Pew Health Impact Project

''Health Impact Assessments Take on Broader Role in Cities and States''

Aaron Wernham, director of the Health Impact Project discusses the benefits of health impact assessments in this edition of Governing.

New Projects Bringing Health Considerations into Education, Energy Policy, and Other Decisions

The Health Impact Project announced eight new grant recipients that will receive funding to conduct health impact assessments, or HIAs. The projects will bring health considerations into upcoming decisions on topics including education, sanitation infrastructure, and energy. The grantees were selected based on their response to a national call for proposals.

The Rise of HIAs in the United States

The field of health impact assessments is growing quickly as more and more cities and states are finding HIAs to be a useful way to bring health ino the conversation. View the infographic for more information about the rise of HIAs in the United States.

Greenville Conducts Health Impact Assessment

The city of Greenville, South Carolina recently completed a yearlong health impact assessment with support from Pew's Health Impact Project.

Funding Available in Minnesota to Identify Health Opportunities, Risks of Upcoming Decisions

The Health Impact Project announces a request for proposals (RFP) that will fund three grants of up to $100,000 each to identify and address potential health impacts of an upcoming decision in each of their communities or state through the use of health impact assessments (HIA).

''Construction That Focuses on Health of Residents''

The New York Times interviews Aaron Wernham, project director for the Health Impact Project, about the growing field of health impact assessments.

2nd Annual National Health Impact Assessment Meeting

Building on the success of the Inaugural Health Impact Assessment (HIA) meeting, this conference will convene policymakers, public health professionals, HIA practitioners, community-based organizations, researchers, decision makers from non-health agencies who might use or rely on the results of an HIA, such as planning, transportation, housing, agriculture, energy, environment and education, and others with an interest in learning more about HIAs. It will also offer a special, one-day summit tailored specifically to policymakers.

Minnesota HIA Training Webinar

Minnesota organizations are invited to participate in a webinar, which will provide an introduction to HIA, as well as instructions for how to register to attend upcoming in-person HIA trainings. The training will also help participants prepare for an upcoming, competitively-selected grant opportunity scheduled for release in March. The webinar and trainings are supported with funding from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation.

Training Available In Minnesota To Build Healthier Communities Through Health Impact Assessment

Minnesota organizations are invited to participate in an in-person training to learn about health impact assessments (HIAs). An HIA can help improve the well-being of local communities by incorporating health into decisions in other sectors.

Health Impact Project Web Conferences for Grant Applicants: HIA program grant initiative

Web conference providing general information about the HIA Program grant initiative, strategies that agencies and organizations have used to create stable HIA programs, and selection criteria.

Health Impact Project Web Conferences for Grant Applicants: Screening stage of HIA

Web conference on the “Screening” stage of HIA. This call will help demonstration project applicants define an appropriate decision-making target for the HIA. It will help applicants think through choosing good topics for an HIA.

Health Impact Project Web Conferences for Grant Applicants: General information

General informational web conference call for all interested applicants. The webinar provided an overview to HIA, the Health Impact Project, and the CFP. Please check the link for a recording and slides from this presentation.

''Report: Cutting School Junk Food Boosts Kids’ Health, Doesn’t Hurt School Budgets''

"A new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation concludes that getting rid of junk food at school boosts kids’ health and doesn’t hurt schools financially. Even many snack food companies are on board."

''Group recommends raising nutrition standards in schools''

"'The evidence is clear and compelling,' said Jessica Donze Black, director of the Kids’ Safe & Healthful Foods Project in a press release. 'Implementing strong national nutrition standards to make the snacks and beverages our children consume healthier is something that schools and districts can afford. The USDA should do all it can to finalize and help implement strong standards.'"

''Taking Health Into Account''

Aaron Wernham, director of the Health Impact Project, explains how by systematically assessing the health risks of development decisions upfront, health impact assessments can prevent costly and harmful mistakes.

