I have been privileged to be involved with the Empirical Health Economics Workshop since its inception in 2008. The topics covered in the EHEW include innovations in policy evaluation, applied theory, and econometric methodologies. Each year the EHEW provides unique opportunities for health economics scholars worldwide to come together, share ideas, and build new collaborations. Because of the Workshop's small size early-career health economists benefit from discussions with and mentoring from senior scholars.

The Empirical Health Economics Workshop is a great bi-annual workshop with strong emphasis on empirical health and applied econometrics in health economics. I always enjoy participating in this workshop which has been competently organized at universities and institutes across Italy, including Milan, Rome, Siena, Padova, Bergamo, Bari, ISPRA, and Pisa. The atmosphere is friendly, welcoming, and high quality as clear from the program contents and list of special issues of journals that published some of these papers. Thanks to Francesco Moscone, Paolo Berta, and Giorgio Vittadini and their team for organizing such a special workshop that benefits the health economics community. This workshop is an ideal size to make friends, learn about health economics and get useful comments from experts in this area. I highly recommend it.

With its intimate gathering of highly engaged health economists at all career stages, the warm hospitality of the local hosts, and the chance to participate in academic talks, to share meals, and to experience local cultural attractions with new and old friends, EHEW has been a highlight for me over the last decade.

It has been a pleasure to be affiliated with the Empirical Health Economics workshop, which applies rigorous econometric methods to applied health issues at the forefront of policy discussions. It has done so in a friendly and constructive environment in wonderful locations across Italy.

These workshops are a pleasure to attend. They bring together an international mix of early career and more established researchers and offer a fascinating taste of Italian life and culture.