Reflections on the 10th anniversary of the journal.

T he end of 10 years as Editor-in-Chief of Ambulatory Pediatrics provides me some perspective on the growth of the journal and the Academic Pediatric Association (APA) over this decade. During my time on the board of the APA (chair of the Public Policy Committee and the Research Committee at different times), I had reluctantly supported the notion that the APA should have an official journal, although I voted against an independent journal—instead believing that the APA would be best served through linking with an ongoing successful journal. The APA had some discussions with one of the key pediatric journals at the time but decided against a relationship because that journal would not allow the APA to have any role in the choice of new editors and for concerns about other sponsors of that journal. The board then voted to pursue an independent path, including possibilities of assuming oversight for an ongoing journal or developing a new journal. As president of the APA, I had hoped to focus on ways to expand policy activities through the association, but found instead that the board’s decision to pursue a journal fell into my lap! Bob Haggerty chaired the editorial search committee for the APA board, and I was fortunate to be the committee’s choice. We had a series of discussions at that time with a relatively new pediatric journal, but those discussions ended because of issues again of the APA role in selecting the editor and because of concerns about the financial viability of that journal. As the APA then pursued its independent course, a couple of presidents of the American Academy of Pediatrics with ties to the APA encouraged a ‘‘middle ground’’—where the APA journal would be published as a supplement to Pediatrics, with the supplements edited by an editor appointed by the APA. This arrangement with Pediatrics greatly benefited the APA in the first 2 years of its journal and provided excellent exposure through the large Pediatrics subscriber network. After 2 years of the Journal of the Ambulatory Pediatric Association as a supplement to Pediatrics, the APA forged ahead with its own fully independent journal, Ambulatory Pediatrics. A number of people played critical roles during this time—perhaps most especially Judy Shaw, who served as a superb negotiator, effective in placing the association’s needs well in front in the move to an independent operation.