''School lunches healthier, Administrators work to balance nutrition with appeal to students''

"A study released late last month delivers the message: Make competitive foods offered in schools healthier, too. The study was a collaboration between the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and came from two projects, the Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project – the director, Jessica Donze Black, is a University of Delaware graduate – and the Health Impact Project."

Funding Available to Bring Health Into Decision in Non-Health Sectors

The Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, announced a call for proposals for grants to conduct health impact assessments (HIAs). HIAs identify and address the health impacts of decisions in other sectors, such as planning roads, passing agriculture legislation, or siting schools.

Collaboration Examines Impact of Updated USDA Standards

Pew and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation collaborate to examine impact of updated USDA standards for snack and a la carte foods and beverages sold in schools.

''New school nutrition standards on horizon''

"A recent study has reaffirmed what local school officials already knew: Student health and school budgets can both benefit from higher nutrition standards."

''Health assessment calls for USDA nutrition standards in schools''

"The Health Impact Project, released Tuesday by the Kids’ Safe & Healthful Foods Project, was conducted to examine how the agency’s new policies will affect student nutrition and how new dietary standards would affect school revenues."

''Better School Nutrition Good for Students and Budgets''

"The Health Impact Project released an assessment making the case that “strong nutrition standards could have a significant positive impact on the health of students” and that such standards implemented by the Agriculture Department 'can be made with little to no negative financial impact and in fact may even result in improved financial outcomes for schools and districts.'"

''Report: School Nutrition Standards Could Improve Health and Finances''

"Stronger school nutrition standards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) could improve student health and provide a financial boon for school districts, according to a new health impact assessment (HIA) released Tuesday by the Health Impact Project and the Kids' Safe and Healthful Food Project."

''Study: Higher nutrition standard for snacks a win-win for schools''

"Replacing a candy bar with an apple could have a big effect, according to the 172-page health assessment released by the Kids’ Safe & Healthful Foods Project and the Health Impact Project"

''Nutrition, finances win with healthful school snacks, report says''

"An assessment of what those new rules might do for kids’ health and the schools’ bottom line was released Tuesday by two projects from the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation."

''Report: Healthy Vending, A La Carte Foods Won't Hurt School Revenue''

"The Kids' Safe & Healthful Foods Project and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation teamed up to analyze the effects of changing the makeup of so-called 'competitive foods' sold at school."

''National Nutrition Standards Will Benefit Student Health, School Budgets: Study''

"The report, by the Kids’ Safe & Healthful Foods Project and the Health Impact Project, found that improved nutritional standards for snack foods and beverages would reduce consumption of these products during the school day."

Health Impact Assessment: National Nutrition Standards for Snack and a la Carte Foods and Beverages Sold in Schools

Updating national nutrition standards for snack foods and beverages sold in schools could help students maintain a healthy weight and increase food service revenue, according to a health impact assessment by the Kids’ Safe & Healthful Foods Project and the Health Impact Project.

Watch a video examining the impact of updated USDA standards for snack and a la carte foods and beverages.

School Budgets, Student Health to Benefit From Higher Nutrition Standards

Updating national nutrition standards for snack foods and beverages sold in schools could help students maintain a healthy weight and increase food service revenue, according to a health impact assessment (HIA) released today by the Kids’ Safe & Healthful Foods Project and the Health Impact Project.

Legal Review Concerning the Use of Health Impact Assessments in Non-Health Sectors

This report examines the legal foundations that support incorporating health considerations into policy and programmatic decisions made in non-health fields. The findings are intended to aid public health professionals and others who seek to ensure that such decisions are made with health in mind.

Grants Awarded to Help Build Health into Decisions on Energy, Housing, Agriculture, and Other Areas

"The Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, announced the awardees of 15 new grants today. Selected following a nationwide call for proposals, the grantees will conduct health impact assessments (HIAs), a type of study that looks at potential health impacts of policies and projects in other sectors."

