Introductions.

It is with mixed emotions that I begin the new year as acting editor of Physical Therapy. On one hand, I am honored to have been asked to serve the physical therapy profession in this capacity, and I am excited about the opportunity to work with physical therapists worldwide who are associated with the Journal as authors and readers. On the other hand, I am deeply saddened by the circumstances that lead me to be the author of this Editor's Note instead of Editor-in-Chief Jules Rothstein.

Now in recovery from two liver transplants in 2004 and a more recent diagnosis of leukemia (currently in remission),Jules has begun a 6-month leave of absence from his position as editor in chief of Physical Therapy. Having recently had the pleasure of celebrating Jules' 57th birthday with him and his family, I can assure all readers that his fighting spirit is alive and well. Many thoughts, prayers, and hopes for a complete and speedy recovery are with Jules and his devoted family as they enter 2005! It is nay fervent hope that my tenure as acting editor will be short-lived and that, come July 2005, Jules will resume his leadership of Physical Therapy to once again inspire and provoke all of us from the pages of this Journal. During the past year, Managing Editor Jan Reynolds--in collaboration with the Journal staff--and our talented colleagues on the Editorial Board have done a superlative job stewarding the Journal forward during Jules's absence. We are all indebted to this remarkable group for their dedication and service to our profession.

The start of the 21st century is an exciting time to be a physical therapist, and, because I had served as Deputy Editor in the mid 1990s, it's a wonderful time for me to resume nay association with Physical Therapy. Thanks to leaders such as Jules Rothstein, the physical therapy community today supports a culture that cares about and demands scientific evidence and--even more important--knows how to use emerging evidence in the service of patients and the general public. Under Jules' visionary leadership, the Journal has undergone a renaissance to become a prime source of scientifically based knowledge about physical therapy, both within and outside the profession.

Today, the contributions being made by physical therapist scientists are widely represented and recognized throughout the health care professions, academia, the National Institutes of Health, and the broader scientific community. As I travel within scientific circles such as epidemiology, gerontology, public health, and medical rehabilitation, I am continually impressed by the growing numbers of physical therapists I meet around the globe who are engaged in important, and innovative, research. This bodes well for the future of the physical therapy profession and for our potential to make even greater contributions to the development of a scientifically grounded, clinical enterprise.

Physical Therapy has a central role to play as the science of physical therapy matures. The Journal must continue to grow and extend its reach to accomplish its mission of being a prominent international vehicle for disseminating important new discoveries that advance the evidence-based practice of physical therapy. This mission includes publishing the results of basic science, applied clinical, health services, outcomes, and qualitative research investigations. I believe the Journal can serve as a vibrant forum for scholarly discussion and debate and as a mechanism to assist clinicians to further the evidence-based teaching and practice of our profession.

The quality of the Journal reflects the stature of our profession. Thus, all of us--readers, authors, editors, reviewers--have an investment in making it the very best it can be. I invite scientists both within and outside the physical therapy profession who are conducting research relevant to physical therapy to submit your very best work to the Journal. To this end, on behalf of the Editorial Board, I am inviting contributors and consumers of Physical Therapy to provide us with constructive criticism, feedback, and suggestions on how the Journal can do an even better job of serving the profession of physical therapy, Are there things the Journal is doing that we might reconsider? Tell us! Are there initiatives we are not taking that we should be taking? Please let us know!

I look forward to working with authors to help them disseminate their exciting work to the physical therapy community. I look forward to hearing from you and hope that I can call on all of you in the months ahead to further the critical mission of Physical Therapy. Best wishes for 2005....

From 1996 through 2004, Dr Jette served as Dean of Boston University's Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. He currently directs the Health & Disability Research (HDR) Institute, Boston University. He can be reached at [e-mail].