Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #106382

Carl Osaki, RS, MSPH, School of Public Health & Community Medicine, University of Washington, 3520 NE 189th Pl, Seattle, WA 98155, (206) 365 1633, csosaki@aol.com

This presentation will describe goals and aims of a Regional Academic Environmental Public Health Center which was developed in October, 2004 to assist local, state, and tribal environmental health units located in nine western and plains states. Environmental and organizational capacity issues in the region will be described, and strategies and activities developed through the Center to address the issues will be discussed. Examples of capacity issues include inadequate resources and equipment, lack of leadership, lack of political support, and confusing organization infrastructure for environmental health activities. Examples of project activities include: training presentations, technical assistance, workforce and community assessments, program evaluations, and dissemination of best practice models. The three year project, support by the National Center for Environmental Health, CDC, is part of a larger effort to develop effective, state-of-the-art environmental health units nationwide. Efforts to link the Center activities with the Ten Essential Public Health Services and the fourteen environmental health core competencies will be shared.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe a new regional environmental public health academic center covering 9 states
• Discuss goals, aims, and opportunities presented by the Center for environmental health practitioners
• List environmental and capacity issues facing local, state, and tribal environmental health units in the Northwestern and Plains States
• Link Regional Center activities to national (CDC)environmental health activities and goals

Keywords: Environmental Health, Essential Public Health Services

Related Web page: www.nwcphp.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation