I don’t know a lot of people who look forward to going to the doctor, but it’s a necessity made less daunting when you’re going to see someone you trust, feel comfortable with and even gush about to your friends—the same way you do when you have a supportive boss or an amazing babysitter. I just love my doctor.

I once had a doctor for major health care visits who would conduct most of each visit standing, often with one hand on the door, clearly wanting to get on to the next patient or golf game. I would come in with a list of questions but ultimately felt so bum-rushed that I’d convince myself that my last question wasn’t that important. I received excellent care from that doctor, but I didn’t do a lot of gushing.

But I also have doctors I love. Producing a resource for other people looking for a connection with their health care provider was our driving motivation with our 13th annual Top Doctors story. No, we haven’t test-driven the bedside manner of each of the 414 docs on this list; a personal, meaningful connection is different for everyone. But we do hope to help make the sometimes-overwhelming task of finding a pediatrician, obstetrician, family doctor or other specialist less stressful than it is.

2014 will be a big year for health care, so we’re previewing how some of the changes will play out in the Seattle area. We also shine the spotlight on a diverse group of doctors “within borders” who are donating their time and services to communities in the city, where the need is just a strong as in some developing countries.

As part of Seattle magazine’s comprehensive health care coverage, we just released our third issue of Seattle Health, published twice a year. In each issue, we conduct comprehensive research and interviews to showcase cutting-edge local treatments and introduce you to experts on health issues from knee reconstruction to gastric bypass surgery.

Also in this issue, we are dreaming up what could be done with all the dirt that will be left over from our big burrow (OK, not quite as sexy as Boston’s “Big Dig,” but maybe it’ll catch on). With our offices just across the street from Safeco Field, we’ve had a front-row view of the activity—from when the colorful dinosaur-looking bulldozers dismantled the concrete and steel southern portion of the Viaduct to witnessing the arrival of Bertha in parts for assembly. It all looks a bit like a scene out of Close Encounters—as if we, too, are readying for some sort of alien invasion. And because we are dealing with a giant pile of dirt, we took the question to area schoolkids, whose answers can only be described as totally Seattle. Be sure to check out their ideas at seattlemag.com/dirt.