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
Goal: The goal of Healthy Food Environments is to increase availability, visibility, and affordability of healthy foods and beverages for employees, volunteers, and visitors on hospital campuses.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Children's Health, Children, Families
Goal: Healthy for Life in Sonoma County is a pilot school-based intervention that seeks to reduce childhood obesity, increase student physical activity, and improve student access to nutrition and medical resources.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Children's Health, Children, Teens, Urban
Goal: The mission of Healthy Kids Express Dental is to improve oral healthcare in children through education on the importance of regular brushing, flossing, and using fluoride as well as through restorative treatments when necessary.
Impact: During the 2014-2015 school year, children pre-Kindergarten through 7th grade saw their average score on a dental knowledge test rise from 64.7% on the pretest to 72.1% on the posttest.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Teens, Adults, Women, Older Adults, Families
Goal: The overarching goal of the Healthy Silicon Valley collaborative is to increase nutrition and physical activity opportunities by positively changing the built environment.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Older Adults, Older Adults
Goal: The mission of this program is to provide a community-based, and community supported, economically viable and consumer-oriented, quality transportation service for seniors.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Children's Health, Children, Families
Goal: Effective asthma control can improve quality of life, reduce medical costs, and reduce the number of asthma-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations, school and work days missed, days of restricted activity, and deaths each year.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Teens, Adults, Families
Goal: The goal of iWalk is to encourage and support regular walking and exercise among Sonoma county residents.
Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Built Environment, Children, Teens, Adults, Women, Men, Older Adults, Families
Goal: The goal of the Keystone Forest Preserve is to preserve the land from being developed, protect its unique ecosystems, and serve as an outdoor space for visitors to enjoy and a beautiful setting for Highway 412.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Maternal, Fetal & Infant Health, Women, Urban
Goal: The mission of MOMS Orange County is to help mothers and their families have healthy babies by providing health coordination, education, and access to community services. MOMS Orange County’s vision is that all babies born in Orange County are healthy at birth.
Impact: Measures such as the percent of babies born at a low birth weight, percent of babies born premature, and the percent of babies admitted to the NICU were all markedly better for program participants when compared to many comparison benchmarks.
Filed under Effective Practice, Economy / Housing & Homes, Families, Urban
Goal: McAuley Village attempts to take poor single parents from a life of welfare dependence to one of independence. Although primarily a housing program, it also holistically addresses the many factors contributing to the vulnerability of these families, while attempting to tailor a solution to each family.