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 Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Energy & Sustainability, Families
Goal: The goal of this program is to reduce energy usage in order to save on energy costs, increase energy reliability, prevent greenhouse gas emissions, and improve national energy security. It is also an essential strategy for reducing natural gas prices and ensuring a balanced energy future in a growing economy.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Health Care Access & Quality, Children, Adults, Families, Urban
Goal: The goals of Engage DuPage include improving the health status of self-pay Emergency Department patients, increasing the revenue appropriately owed to hospitals for services rendered, improving the financial assistance processes involving self-pay Emergency Department patients, and reducing the number of avoidable Emergency Department visits among self-pay patients.
Impact: By the end of 2014, 57% of all benefit applications that were submitted were approved. In addition, 29% of all interested patients were connected to a primary care provider through a Community Access Specialist.
Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants
Goal: The objectives of the program are to educate the public about the contributions that publicly-owned wastewater treatment facilities make to clean water; to encourage public support for municipal and industrial efforts in effective wastewater management, biosolids management, and wet weather pollution control; and to recognize communities that go much beyond the minimum needed to meet Clean Water Act requirements.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Children's Health, Children
Goal: Tri 4 Schools encourages kids to participate in swimming, biking, and running as a way to live an active lifestyle and support health and fitness resources in schools.
Impact: Results of Exercise to Achievement are pending completion of the pilot program.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Heart Disease & Stroke, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
Goal: The goal of this program is to use education and exercise improve outcomes for urban African American stroke survivors.
Filed under Effective Practice, Economy / Investment & Personal Finance, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The goal of this program is to promote financial literacy and encourage home purchasing by Spanish-speaking employees.
Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Wildlife
Goal: The goal of this program is to establish a national consistency in the methods, protocols, and approaches to developing and managing noncommercial fish and wildlife consumption advisories. Fish consumption advisories are issued to warn consumers of unsafe levels of chemical contaminants in noncommercial fish and wildlife.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Teens, Families
Goal: The goal of the Fit Community initiative is to recognize communities that are making better quality of life a real priority by granting them awards to help in the implementation of community interventions targeting physical activity and healthy eating.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Physical Activity
Goal: The Fit Kids program aims to increase physical activity and healthy eating by creating healthy school environments that promote health and wellness.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Energy & Sustainability, Urban
Goal: The goal of these programs was to encourage energy conservation in the public and private sectors.