Melinda Buntin
Vanderbilt Health Policy COVID-19 model finds evidence of flattening curve, recommends distancing policies continue
Apr. 10, 2020—Vanderbilt researchers find that social distancing policies have slowed the spread of COVID-19, but caution that continued distancing is needed to keep the rate of spread low, and that any future rollback of such policies must be contingent on widely available testing and contact tracing.
University launches Public Health Advisory Task Force in response to COVID-19
Mar. 23, 2020—Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente has established a new Public Health Advisory Task Force to serve as a resource for the university during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vanderbilt launches Ph.D. program in health policy
Dec. 16, 2019—Vanderbilt University is now accepting applications for a new doctoral program in health policy. The program is being launched at a time when health care is consistently one of the most important issues to Americans at home and at the polls.
Murry named University Professor
Aug. 26, 2019—Velma McBride Murry, who holds the Lois Autrey Betts Chair in Education and Human Development, has been named University Professor of Human and Organizational Development and University Professor of Health Policy.
Policies for Action Research Hub at Vanderbilt created
Dec. 14, 2018—Vanderbilt School of Medicine and Peabody College have established a transinstitutional Policies for Action Research Hub to better understand and develop recommendations to address the needs of some of Tennessee’s most vulnerable children, including those in immigrant families and with prenatal exposure to opioids.
Vanderbilt research hub to examine issues faced by children at risk for poor health, education outcomes
Nov. 15, 2018—Vanderbilt researchers will establish a new research hub to better understand the needs of some of some of Tennessee’s most vulnerable children.
Crowd honors eight new endowed chair recipients
Apr. 27, 2018—Colleagues, friends and family gathered April 25 to honor eight Vanderbilt University faculty named to endowed chairs.
Speakers discuss use of evidence in state health policymaking
Apr. 19, 2018—“State Health Policy: Does Evidence Really Make a Difference” was the title of the spring Research into Policy and Practice Lecture, April 11 in Light Hall. The semi-annual lecture is sponsored by the Department of Health Policy.
Study evaluates community-based health efforts
Feb. 1, 2018—A new study from researchers at Vanderbilt and Harvard universities, published this week in the journal Health Affairs, uses federal health survey data to evaluate community-based efforts to address smoking, obesity and other health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
Insurance commissioner outlines ACA challenges
Nov. 16, 2017—Since 2014 the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, has assisted lower- and moderate-income people who buy insurance on their own on the individual market, providing premium subsidies and discounts on out-of-pocket expenses. Under the law, people who don’t carry compliant insurance face a penalty, the so-called individual mandate. Large employers who don’t offer insurance are also penalized.
Vanderbilt’s Buntin, Denny elected to National Academy of Medicine
Oct. 16, 2017—Vanderbilt University’s Melinda Buntin, Ph.D., professor of Health Policy and chair of the department, and Joshua Denny, M.D., M.S., professor of Biomedical Informatics and Medicine and Vice President for Personalized Medicine, are among 70 new members elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), the organization announced this week.
Social risk factors influence outcomes, Medicare payment
Feb. 8, 2017—Social risk factors including income, education and ethnic background influence health outcomes and should be taken into account in Medicare payment models, according to a New England Journal of Medicine “Perspective” titled “Social Risk Factors and Equity in Medicare Payment.”