SACRAMENTO -- Richard L. Kravitz, professor of internal medicine and a long-time researcher in the area of health-care services, has been appointed co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

The journal is the official, peer-reviewed scientific publication of the Society of General Internal Medicine. Its articles focus on topics such as clinical medicine, epidemiology, prevention, health-care delivery, curriculum development and numerous other non-traditional themes, in addition to classic clinical research on problems in internal medicine.

Kravitz is a general internist whose studies have centered on physician-patient relationships, physician behavior and social influences on quality of care. He has examined the influence of advertising of prescription drugs on physician decision-making, the participation of physicians and nurses in strikes and work actions, and the effect of managed care on health services utilization and quality.

In addition to his clinical practice and research, Kravitz served as director of the UC Davis Center for Health Care Policy and Research for a decade and now is a member of the center's executive committee.

In 2006, Kravitz's research into direct-to-consumer advertising was honored as "Article of the Year" by AcademyHealth and "Best Published Research Paper of the Year" by the Society of General Internal Medicine. He also is a recipient of the UC Davis School of Medicine Research Award, Ambassador of Diversity Award, and the Dean's Mentoring Award. A fellow of the American College of Physicians, Kravitz is a graduate of Stanford University and UC San Francisco School of Medicine.

"The journal couldn't have picked a better person for an editorial position," said Fred Meyers, professor and chair of internal medicine at UC Davis School of Medicine. "Dr. Kravitz embodies thoughtful reflection, foresight and expert mentoring. He has always been willing to share his wisdom, and this new opportunity can't help but improve our knowledge and practice of medicine and health sciences in many important ways."

Kravitz will serve as co-editor of the Journal of General Internal Medicine for a five-year term, where he will be joined by the other co-editor-in-chief, Mitchell Feldman, a professor of medicine at UC San Francisco. Kravitz's work with the prestigious publication is made possible with support from the UC Davis Department of Internal Medicine and the UC Davis School of Medicine.

UC Davis Health System is an academic medical center that includes a top-ranked school of medicine, a 577-bed acute care hospital, the proposed Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, the unique M.I.N.D. Institute for the study of neurodevelopmental disorders, a comprehensive children's hospital, a level 1 trauma center and outpatient clinics in communities throughout the Sacramento region. Consistently ranked among the nation's top medical schools and best hospitals, UC Davis has established itself as a national leader in telehealth, rural medicine, cancer, neurodevelopmental disorders, vascular medicine, and trauma and emergency medicine. Other areas of research strength include clinical and translational science, regenerative medicine, infectious disease, neuroscience, functional genomics and mouse biology, comparative medicine and nutrition, among many others.