Whenever I talk with long-term care professionals, I like to ask why they have chosen to do this work. Let's face it, this is not a field for sissies.

If you are involved in running a facility, the nagging questions just never seem to go away. Are residents receiving the best care possible? Are we going to be able to pay our bills? Are we ready for the next survey? You know the drill, and probably know it all too well.

What I consistently hear back is that, yes, working in this field is very demanding and at times frustrating. But it's also rewarding.

It is perhaps one of the few endeavors where a person can do work that's important while also making a difference in the lives of others. I think when it gets boiled down, most long-term care professionals are meeting both an external need (many of our nation's seniors and non-seniors need help with daily activities) and an internal desire (the human urge to help others).

When I go home at night, I sometimes ask myself a somewhat related question: Is what we're doing at McKnight's right? After all, there is no one perfect way to publish a magazine or fill a Web page.

Each day, we have to choose from many developments and report on the handful that we think are most relevant. Each month, we have to fill a magazine with news, information and perspective that is good enough to help you, and keep you coming back for more.

Fortunately, the available feedback strongly suggests we are on the right track.

Our most popular Web items each day are consistently those dealing with regulatory, reimbursement, workplace, legislative and legal issues. In other words, the pillars we have always focused on.
In the biannual Readex survey, our readers consistently indicate they prefer McKnight's over any other publication in this field.

In some areas, we score higher than all the other magazines combined!

Earlier this year, we captured two gold and two bronze awards in the American Society of Health Publication Editors' 2008 Awards competition. These included top honors for online news and news article.

More recently, we captured four more awards during the APEX national competition. Most notably, we received the “Grand Award” plaque for overall excellence in the for-profit/small office category. This was on top of awards for news writing, advocacy writing and most-improved Web site.

Yet while it's always wonderful to get recognition, these awards mean little if we are not delivering the best content possible. That's why I have an open request: Please let me know if there is any way we can serve you better.