Promising Practices
The Promising Practices database informs professionals and community members about documented approaches to improving community health and quality of life.
The ultimate goal is to support the systematic adoption, implementation, and evaluation of successful programs, practices, and policy changes. The database provides carefully reviewed, documented, and ranked practices that range from good ideas to evidence-based practices.
Learn more about the ranking methodology.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Adults, Older Adults, Families, Urban
Goal: Walking maps are designed to encourage low-income individuals to increase their physical activity by providing information on safe walking routes and destinations within their neighborhood.
Filed under Good Idea, Economy / Housing & Homes, Children, Teens, Adults, Older Adults, Families, Urban
Goal: GLIDE Housing provides housing and housing assistance to homeless families, individuals recovering from substance abuse, and individual who are chronically homeless.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Air, Urban
Goal: The mission of Greater Boston Breathes Better is to help greater Boston’s citizens and visitors to breathe better.
Filed under Good Idea, Economy, Children, Families, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
Goal: Grown in Ivanhoe strives to achieve a just and equitable food environment in the Ivanhoe community by ensuring that residents have the information and resources needed to provide healthy, affordable foods for themselves and their families.
Impact: Grown in Ivanhoe has increased local food production and established resources for access to healthy foods.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Alternative Medicine, Rural
Goal: The goal of GUAMAP is to train rural community health workers to provide remote settlements in northern Guatemala with access to sustainable, low-cost, low-technology, effective health care through the use of acupuncture.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Air
Goal: The goal of this program is to increase the amount of reliable air quality data that is available to the public in Harris County.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Civic Engagement
Goal: The program's mission is to bring community members together to provide food for the hungry by promoting sustainable use of excess resources.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Families, Urban
Goal: To combat childhood obesity through mobile health education, community partnership, and access to existing federal, state, and local health and nutrition programs.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Governance
Goal: The goal of Health in All Policies is to ensure that health effects are routinely taken into consideration when developing policy.
Impact: Health in All Policies initiatives have helped create healthier communities through implementing policies with health consequences in mind. For many counties, this includes creating cross-agency teams and workgroups to address problems in their community.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Health Care Access & Quality, Older Adults, Rural
Goal: To provide transportation to patients in South Central Missouri who otherwise have non-existent, limited, or expensive transportation options to and from healthcare appointments.
Impact: HealthTran has helped to improve healthcare access and long-term health outcomes, as well as reduced preventable hospitalizations and unnecessary emergency department visits.