At the beginning of 2026, I knew I had a big year ahead. Looking back, I’m not sure I appreciated just how much would change.

This was my first full calendar year leading Healthcare Purchasing News. It was also the year my wife and I welcomed our daughter. Between editorial deadlines and the routines of a growing family, the months moved quickly. There has been plenty to learn, a lot to be grateful for, and considerably less sleep.

Becoming a father has given me new reasons to think about the future. My first full year with HPN has given me a deeper appreciation for the people working to improve it.

Throughout 2026, our coverage brought us into conversations with professionals navigating cost pressures, supply uncertainty, workforce challenges, and growing expectations for technology. Those pressures reach across purchasing, sterile processing, infection prevention, and the many departments that depend on their work.

The questions often sound straightforward. Can we get the products we need? Are instruments ready when a procedure begins? Will a new investment improve care or make someone’s work easier? Answering them requires considerable expertise, coordination, and persistence.

Our award winners offered memorable examples. Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware, our Sterile Processing Department of the Year honoree, demonstrated the value of developing and supporting its people. Hartford HealthCare, our Supply Chain Department of the Year winner, illustrated what supply chain can contribute through strong relationships across an organization.

Their stories reinforced something I want HPN to keep bringing forward and that’s the people behind the progress. Their work deserves recognition, and their ideas deserve a wider audience.

That purpose will carry us into 2027, when HPN celebrates its 50th anniversary. We’ll look back at the people, developments, and decisions that helped shape this profession while asking what comes next. There is much to celebrate, and plenty still to explore together.

Thank you to our readers, contributors, colleagues, and everyone who made time for a conversation this year. You’ve helped make my first full year with HPN meaningful.

I’m looking forward to the next one with an anniversary to celebrate, more stories to tell, and a little girl at home who keeps reminding me how quickly a year can change everything.