Oral

While health impact assessments (HIAs) have mainly been used in the US to influence land use and transportation decisions, they have also been used to inform a variety of policy decisions that affect our health, although their application to policy initiatives is just beginning. HIA is an inclusive process for determining a proposed policy’s impact on health and health disparities, and for making recommendations to maximize positive and minimize negative effects on community health. HIAs help policy-makers understand the health impacts of their decisions, the issues that are of concern to stakeholders, and how to use HIA results to meet the health needs of the community. This session aims to inform attendees about the process of conducting an HIA focused on a local, state, or federal policy proposal; HIA findings; the role of HIAs in influencing the decision and decision-making process, and lessons learned throughout the HIA process. Panelists will discuss the process and outcomes of HIAs of local school funding and discipline policies, gender pay equity bills being considered at the state and federal levels, and proposed legislation to provide state funds for locally-grown foods in schools and school teaching gardens. These experiences will be shared by a variety of HIA participants, including public health departments, community advocates, and research institutes, as well as experienced and first time HIA practitioners. Our goal is to demonstrate to the audience how HIAs can be used to bring health into decision-making to promote community health and reduce health disparities

Session Objectives: 1. Explain the HIA process used to evaluate potential health impacts and health disparities associated with proposed policies and strategies for changing policies to promote health 2. Identify specific health determinants and outcomes associated with policy decisions 3. Describe the value of using health impact assessment to influence proposed policy decisions

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)