Expert Profile: Aaron Wernham

Aaron Wernham, Project Director, Health Impact Project

Twin Cities Light Rail Project Presents Both Opportunities And Risks, According To Health Impact Assessment

The rezoning around a planned light rail line in the Twin Cities would create both opportunities and potential risks for the health of the people in the communities it would pass through, according to a health impact assessment (HIA) released today by PolicyLink, TakeAction Minnesota, and ISAIAH, a nonprofit coalition of 90 congregations of various faiths in the Minneapolis, St. Paul and St. Cloud region. The HIA was made possible through a grant by the Health Impact Project, which is a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Annual Meeting of American Public Health Association Features Health Impact Assessment

The American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting will take place this year in Washington, D.C. from October 29th to November 2nd. As a valuable tool to for public health professionals, health impact assessment (HIA) features prominently on the agenda.

Inaugural National Health Impact Assessment Meeting

This meeting will capitalize on the burgeoning national interest in Health Impact Assessment (HIA) and convene policy makers, public health professionals, HIA practitioners and anyone with an interest in learning more about HIA. It also will offer a special, one-day forum tailored specifically to decision makers at all levels of government in the U.S.

Aaron Wernham

Dr. Aaron Wernham is the director of the Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, established to promote and support the use of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in the United States.

Health Impact Project Receives Funding From The California Endowment To Help Build Healthier Communities

WASHINGTON - The Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, today announced that The California Endowment will support up to two health impact assessment (HIA) demonstrations in California.

Ten Public Health Institutes Chosen for In-Depth HIA Training

The Health Impact Project and National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) have chosen the 10 public health institutes (PHIs) that will participate in a two-day, in-person, health impact assessment (HIA) training at the Pew Conference Center in Washington, DC, November 29-30, 2011.

HIA Mentorship Project Selects Local Health Departments, Mentor Organizations

The Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Mentorship Project has selected four local health departments and mentor organizations to participate in a joint effort to complete an HIA. The Mentorship Program came about through the combined efforts of the Health Impact Project and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO).

Health Impact Project Receives Funding From The Kresge Foundation to Make Health a Factor in Housing-Sector Decisions

The Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, announced today that The Kresge Foundation will support two health impact assessments (HIAs) to inform decisions in the housing sector.

Health Impact Project Receives Funding From The Kresge Foundation to Make Health a Factor in Housing-Related Decisions

WASHINGTON— The Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, announced today that The Kresge Foundation will support two health impact assessments (HIAs) to inform decisions in the housing sector.

''N.Y. has to really study gas drilling impact''

"When Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he would let science and health concerns drive his decision about issuing permits for hydraulic fracturing natural gas wells, we were encouraged. When we read the draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement prepared by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, however, that encouragement evaporated."

Aaron Wernham to Lead HIA Training, Sessions at Upcoming American Public Health Association Meeting

Health Impact Project director Aaron Wernham will lead a training and two sessions at the upcoming Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA). Read more about HIA at this year’s APHA meeting.

''Thinking outside the doctor’s office to build a strong, healthy nation''

"The most urgent health problems facing our nation — such as obesity, asthma, diabetes, heart disease and injuries — are shaped more by where we live and work than by what happens in the doctor’s office or hospital."

Health Impact Project Receives Funding from the California Endowment to Help Build Healthier Communities

The Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, today announced that The California Endowment will support up to two health impact assessment (HIA) demonstrations in California. The Health Impact Project’s work to promote the use of HIAs around the country closely aligns with the Endowment’s efforts to improve community health in California.

''Making the Case for Health Impact Assessments''

"In 2007, developers of a planned senior-housing project in Oakland, California, decided to move the entrance from adjacent to a busy highway to a quiet courtyard. The change would make it safer for residents as they walked to and from home. The idea, from an Oakland-based group called Human Impact Partners, addressed a small but nonetheless important health concern that might otherwise have been ignored."

