DPH seeks to gauge health impacts of local programs

The Department of Public Health seeks municipal partners to complete a series of “health impact assessments” between September 2012 and September 2014.

These assessments are used to study a policy (or program) proposal for its potential effects on the health of a population, providing recommendations to maximize benefits and mitigate negative consequences.

Health impact assessments are well suited to investigate projects that affect the determinants of health (e.g., housing, transportation, education, land-use development, etc.).

The program is appropriate for planning departments, administrators, community development corporations, or regional planning agencies, any of whom may know of additional projects that are currently or soon-to-be ready for discussion in the jurisdiction.

Local officials may complete a brief questionnaire to allow the DPH to gauge the interest in partnering with the department and get local officials to think about all types of policies, plans or programs that their community or region is considering. The DPH aims to have completed questionnaires returned by Aug. 6.

For a one-page description about the assessments and the questionnaire, contact D.J. Wilson at djwilson@mma.org.