Video on the health impacts of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Light Rail Project

From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which funded a health impact assessment of the project in conjunction with the Pew Charitable Trusts as part of the Health Impact Project.

Great HIA job opportunity with the US Health Impact Project

Senior Associate with the Health Impact Project based in Washington DC, job listing here. Looks like a good opportunity.

Annual Health in All Local Policies and Health Impact Assessment Courses in New Zealand

 

Promoting Wellbeing Through Local Government Policy-making 
This course aims to strengthen the promotion of wellbeing by local government and the health sector. It does so by advancing knowledge and understanding of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) and Health in All Policies (HiAP) approaches and by advancing skill in using them in local government policy-making.

Course dates: Thursday 14 & Friday 15 February, 2013.

Teaching staff include:
Dr Caroline Miller (Senior Lecturer in the Resource and Environmental Planning Programme, Massey University).
Shadrack Rolleston (Senior Planner, BECA).
Associate Professor Louise Signal (Director of the HIA Research Unit, University of Otago, Wellington).
Robert Quigley (HIA Consultant, Quigley and Watts Ltd and Director of the HIA Research Unit, University of Otago).

Click here for more information about this course.


Introduction to Health Impact Assessment
This is a foundation course that provides an introduction to the practical methods and tools for the use of HIA. The course aims to introduce participants to an innovative way to strengthen wellbeing, health and equity in policy making at local, regional and national levels. HIA is a process that aids decision-making by predicting the potential effects of policies, programmes and projects on wellbeing, health and equity. Participants who complete this foundation course also often enrol in 'Promoting Wellbeing Through Local Government Policy-making' (described above) to further extend their practical skills and knowledge.

Course dates: Thursday 7 & Friday 8 February, 2013.

Teaching staff include:
Associate Professor Louise Signal (Director of the HIA Research Unit, University of Otago, Wellington).
Robert Quigley (HIA Consultant, Quigley and Watts Ltd and Director of the HIA Research Unit, University of Otago).

Click here for more information about this course.

For more information about 2013 Summer School including a full list of the 32 courses on offer, visit the website.

Health inequalities podcast worth listening to

I recommend this short 40min podcast on health inequalities by Dennis Raphael from podsocs, the Griffith University social workers podcast series. It raised a few things that I hadn't thought about in quite that way.

Health Inequalities, in conversation with Dennis Raphael

http://www.podsocs.com/podcast/health-inequalities/

So what are health inequalities? How do government policies influence whether we improve a nation’s health or make it worse? These and other questions are tackled by Dennis Raphael in this Podsocs episode.

Dennis Raphael, PhD, is a Professor of Health Policy and Management at York University in Toronto. The most recent of his over 150 scientific publications have focused on the health effects of income inequality and poverty, the quality of life of communities and individuals, and the impact of government decisions on Canadians' health and well-being. 

Dr. Raphael is editor of "Social Determinants of Health: Canadian Perspectives" (now in 2nd edition), co-editor of "Staying Alive: Critical Perspectives on Health, Illness, and Health Care" (now in 2nd edition) and author of "Poverty in Canada: Implications for Health and Quality of Life", all published by Canadian Scholars' Press. "Health Promotion and Quality of Life in Canada: Essential Readings", an edited collection was released in January 2010 and "About Canada: Health and Illness" has been published by Fernwood Publishers. "Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts" (co-author) is a primer for the Canadian public has been downloaded over 100,000 times. His latest book "Tackling Health Inequalities: Lessons from International Experiences" was published November 1, 2012. Find links to these publications in references below.

via Alex Scott-Samuel