USPHS Scientific and Training SymposiumEnvironmental Health Officer Session

CDC Environmental Public Health

Leadership Institute

May 25, 2010

San Diego, CA

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Center for Environmental Health

Environmental Health Services Branch

Achievements of Public Health

1. Vaccinations2. Motor-vehicle safety3. Safer workplaces4. Control of infectious diseases5. Decline in deaths from coronary heart

disease and stroke6. Safe and healthier food7. Healthier mothers and babies8. Family planning9. Fluoridation of drinking water10. Recognition of tobacco use as a health issue

AccomplishmentsBrookings Institute – Governments’ Greatest Achievements of the Past Half-Century

• Control of Disease • Improved Air and Water Quality• Food and Drinking Water Safety

Challenge

• Environmental antecedents to disease outbreak and emergence

– Global climate change– Global economies, migration and trade– Urban to rural and rural to urban– Alternate forms of energy

Challenge

United States Infant Mortality

per 1000 Live Births and International Rank

1960: 26.0 (12)

2003: 6.9 (28)

Health Disparity ChallengeInfant Mortality / 1000 Live Births

2001-2003

All Races = 6.9

White = 5.7

Black or African American = 13.6

Hispanic or Latino = 5.6

American Indian or Alaska Native = 9.0

Asian or Pacific Islander = 4.8

Challenge

America’s Environmental Health Gap

Environmental connection to disease not understood; fragmentation of public health system hinders response and action

Challenge

Rebuilding the Utility of Health and the Environment: A New Vision of Environmental Health for the 21ST Century

..the local infrastructure for delivering environmental health is not working.

CDC’s EHS Strategy• 31 external workgroups participated

in development

• Over 150 organizations provided comments

• Partners include private and public organizations from all levels including tribal

• 6 major goals with objectives and activities

EPHLI Objective

Enhance and strengthen the national environmental public health services delivery system by strengthening the leadership capabilities of the environmental public health workforce.

ENVIRONMENT

AGENT HOST

Disease Causation

Triad

Health

Outcomes

Water System Food System Air

Sewage System Solid Waste DisposalVector/animal

Influence

Understanding Environmental Systems

The Public Health SystemThe Public Health System

MCOs

Home Health

Parks

Economic Development

Mass Transit

Employers

Nursing Homes

Mental Health

Drug Treatment

Civic GroupsCHCs

Laboratory Facilities

Hospitals

EMS Community Centers

Doctors

Health Department

Churches

Philanthropist

Elected Officials

Tribal Health

Schools

Police

Fire

Corrections

Environmental Health

Understanding Systems

• A group of interacting, interrelated, or independent elements forming a complex whole

• A system is defined by the specific purpose it serves within a larger system

Science of Complex Systems

• Determines how parts of a system influence the collective behavior of the system and how systems interact

• Understand parts, the whole and relationships

CDC Environmental Public Health Leadership Institute

• Year-long learning experience

• All expenses paid

• 2 onsite seminars

• All other work / learning done by teleconferencing, internet and electronic means

• All educational materials provided by program

• Building teams and partnerships

• Persuading, influencing, and generating support

• Systems thinking

• Problem-solving and decision-making processes

• Project – Outcome measure

Long-term Outcomes

• Enhance leadership capabilities of environmental public health service providers

• Improve the practice of environmental health

• Reduce exposure to environmental public health risk factors

Long-term Outcomes

• Reduce environmentally related morbidity and mortality

• Improve the health of the population

• Reduce health care expenditures

Long-term Outcomes

Opportunity for environmental public health leader to interact and create a lasting network of leaders who will be instrumental in influencing the future direction of environmental public health.

Thank you for your attention

Solving Problems

Without changing our patterns of thought, we will not be able to solve the problems we created with our current pattern of thought.

Albert Einstein