In the era of budget cuts, many core environmental health programs are moving to code enforcement, natural resources, agriculture, and environmental protection. The lack of cohesiveness makes it difficult to look at the problems wholistically (i.e. a food service establishment with waste disposal problems may fall under the purvue of Agriculture, Natural Resources or Environmental Protection). The public no longer knows who to call, and no one agency is responsible for mitigation or investigation making coordination difficult. We have taken the public health out of environmental health.
This year the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) has added a new way to participate in the Call for Abstracts process for the Annual Educational Conference (AEC) & Exhibition. It is called, "Be a voice" and it gives you the opportunity to tell us what you’d like to experience at the AEC. Tell us topics you’d like to hear about and speakers you’d like to see. Review abstracts and provide input.
Help NEHA develop a training and education experience that continues to advance the proficiency of the environmental health profession AND helps create bottom line improvements for your organization!To search for specific abstracts, please use the search box located at the top left of the page (*next to the Blogger icon).
HELPFUL LINKS: How to Participate and Use this Blog | Disclosure | NEHA Blog Policy and Participation Guide
ADDITIONAL WAYS TO PARTICIPATE: Submit An Abstract | Suggest a Topic | Suggest a Speaker | Questions?
In many cases the issue is not one of budgets as much as government efforts to reduce duplication and overlapping jurisdictions. None the less, it is a distinct weakening of a foundational public health program. It is critical that public health leaders educate state, national, and community leaders regarding what is lost when transfers of authority such as this occur. Most importantly, we all need to let them know that there is a cost efficiency to be gained by having environmental public health professionals involved in monitoring and regulating hazards rather than having three or four agencies carry out an uncoordinated response.
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