Jackie Somerville, PhD, RN
Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer

The Heart & Science editorial board consists of (front row, from left) Mary Lou Etheredge, Jackie Somerville, Kathy McManus, (back row, from left) Brian Conley, Stacey Bukuras, Yilu Ma and Michelle Cerulli. (Not pictured: David McMahon)

Welcome to the first issue of Heart & Science!

For the past 14 years, BWH Nurse has served as the signature publication of the Department of Nursing. Today, in recognition of the important roles so many different people and professions play in providing high-quality care to BWH patients and their families, we are broadening the scope of this departmental newsletter to reflect the key contributions of team members in all areas of Nursing and Patient Care Services.

Our new name—Heart & Science—acknowledges both the technical and the human dimensions of providing exceptional patient- and family-centered care.

Heart & Science will be published approximately 10 times a year and will be available in specially marked displays throughout BWH and in off-site ambulatory practices. In an effort to do our part for BWH’s sustainability goals, Heart & Science will be primarily an electronic publication available on BWHPikeNotes.org.

Here’s what to expect from these pages. The editorial advisory board wants to be sure that we retain the best features of BWH Nurse including nursing narratives and reflections from patients. I will also include a brief message in each issue.

Along with these tried and true features, Heart & Science hopes to break new ground, highlighting areas in Patient Care Services, including Chaplaincy, Interpreter Services, Nursing, Nutrition, Ethics, Center for Patients and Families, Rehabilitation Services, and Social Work. There will also be a few “theme” issues planned in which all articles in a given issue share a common thread or explore the various aspects of a single subject. Finally, you will notice that a couple of key hospital-wide initiatives will receive some dedicated space and attention in each issue. Magnet Matters and Partners eCare Corner are two examples.

Though Heart & Science is being launched with a definite purpose and design in mind, we want it to be fresh, creative, adaptable and responsive to the interests of our readers. That is why we have established a new email box, HeartandScience@partners.org, for your comments, suggestions and ideas for articles. We look forward to hearing from you!