LI Course
CE Hours: 6 contact hours

Partnership: Human Impact Partners

Statement of Purpose and Institute Overview: The purpose of this institute is to give participants an understanding of tools, methods and skills necessary to conduct a Health Impact Assessment (HIA), and a sense of how HIA findings and recommendations can be effectively applied to local, state or federal policy decisions. Public health research continues to shed light on the broad range of social, economic, and environmental decisions that impact health and health disparities, yet many of these decisions are made in sectors far outside the traditional scope of public health, such as transportation, urban planning, agriculture, and energy. In order to create safe, thriving communities, existing and future health conditions should be considered up-front in public decision-making. Health impact assessments (HIA) can be a useful tool to integrate a health perspective into the programmatic and policy conversations occurring across sectors. HIAs bring together relevant public input, available data and a range of qualitative and quantitative methods to anticipate the potential health consequences of a proposed policy, plan or project. HIAs are a structured yet flexible process for developing practical recommendations that decision makers can use to advance well-informed public policies, plans and projects that avoid unintended health consequences and unexpected costs. The training facilitators will begin with an introduction to the practice of Health Impact Assessment, including presentations of different types of HIA projects that have been completed to date, including projects that have been funded by the Health Impact Project. Methodologies to conduct assessment within HIA, discussions regarding the collaborative nature of HIA, communication strategies (including how to use HIA to influence decision-making), and the resources needed to complete a successful HIA will also be presented. Attendees will work together in small groups to engage in hands-on exercises and discussions that will help to build their understanding about the process of conducting the different steps of HIA. The session will conclude with a discussion about the opportunities and challenges to engaging in HIA work, and an opportunity for participants to identify, and consider next steps towards initiating potential HIA projects in their local communities.

Session Objectives: • Explain connections between land use, planning, policy and health • Describe the purpose of Health Impact Assessment • Identify practical tools and methodologies for conducting Health Impact Assessment • Discuss how Health Impact Assessment can be used to effectively influence the decision-making process

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH) , Masters Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)