Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health—Center for Excellence in Community Environmental Health Practice

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: THOMAS A. BURKE, PHD, MPH

Program Description
The purpose of the Center for Excellence in Community Environmental Health Practice at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health is to remove the barriers between academia and the practice community, develop active partnerships for training, and increase public and decision maker awareness of the important role of environmental public health professionals.

Goals and Objectives
The goals of the center are to

strengthen the Maryland environmental public health workforce through training;
develop practical surveillance tools to anticipate, track, and prevent environmental public health hazards;
provide technical assistance in responding to community environmental public health problems;
advance research to enhance prevention and measure program effectiveness

Products and Outcomes
Project outcomes included the following:

compiled A Profile of Maryland Local Environmental Public Health*;
conducted trainings that offered opportunities to link the academic and practice communities and reached over 800 state and local public health practitioners;
developed a preparatory class for the Maryland registered sanitarian exam; and
enhanced the practice component of the Johns Hopkins University curriculum through revised course content, development of new courses, and certificate programs.

Impact to the Community
Through this project, the center conducted site visits with all of Maryland’s 24 local environmental health departments; developed six student internship projects with state and local agencies in Maryland; and assisted in creating and maintaining Johns Hopkins Public Health Applications for Student Experience (PHASE), which connects students to real-world public health practice. This project achieved over an 80% response rate on the Profile of Maryland Local Environmental Public Health survey.** The center also initiated ongoing participation in the Maryland Department of the Environment Local Liaison Committee. The center has not only strengthened the “environmental public health people network” in Maryland but also throughout the country via the center’s Web site and presentations at national meetings.

Feedback from Customers
“I got great feedback from my staff as to the quality of the discussion yesterday and I know they were pleased to have a chance to present the work that they are (rightfully) very proud of…I am looking forward to the results of your project and as always, appreciate the linkages that you effectively forge between public health practice and education.”—Frances Phillips, Anne Arundel County Health Officer

Outputs
*Report: A Profile of Maryland Local Environmental Public Health Practice compiled from a comprehensive assessment including site visits to all local Maryland public health agencies and an IRB approved written survey (being prepared).

**Profile survey has been shared with environmental public health professionals throughout the country with the hope that it may be replicated and then compared to data from other states.

View Presentation [PF - 200 KB]

Top of Page