Editor's Note

Women's Health Issues is extremely pleased to introduce the first Supplement to the journal since the journal's inception in 1990. Entitled “Policy and Financing Issues for Preconception and Interconception Health,” this Supplement also represents a first in the journal's 17-year-long history in the types of articles presented, starting with a number of perspectives and analyses on the current status of policies and programs that affect women's access to quality preconception and interconception health care and ending with highly policy-relevant health services research articles, which showcase our continued commitment to excellence in publishing. The majority of the articles in this Supplement are focused on the past, present, and future of preconception health and health care and how these concepts may be promoted through current programs and policies, either by taking advantage of existing opportunities or by suggesting new directions for enhancements and broader health care reform as it relates to women's health. We certainly hope that our readers will be as proud as we are of this special issue.

Women's Health Issues wishes to acknowledge the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its Preconception Health and Health Care Initiative for both financial and programmatic support, without which this Supplement would not have been possible. I particularly would like to thank Dr. Hani Atrash, who co-guest edited the Supplement's specially appointed editorial panel, for his vision and encouragement. Dr. Atrash was instrumental in making the Supplement a quick reality. Special thanks also to Ms. Alison Johnson and Dr. Samuel Posner, Co-Chairs of the Initiative for the CDC, and to Kay Johnson, Special Advisor to the Initiative who also assumed the role of Co-Guest Editor with Dr. Atrash, for their strong leadership.

Finally, I would like to thank D. Richard Mauery, Managing Director of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health and Managing Editor of Women's Health Issues, and Andrea Schenk and Christine Rullo, Associate Publisher and Publishing Director at Elsevier, Inc., and the rest of the staff at Elsevier for doing a superb job in supporting the Editorial Office.

Because of these combined efforts, it took less than a year from start to finish to publish this Supplement. Indeed, it took a remarkably short period of time to develop, write, and produce. For this quick turnaround, I can thank many individuals. In addition to our Co-Guest Editors and the Co-Chairs of the Initiative, we wish to thank all of the contributors to the Supplement who either agreed to submit their thoughtful and sometimes provocative analyses in a very short turnaround time or promptly responded to our call for papers and submitted manuscripts reflecting the excellence of the research they currently conduct in this field of inquiry. We are also grateful for the excellent peer reviews provided by our Guest Review Panel: Melinda Abrams, Arden Handler, Harriet Jett, Alison Johnson, Helene Kent, Milton Kotelchuck, Samuel Posner, James Resnick, Colleen Sonosky, and Lisa Speissegger.

As Editor-in-Chief of Women's Health Issues, I look forward to many more supplements to follow. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information or to provide any feedback you may have at whieditor@gwu.edu.