Farewell, but Not Goodbye
Editor’s Note
Mobeen H. Rathore, MD, CPE, FAAP, FPIDS, FSHEA, FIDSA, FACPE
Editor, The Florida Pediatrician
PUBLISHED Fall 2025 | Volume 45, Issue 4
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It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the Founding Editor of The Florida Pediatrician, the official publication of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FCAAP). With this message, I bid farewell in my capacity as Editor.
During my tenure as President of the Florida Chapter, I was proud to contribute five lasting initiatives to our organization:
- Hiring Alicia Adams (although she began after my term concluded),
- Launching The Future of Pediatrics, our Annual Meeting,
- Establishing the Lifetime Membership category,
- Creating a Reserve Fund, and
- Starting The Florida Pediatrician journal.
Each of these efforts has flourished — and impressively, without requiring my continued involvement. Alicia Adams has been nothing short of extraordinary. The Future of Pediatrics conference continues to grow in stature and value. The Reserve Fund has strengthened our financial stability, and the Lifetime Membership category is gaining momentum, though it still calls for broader support.
Where I remained deeply engaged was with The Florida Pediatrician. For the past 11 years since the end of my presidency, I have had the pleasure of continuing to lead the journal. I have been fortunate to collaborate with a dedicated team, with invaluable administrative support initially from Melanie Range, then John Horne, and more recently Larry Compton. The Editorial board has been nothing short of spectacular in their time commitment and wise counsel. Together, we achieved all our goals — notably, having The Florida Pediatrician indexed on Google Scholar. It remains the only journal among all AAP chapters to receive this distinction. While we have not yet achieved indexing on PubMed, I remain optimistic that milestone will be reached in due time.
As I step down, I am pleased to leave the journal in the very capable hands of Dr. Michael Muszynski — a trusted colleague and friend — who will undoubtedly lead it to new heights. Michael has served as the Associate Editor of The Florida Pediatrician for many years.
It is with great humility and appreciation that I accept the role of Editor Emeritus, and I thank the FCAAP Board for this meaningful honor.
I plan to stay involved in The Florida Pediatrician.
A heartfelt thanks goes to Dr. Rana Alissa, the current President of FCAAP, for her outstanding leadership and unwavering support of the journal — and of me, personally. In my memory, she stands as the finest President the Chapter has had.