RESUMO
The practice of environmental health and protection is at a crossroads. Expanded responsibilities throughout this nation's agencies, prescriptive statutory mandates, and shrunken resources for fundamental public health services have combined to change the infrastructure and the workforce. This article presents the results of the Crossroads Colloquium, a forum of leaders in environmental health, convened to address the educational needs of the workforce. Major recommendations from the Crossroads Colloquium include redefining training by moving from discipline-specific to multidisciplinary training, developing collaborations among agencies, academia, and industry for training and education, and providing opportunities ranging from distance education to graduate degree programs.
Assuntos
Conservação dos Recursos Naturais , Saúde Ambiental , Administração em Saúde Pública/educação , Educação Profissionalizante/métodos , Educação Profissionalizante/organização & administração , Relações Interprofissionais , Objetivos Organizacionais , Estados UnidosRESUMO
The success of our national environmental policies depends upon the capacity of states to implement them. This article presents the findings of an examination of the state level organization of environmental health and protection services. The goals of the project were to conduct a descriptive analysis of the structure, functions, and funding of state environmental health and protection services, and to examine the impact of the major federal environmental statutes on the organization of the state infrastructure. Future environmental progress will depend upon an improved understanding of the relationship between human health and the environment. This will require a commitment to improving the public health training of environmental professionals, and improved cooperation between health and environmental agencies to assure that they do not lose sight of their fundamental mission--the protection of public health.
