Kathleen G. Davis, PhD, MSEd, Editor

Chet D. Johnson, MD, FAAP, Editor

In this era, children and their families are impacted by social and political changes in our homes (social media and screen time), in our communities (refugee populations), in our health care networks (EMR in every tertiary pediatric center), and in our larger world (multiple military deployments of fathers and mothers). Our young patients are involved in a variety of activities at school, at places of worship, and in the community. When a child is diagnosed with a life-threatening condition or when there is an act of gun violence that affects one child, that child’s entire community is touched.

In addition to helping children and families by treating a child’s physical or mental illness, pediatricians today are called upon to guide children and their parents through what sometimes seems like a mine field with potential danger looming with the next step. Although our responsibilities may seem daunting at times—and especially difficult to address in the 15-minute appointment—there are new ways to help children and families and expertise that is developing around us. As we make the adjustments to incorporate some of the “newness” that the twenty-first century has presented to us, we may find that, in many ways, our role is not more difficult; it is just richer and more robust.

This issue explores the impact of contemporary public health challenges for pediatric care, promising models for caring for chronically ill children, and state-of-the-art therapies for complex childhood conditions. It is our hope that that issue of Pediatric Clinics of North America will provide you with some new solutions to old problems; some new solutions to new problems; and a great deal of “food for thought” as you ponder not only how your practice looks today but also how it will appear in the future. Thank you for your interest.