Health in All Policies

Health in All Policies recognizes that governments have a responsibility for the health of the people that they serve.

It is a proven framework that can improve health and avoid policies that could harm it, increasing the accountability of policymakers and decision-makers to recognize the health impacts of all decisions at all levels.

  • There are several tools to implement Health in All Policies, including:

    • Health impact assessments

    • Health equity analysis

    • Policy reviews

    • Environmental impact assessments

    • Budget reviews

    • Health matrices

    • Economic assessments

Health in All Policies Framework Image

Discover more about Wood County's Health In All Policy work below:

Health Impacts Assessment Icon

    • A systematic tool to evaluate the potential positive and negative health impacts of a proposed policy, project, or plan that is not already focused on health.

      • Helps identify unexpected risks, lower costs, and find ways to improve community health.

      • The tool uses existing research, community data, and resident feedback to create a report with recommendations for reducing negative effects or improving positive ones.

      • Can be used to boost community involvement and transparency by bringing together residents and decision-makers to include diverse perspectives in the decision-making process.

  • In 2022, an assessment was done on the Wisconsin Rapids Downtown Farmers Market to examine the potential positive and negative health impacts of the farmers market.

    • Focus areas included permanent structures, location, built environment characteristics, and accessibility as they relate to local food, local economy, and social connectedness.

    • The report provides recommendations for developing the Wisconsin Rapids Downtown Farmers Market based strategies for development based on:

      • existing research

      • community feedback from market visitors

      • local primary and secondary data analysis

    • To find out more about the 2023 report, click here.

  • The first Health Impact Assessment in Wisconsin Rapids occurred in 2018 for a senior housing project downtown.

    • It evaluated factors such as:

      • the need for quality & affordable housing

      • site design

      • street & sidewalk layout

    • These elements were connected to:

      • active living

      • safety

      • social connections

      • overall well-being

    • Recommendations stemmed from a review of health impact research, collaboration with developer Northpointe Development Inc., and community input through a workshop. These components led to a transparent and successful process.

    • For more on the 2018 Downtown Senior Housing Development Assessment, click here.

Wisconsin Rapids Downtown Farmers Market Heath Impact Assessment Cover
Downtown Senior Housing Development Health Impact Assessment