Be a VoiceThis year the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) has added a new way to participate in the Call for Abstracts process for the Annual Educational Conference (AEC) & Exhibition. It is called, "Be a voice" and it gives you the opportunity to tell us what you’d like to experience at the AEC. Tell us topics you’d like to hear about and speakers you’d like to see. Review abstracts and provide input. Help NEHA develop a training and education experience that continues to advance the proficiency of the environmental health profession AND helps create bottom line improvements for your organization!
To search for specific abstracts, please use the search box located at the top left of the page (*next to the Blogger icon). Search Help

HELPFUL LINKS:     How to Participate and Use this Blog  |   Disclosure   |   NEHA Blog Policy and Participation Guide

ADDITIONAL WAYS TO PARTICIPATE:     Submit An Abstract  |   Suggest a Topic  |   Suggest a Speaker  |   Questions?

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Using Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) for Comprehensive Plan Updates

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will review the process and the results from the following Health Impact Assessments that evaluated comprehensive plans.
  • In 2010, MDH received funds from the Centers for Disease and ControlPrevention (CDC) to conduct an HIA on public health and climate change.  MDH collaborated with the Metropolitan Council to evaluate the comprehensive planning process used for the Twin Cities metro area.  The HIA provided a clearer understanding on how comprehensive plans can more fully incorporate public health and climate change.  MDH reviewed the developed community plans(66 plans) submitted to the Metropolitan Council using a modified assessment tool.  MDH then generated a series of recommendations for the Metropolitan Council to consider as they change the comprehensive planning process.

    • In 2009, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and CDC contracted with MDH to further expand capacity related to HIAs and built environment projects by supporting three HIAs: 
      1. Douglas County Comprehensive Plan HIA - Douglas County was in the process of updating their comprehensive plan and wanted to evaluate the draft from a public health perspective.  The HIA outlined additional health language and policy statements to be included in the comprehensive plan update. The Comprehensive Plan Task Force unanimously approved the recommendations for inclusion into the County’s Comprehensive Plan. 
      2.  Duluth’s Complete Streets Resolution, Mobility in the Hillside Neighborhoods & the Schematic Redesign of Sixth Avenue East HIA – The purpose of the HIA was to determine: 1) the potential health impacts of the Sixth Avenue East Schematic Redesign Study, 2) if the redesign rmbracrf Duluth's Complete Streets Resolution, and 3) how the redesign study could be improved to provide additional health benefits to users of the corridor. 
      3. St. Louis Park Comprehensive Plan HIA – MDH conducted a desktop HIA using 20 health indicators.  Geographical Information Systems (GIS) served as a foundation for assessing the quantitative indicators.  The City adopted the HIA as a planning tool for future comprehensive plan updates.
    Posted by NEHA at 9:18 AM
    Labels:

    No comments:

    Post a Comment

    Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)