NACCHO released a new report titled, Building Capacity for Local Health Departments to Conduct Health Impact Assessment. Given the impactful role that upstream determinants play in shaping health outcomes, the need for local health departments (LHDs) to incorporate health considerations into policy, planning, and program decisions is paramount. The health impact assessment (HIA) provides a structured framework for public health practitioners to work at the intersection of health and policy-making by embedding health considerations into decision-making processes outside of the health sector.
This report summarizes the progress made by health departments supported by NACCHO, highlights trends and promising models of HIA practice, identifies resource needs to institutionalize HIA practice, and explores ways HIA and similar activities can be incorporated into the core departmental operations in the absence of supplemental HIA funding.
Download the full report, for a full overview of NACCHO’s HIA program and the benefits it provides to LHDs.
