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Bridges To Health
Pushing the portal: Health Exchange going high-tech
Nov 10, 2011 — Capitol Weekly
By Alisen Boada
There’s NOT an app for that - but there probably should be.
Ca... [ More ]
Will Health Insurance Reform Reach Those Who Really Need It?
Nov 09, 2011 — Huffington Post
By Preeti Vissa
Issues that affect our lives don't happen in a vacuum. Everythin... [ More ]
Organizers hope South L.A. healthcare initiative expands
Nov 07, 2011 — Los Angeles Times
By David Zahniser
Maria Sencion has been feeling dizzy. Not all the time, but ... [ More ]
Healthy Communities
Health Impact Assessment
Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is an emerging interdisciplinary practice that utilizes this holistic view of health to evaluate the effects of a given program, policy, or project on the health of a community and the distribution of those effects within the population.
According to Human Impact Partners, HIA can be used constructively and proactively to analyze both state and local policy from a health perspective. Too often, policy decisions are made without considering health pathways and potential outcomes relating to health, and these decisions often affect already disadvantaged groups. Using a health lens to examine and influence current policy decisions can both enhance the positive health benefits and help mitigate unintended negative health effects of policy.
Understanding the need to educate policymakers on the health pathways associated with policy decisions, the Bridges to Health team has begun to look towards HIA as part of the advocacy and policy development process.
Related Publications
San Joaquin Villas Health Impact Report
Over 6.5 million people currently live in California's Central Valley. It is projected that at least 11 million people will be living in the region by the year 2040. As the fastest growing region in state-with a growth rate twice that of the rest of California-it is imperative that development take advantage of the new opportunities for equitable change. This presents a new paradigm for affordable housing: one that treads the intersection between housing, employment, access to nutrition and health.
Full Report | Executive Summary