program at the Ohio University–Cuyahoga Falls General Hospital. She is a graduate of the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens.

• Shortly after celebrating her 10th anniversary with the journal, Cathy Bell, AFP's administrative officer in Washington, D.C., moved to Atlanta to be closer to her family and continue her career in publishing. Joining the D.C. staff as administrative assistant is Makeda Harris-Green.

• Monica Preboth and Toni Lapp have new roles as manuscript editors in the Kansas City, Mo., editorial office.

While the names on AFP's masthead may change and some of our friends move on, a remarkable number never quite let go. Consider these little-known facts about AFP's long-time friends:

• John Rose, M.D., the predecessor of AFP's editor, Jay Siwek, M.D., retired only after 26 years as the journal's editor and seven years as an associate editor, and he still writes to us with friendly feedback over 10 years later.

• Four of the physicians you see listed among AFP's medical editors (Grace Brooke Huffman, M.D., Caroline Wellbery, M.D., Bill Zepf, M.D., and Rosaire Verna, M.D.) left the medical editing fellowship only to join the permanent editorial staff, and Dr. Kripke hopes to keep her hand in editing as well.

• Not one, but two of AFP's previous managing editors still work for the journal. Mary Knickerbocker Parrish, who graced the journal staff between 1959 and 1991 and was managing editor for over 10 years, served as mentor to many editors on the Kansas City staff (many of whom still remain) and currently works behind the scenes as a consultant and a trainer for novice manuscript editors. She recently returned to the journal after moving back to Kansas City from Chicago, where she started her retirement. Sharon Scott Morey, my predecessor, left after her 20th anniversary with the journal and seven years as managing editor but still edits “Tips from Other Journals,” writes items for “Special Medical Reports,” and edits manuscripts from her home in Columbia, Mo.

• Many manuscript editors who have left the Kansas City editorial office have kept right on working for the journal from their homes. Among these is Barrett Schroeder, who worked from her home in St. Louis, Mo., for over five years after she spent five years on staff in Kansas City. Barrett's name was recently added back to the masthead after she officially rejoined the staff as a full-time “telecommuting” manuscript editor.

Of course, some names on the AFP masthead hardly ever change:

• Kathy Mayfield, AFP's production manager—and the journal's longest tenured employee—celebrated her 35th anniversary last month.

Why are so many people drawn to the journal? As I'm sure you'll agree, once you pick up the journal, it's just hard to put it back down.