Human Impact Partners

Human Impact Partners strives to create a world in which health and equity are considered in all decision-making. This means that every decision-maker who plays a role in shaping public policies and planning decisions should understand the impacts their decisions will have on health and health inequities before those decisions are implemented, and use this information to protect and promote the health of all populations. After all, one of the primary roles of government is to protect and improve people's health and well-being.

In order to do this and to help avoid unexpected health consequences and unanticipated costs, decision-makers need sound and objective data about the impact their decisions will have on the health of communities. Without this critical information, these policies and land-use decisions can lead to poor health outcomes that disproportionately affect certain communities more than others. We can see these unfortunate consequences and disparities through the placement of toxic dumps, abundance of fast food chains and liquor stores, and absence of grocery stores in low-income communities and communities of color.

One way to elevate the role of health in decision-making is the practice of Health Impact Assessment (HIA). HIA, performed in several countries around the world, is defined as “A systematic process that uses an array of data sources and analytic methods and considers input from stakeholders to determine the potential effects of a proposed policy, plan, program or project on the health of a population and the distribution of those effects within the population. Health impact assessment provides recommendations on monitoring and managing those effects..” (National Research Council, 2011) Health Impact Assessments are a practical tool that can provide a structured process to determine a policy or project’s impact on health and health inequities; bring both immediate and long term health benefits; and ensure project dollars are used efficiently to provide the highest benefit to communities. They help create healthier communities by addressing the root causes of many prominent health problems like asthma, diabetes and obesity. HIAs have demonstrated success in a variety of issue areas, ranging from land use and transportation to housing policies, labor standards, natural resource extraction, education and economic policies.

Human Impact Partners is one of the few organizations in the United States focused on capacity building for HIAs – offering policymakers, project leaders, public agencies, community groups, and advocacy organizations the support they need to conduct HIAs and use the results to make informed choices.

Working in direct partnership with communities, public health and other agencies and academic experts, Human Impact Partners helps pinpoint tailored strategies to bring diverse stakeholders to the table, navigate the practical steps of conducting HIAs and determine how to understand and use their results so that the health needs of the community are met. Through training and mentorship we also build the capacity of impacted communities and their advocates, workers, public agencies, and elected officials to conduct HIA and use results to take action.

Human Impact Partners has conducted HIAs on the local, state and federal levels – with experience in communities across the country, from Hawaii to Maine. Our HIA findings have been integrated into policy-making and projects to help advance health equity, and we have trained state and local government agencies and community-based organizations around the country to conduct HIAs in their own communities.

When policymakers, project planners, community organizations and advocacy groups participate in and have data provided by an HIA, policy decisions and new projects are better informed and have the opportunity to provide the best outcomes for our communities, especially those facing health inequities.