Health Impact Project Director Comments on National Research Council Report

The National Research Council released a report, "Improving Health in the United States: The Role of Health Impact Assessment." The publication states that “good health is determined by more than money spent on the healthcare system.

National Research Council Report

The National Research Council report offers guidance to officials in the public and private sectors on conducting health impact assessment (HIA) to evaluate public health consequences of proposed decisions.

Aaron Wernham to participate in the public release of a National Research Council report that assesses the potential value of conducting HIA

The National Research Council will release the report “Improving Health in the United States The Role of Health Impact Assessment.” The report assesses the potential value of conducting health impact assessments of proposed policies, programs, and projects in topics such as transportation, land use, housing, agriculture.

New Program Will Make HIA More Routine Part of Local Health Departments' Work

The Health Impact Project and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) announced today a request for applications from local health departments to participate in the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Mentorship Project.

''The Doctor Is Out (In the Community)''

"Many of the most urgent health problems facing the nation—like diabetes, asthma, obesity and injuries—are shaped by conditions in the places where we live, work and play. The United States spends more money on health care per person than any other country—$2.5 trillion in 2009, yet our health statistics consistently lag behind other developed nations."

New Collaboration Supports Growth in the Field of Health Impact Assessment

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Health Impact Project and the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) announced a collaboration and a call for proposals to increase the number of health impact assessment (HIA) training opportunities offered in the United States.

Oregon Farm to School Bill Would Benefit Health Through Job Creation, Study Finds

A bill in Oregon that would provide incentives to deliver fresh local food to schools would improve the health of the state’s residents and, at the same time, create hundreds of new farm-industry jobs over a five- to 10-year period, according to a study released by Upstream Public Health in Portland.

''Health Impact Assessments Are Needed In Decision Making About Environmental And Land-Use Policy''

"The importance to public health of environmental decisions—including those about land use, transportation, power generation, agriculture, and environmental regulation—is increasingly well documented. Yet many decision makers in fields not traditionally focused on health continue to pay little if any attention to the important health effects of their work."

Grants Available to Build Healthier Communities Through Informed Decision Making

Today, the Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, announced a call for proposals for grants to conduct health impact assessments (HIA).

''Health Impact Assessment: A Tool That Can Build A Healthier America''

"In December, the Department of Health and Human Services released “Healthy People 2020” — a 10-year blueprint aimed at improving the health of the nation. The plan comes amidst rising rates of many diseases – such as asthma and diabetes — and skyrocketing health care costs."

Health Impact Assessments

Health impact assessments (HIAs) use a flexible, data-driven approach that identifies the health consequences of new policies and develops practical strategies to enhance their health benefits and minimize adverse effects.

Health Impact Assessment

Preventable health problems, including many cases of heart disease, diabetes, asthma and injuries, are taking a huge toll on American families. For the first time in U.S. history, data suggest that today’s children may live shorter lives than their parents. These problems also threaten our nation’s economic vitality.

Landmark Studies on Transit, Energy and Nutrition Policies are Focus of New Grants

The Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, today announced nearly $400,000 in grants to four organizations to conduct health impact assessments (HIAs). The assessments will identify and address potential and often overlooked health implications of policy proposals including farm-to-school food legislation, energy development, smart-metering technology for electric utilities and urban transportation plans.

RWJF and Pew Award Six Grants to Examine the Impact of Policy on People’s Health

The Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, today announced more than $1 million in grants to six projects that will conduct health impact assessments at the state and local levels.

Meet the Project Director and Learn More about the Health Impact Project

Dr. Aaron Wernham answers five questions on video about the Health Impact Project and HIAs.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts Launch National Initiative to Advance Policies that Promote Health

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and The Pew Charitable Trusts (Pew) today announced the launch of the Health Impact Project, a national initiative designed to promote the use of health impact assessments (HIAs) as a decision-making tool for policy makers.