2015 President’s address: new ventures in publishing

As a relatively new College with a long and rich history we have come of age in one of our major services that we provide to members and the profession – publishing. As foreshadowed in his editorial, Associate Professor Brett Mitchell describes the one important stage of the College’s growth and maturation as the peak body for the prevention and control of infection in our communities. The College is pleased to announce that from 2016 we will be moving to a new official publication, which will see Healthcare Infection replaced by Infection, Disease and Health. The vision of President-Elect Professor Ramon Shaban and Editor-in-Chief Associate Professor Brett Mitchell, Infection, Disease and Health reinforces the importance of infection prevention and control on health and advances the College’s vision as the peak body for the prevention and control of infection in our communities. In his editorial, Brett outlines the history of this decision as well as the vision for the next stage in this journey in publishing for the College. It would be our hope that it is also a time of greater collaboration with our colleagues with content including public health and public health policy, health economics, food and animal health in preventing human infections.

On behalf of the College I would like to place on record our appreciation to the many that have been instrumental in establishing and growing our current journal, Healthcare Infection. Whilst Associate Professor Brett Mitchell makes mention of the past Editors, Editorial Board and contributors I would like to acknowledge the drive and energy that Brett has brought to the role over the past three years. Quite apart from a demanding professional schedule Brett has also built relationships with other associations and journal editors to be informed about the challenges facing professional groups who need to publish. It is the success of Healthcare Infection that makes this transition to a new journal possible. As President, and on behalf of the Executive Council, I commend Professor Shaban and Associate Professor Mitchell on their vision for the College and its new journal, and I encourage all our members to actively contribute to its success by sharing your knowledge and taking up the challenge to publish in Infection, Disease and Health.