Penn State's Vanness appointed associate editor of health care journal

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – David Vanness, professor of health policy and administration at Penn State, has been appointed associate editor of the health care journal Value in Health, effective Sept. 1. 

Value in Health provides a forum for researchers, health care decision-makers, and policymakers to translate pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research into health care decisions. Its goal is to advance scholarly and public dialogue about the assessment of value in health and health care. It is the official journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, a professional organization leading the field of health economics and outcomes research, with more than 20,000 members worldwide. 

“As researchers in the College of Health and Human Development, the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, and other programs across Penn State have advanced our knowledge of how to improve health care outcomes while controlling costs, Value in Health will continue to serve as an important source of professional information and a venue for disseminating new results to a broad audience of academics, policymakers and industry,” Vanness said. “I am honored to serve the profession by helping to ensure that research in this critical area undergoes rigorous and constructive peer review.”

As associate editor of the Value in Health, Vanness is responsible for identifying and recruiting peer reviewers with the necessary expertise to provide constructive feedback on submissions to the journal. He also is responsible for serving as an adjudicator when reviewers and authors disagree — with the goal of ensuring that manuscripts are given fair consideration and that published research is valid, clearly articulated and of high potential impact. 

“Throughout my career, I have worked closely with colleagues in a variety of disciplines — including economics, public policy, epidemiology, biostatistics and medicine,” Vanness said. “I’ve been able to take what I’ve learned — both methodological and applied — and apply that knowledge to get as broad a picture of the value of health care as possible. It’s that broad vision that I hope to bring to my role as an associate editor for Value in Health.

Vanness joined the Department of Health Policy and Administration earlier this year. His teaching and research helps decision-makers assess the value of health care and policy interventions.

His appointment with Value in Health will run until 2022.