CHN’s research is focused on how our health and longevity are affected by the characteristics of society; where we live, work, and play; how we interact with each other and with aspects of daily living—a concept collectively referred to as the social determinants of health.  This effort builds on vast research that suggests characteristics of our daily life have just as much if not more of an impact on our health as what happens in a doctor’s office.  Decision-making at the local, state, and national levels tends to be compartmentalized so that policy decisions on education, transportation, agriculture, energy production and any other area can be made without a full understanding of the impact on our health.  In turn, health concerns are addressed incompletely in health care when decision-makers ignore the role of policies outside the health sector.

A health impact assessment (HIA) is a systematic effort to shine light on the hidden health implications of policy decisions and the interconnections between policy spheres.

Background on Health Impact Assessment

HIAs have been practiced for much longer and much more frequently in Europe and Australia than in the United States.  The first officially recognized HIA in the United States was published in 1999 in San Francisco.  Since that time, more than 100 HIA projects have been launched across the nation.  We believe CHN’s HIA is the first official HIA conducted on a decision to be made in the Commonwealth of Virginia. You can read the report [here].

CHN’s Health Impact Assessment

CHN received funding from the Health Impact Project—a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts—to conduct an HIA on a proposed alternative energy facility in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.  The next post will discuss the background of the project.