BASED ON THE MODIFICATION OF THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES OF PUBLIC HEALTH 1-5, 8, 10 PURPOSE The purpose of the Guidelines for Health Equity in Public Health Practice is to identify the needs of LHDs and their constituents and to ensure that they have a means by which to evaluate the effectiveness of their practice in achieving health equity. These guidelines are meant to serve as advice and not performance standards. In addition, they are designed to increase awareness of and draw attention to health inequity, provide a method for evaluating accountability, and enable local health departments (LHDs) to gain a portrait of their capacity to address health equity. The intent is to equip LHDs with the tools they need to set priorities, compare themselves to other agencies, and educate elected officials and other institutions that influence health about what they can accomplish Three essential criteria exist for the Guidelines for Health Equity in Public Health Practice: (1) they should maintain a focus on root causes of health inequity; (2) they should be feasible; and (3) they should inspire alternative ways of thinking more comprehensively about organizing public health practice. The phenomenon of health inequity requires that public health professionals move from an improvisational approach to one that is comprehensive, and in doing so, return to a larger social context that has defined the origins of public health. In devising guidelines, our assumptions are that building internal capacity and capability requires (1) shifting the philosophy and culture regarding how the work of public health is done; (2) developing strong relationships with community organizations within a Community-Based Participatory Research Model; and (3) generating strategies for reforming public health policy to enable action and remove constraints to broadening the focus of public health.