The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) has
conducted five national assessments of epidemiology capacity (2001-2013) in
state health departments to monitor progress towards achieving Healthy People
2020 Public Health Infrastructure objective 13 - provision of epidemiology
services. These assessments included longitudinal measures to evaluate core
epidemiology functions, provided a basis for estimation of additional capacity
needs, and gauged the competency of the epidemiology workforce. In 2013, CSTE
included an environmental health module to evaluate epidemiology and
surveillance capacity across several program areas, including healthy homes and
lead as well as characterize functions within the health department and
describe activities of environmental epidemiologists. This presentation will
focus on results of the 2013 environmental health module and illustrate the
current state of environmental epidemiology capacity in state health agencies.
Results from the 2009 epidemiology capacity assessment demonstrated that
greater than a third of states reported minimal or no surveillance and
epidemiology capacity in the following public health program areas: injury
(32%), environmental health (35%), and occupational health (68%). Another 28%
of respondents indicated partial environmental health capacity. Only 37% of
respondents indicated substantial to full capacity. In contrast, the majority
of respondents indicated substantial to full capacity in infectious disease,
bioterrorism/emergency response, maternal and child health, and chronic disease
surveillance and epidemiology. Findings from this assessment will inform
program managers of opportunities to increase capacity for environmental
health. Additionally, this session will educate listeners on current
environmental epidemiology activities; access to data; data analysis,
interpretation, and dissemination functions; organizational placement and
funding; and outreach, partnership, and collaboration.
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