The influence of experience and credential status on perceptions of agency competency in delivery of the 10 essential environmental public health services.

Contributions made by the environmental health (EH) workforce in reducing human disease are some of the most significant to public health. A shrinking workforce and increased work complexity have called for workforce training in the 10 essential public health services. The preliminary study discussed here assesses perceived competency of the Kansas EH workforce in the 10 essential public health services and evaluates credentialing influence on perceptions. State and local food service inspectors were anonymously surveyed using the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice Environmental Health Workforce Questionnaire. Credentialed respondents reported more years of experience and supervisory responsibilities, Noncredentialed respondents were more likely than credentialed respondents to answer that their work unit was capable of providing the 10 essential public health services. Kansas should establish an accredited EH program and national credentialing requirements established for EH practitioners would encourage and institutionalize ongoing workforce training programs.

Pandemic policy and planning considerations for universities: findings from a tabletop exercise.

The potential for a novel influenza virus to cause a pandemic represents a significant threat to global health. Planning for pandemic flu, as compared to planning for other types of hazards, presents some unique challenges to businesses, communities, and education institutions. To identify and address the challenges that may be faced by major metropolitan universities during a flu pandemic, a tabletop exercise was developed, offered, and evaluated. Its purpose was to assess existing University of Washington (UW) plans and policies for responding to an influenza pandemic. On May 31, 2006, more than 50 participants, including UW administrators and unit leaders and a number of key external partners, participated in a tabletop exercise designed to simulate all phases of an influenza pandemic. This exercise revealed existing gaps in university pandemic influenza plans and policies, including issues related to isolation and quarantine, continuity of operations, disaster mental health services, integration of volunteers into a disaster response, tracking travel of university students and personnel, communication problems, and ways to meet the needs of resident and foreign students and faculty during an outbreak. Policy and planning recommendations are offered that address each of these challenges faced by UW as well as other major research universities and colleges.

Using 10-essential-services training to revive, refocus, and strengthen your environmental health programs.

The 10 essential services of environmental health, which are based on the 10 essential public health services, can guide environmental health practitioners in systematically organizing and managing environmental public health programs and activities. The National Center for Environmental Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has used the 10 essential services of environmental health as a basis for its six goals for the revitalization of environmental health in the 21st century. Nevertheless, studies indicate that very few environmental health practitioners are aware of the 10 essential services. This article discusses how essential-services training has increased the awareness and knowledge of environmental health practitioners about the development, value, and use of the essential services. Examples of training outcomes are offered to illustrate how the use of the essential-services framework has improved environmental health performance and practice.

Pandemic influenza planning by videoconference.

Collaboration between nations and sectors is crucial to improve regional preparedness against pandemic influenza. In 2008, a Virtual Symposium was organized in the Asia-Pacific region by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Emerging Infections Network (APEC EINet) to discuss pandemic preparedness. The multipoint videoconference lasted approximately 4.5 hours and was attended by 16 APEC members who shared best practices in public-private partnerships for pandemic influenza preparedness planning. Twelve of the 16 APEC members who participated responded to a post-event survey. The overall experience of the event was rated highly. Partnering public health, technology and business communities to discuss best practices in preparedness using videoconferencing may be an effective way to improve regional preparedness. Utilization of videoconferencing on a routine basis should be considered to improve preparedness among APEC members and enhance its usability during a pandemic.