UCLA Center for Health Advancement

Mission

The UCLA Center for Health Advancement (the center) provides enhanced analysis and evidence-based information to help policy makers decide which policies and programs can best improve health and reduce health disparities.

Projects

Our research projects include:

• “Health Impact Assessment of the Los Angeles City Living Wage Ordinance"
• “Aging boomers, Healthy Latinos: Implications for California’s Health Care Infrastructure”
• “Forecasting Diabetes Prevalence in California: A Microsimulation"
• “Health Impact Assessment of State Gas Tax Alternatives”
• “Health Impact Assessment of Potential Modifications of Physical Education Requirements in California”

The center analyzes a wide range of timely health-improvement opportunities, identifying those supported by strong evidence. It presents and disseminates the results of these analyses in plain language to those who make and influence public and private-sector policies and programs. The center also provides training and technical assistance to facilitate implementation of recommended approaches.

The work of the center is supported by scientific staff and faculty from multiple academic departments of the Fielding School of Public Health and other UCLA schools reflecting a wide range of subject matter and methodological expertise, including expertise in non-health sectors, such as education, transportation, housing, environmental protection, community planning, agriculture, public welfare, and economics. It has strong collaborations with governmental public health agencies, foundations, academic institutions and other not-for-profit organizations. Within the health sector, its work is focused on how alternative investments to wasteful expenditures in health care can yield greater returns.

With its core expertise in health equity and population health, the center's research collaborations enable an enhanced, broadened understanding of how to improve the public's health and health equity effectively and efficiently. Topics for analysis are selected based on an understanding that the major determinants of our collective health and health disparities are the social, economic and physical environments.