Carolyn Link, Executive Director, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation
Aaron Wernham, Director, Health Impact Project
Many health problems facing Americans have roots in decisions made outside the health sector, for example, in transportation, housing, land use, education, social policy, and energy policy. As a result, these sectors are now recognized as essential partners in the effort to improve Americans’ health and build health equity. Health impact assessments offer an approach that helps build robust collaborations between health and other sectors by providing timely, accurate, and relevant information intended for use in real-time decisionmaking.