Sponsored by:
Environmental Health Services Branch of
CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health
Abstract:
The National Environmental Public Health Performance Standards (NEPHPS), built upon the 10 essential environmental health services are viewed as the primary tool for strengthening the nation’s environmental public health infrastructure. Endorsed by several national agencies and professional associations, they are being used to build capacity, consistency, and accountability within and across the nation’s environmental public health system. Through this hands-on workshop, participants have the opportunity to pursue national excellence by implementing these standards at their own agencies. You will learn about the standards and their application to day-to-day activities, complete the agency self-assessment instrument, identify you own agency capacity gaps, and learn about and share best practices aimed at improving program capacity. Participants will be able to put together an action plan to address gaps, and an ongoing evaluation.
Speakers:
(in alphabetical order)
CAPT Patrick O. Bohan, USPHS (Ret), PhD, MS, MSEH, RS
Patrick Bohan is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Science at East Central University in Ada, OK. CAPT Bohan joined the faculty of East Central University in August 2002 after his retirement from the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS).
During his career with the USPHS, CAPT Bohan spent 19 years with the Indian Health Service serving in White Earth, MN, Bemidji, MN, Cincinnati, OH, and Window Rock, AZ. His final seven years were spent at the National Center for Environmental Health where he played a key role in developing the Environmental Health Services Branch. During his career with the USPHS, he held a variety of positions that required both the provision of direct services and program management. CAPT Bohan has been involved in several emergency responses including responding to natural disasters and outbreaks such as Hantavirus and cholera.
CAPT Bohan is a graduate of Lehigh University. He started his public health career in the New Haven, CT Health Department before becoming commissioned in the U.S. Public Health Service. CAPT Bohan has a Master’s Degree in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Rhode Island, a Master’s Degree in Industrial Hygiene from the University of Cincinnati and recently received the PhD in Occupational and Environmental Health from the University of Oklahoma College of Public Health. His research interests include environmental health workforce development and environmental health management practice.
For the past five years, Dr. Sharunda Buchanan has served as Chief of the Environmental Health Services Branch at the National Center for Environmental Health. Just recently, however, she began serving as the Director of the Division of Emergency and Environmental Health Services.
Dr. Buchanan received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemistry from Texas Southern University. She later earned her doctorate degree in Biochemistry and Toxicology from Clarke-Atlanta University. In 1990, she joined the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry as an Environmental Health Scientist in the Division of Toxicology. She later joined CDC in 1993 and served as an Epidemic Intelligence Officer assigned to the Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects through 1995.
In 2006, Dr. Buchanan was one of several managers chosen by CDC to represent the agency at Harvard University’s National Preparedness Institute. In addition, Dr. Buchanan was one of three scholars representing CDC as part of the 2003–2004 National Public Health Leadership Institute and played a valuable role in the team winning the Balderson Award for outstanding accomplishment in Succession Planning. Dr. Sharunda Buchanan and her husband, Marcus, have two children: Kayla (17 years) and Nicholas (9 years).
Teresa Daub, Public Health Advisor, CDC
Teresa has worked in public health for over fifteen years in local, state, and non-profit settings in South Carolina, Maryland and Georgia. She currently works with the National Public Health Performance Standards Program (NPHPSP) in the CDC’s Office of Chief of Public Health Practice. She has coordinated many community-based initiatives, including a peer education program at Clemson University and a partnership forum for substance abuse prevention in Howard County, Maryland. Prior to joining CDC, Teresa spent five years with the DeKalb County (Georgia) Board of Health as their Planning and Partnership Development Coordinator with responsibility for convening and facilitating Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP). Healthy DeKalb, a community health improvement coalition focused on addressing health disparities and obesity, was born through this work.
Sarah B. Kotchian, Ed.M., M.P.H., Ph.D.
Dr. Kotchian serves as the Associate Director for Planning for the UNM Institute for Public Health. She conducts work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to strengthen national, state, and local environmental health services and to promote environmental health leadership. Director of the Albuquerque Environmental Health Department for over fourteen years, she served during five mayoral administrations. Under Dr. Kotchian’s direction, the Albuquerque Environmental Health Department administered comprehensive City and County‑wide programs in the areas of air quality, environmental health planning, food protection, noise control, hazardous waste, pollution prevention, groundwater quality and protection, landfill characterization and remediation, integrated vector management, vehicle emissions, epidemiology, geographic information systems, public information and animal services. She is a recognized leader, author, and speaker on the formation of local, state, and national environmental and public health policy, leadership, and practice.
Dr. Kotchian holds a Master's degree in Education from Harvard University, a Master's degree in Public Health from the University of Washington, and a Doctorate in American Studies from the University of New Mexico, where her doctoral research focused on the linkage between CEO faith, leadership, and corporate environmental policy. She is a past member of the Executive Board of the American Public Health Association (APHA) where she chaired its Subcommittee on Environment and Health. Other past activities include service on the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council; service on the Council on Education for Public Health, the national accrediting body for graduate public health education; Chair of the APHA Section on Environment; and Chair of the National Conference of Local Environmental Health Administrators.
Her awards include the National Environmental Health Association's highest honor, the Walter Mangold Award for outstanding contributions to the field of environmental health; the APHA Section on Environment Distinguished Service Award; and the New Mexico Distinguished Public Service Award, as well as other volunteer and service awards. Dr. Kotchian is married and is the mother of two young adults.
Carl S. Osaki, RS, MSPH
Carl Osaki is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington. He retired as the Director of Environmental Health, Seattle-King County Department of Public Health in 1999 and served as a member (Vice Chair) of the Washington State Board of Health from 1997 to 2005. Carl was one of the authors of PACE-EH (a nationally recognized community environmental health assessment tool). He serves as a consultant to local, state, and tribal public health agencies nationwide and has provided numerous trainings and workshops relating to environmental health practice and public health emergency preparedness and response.
From 2000 to 2004, Carl Osaki managed an Association of Schools of Public Health training grant aimed at helping local and state agencies integrate the Essential Services of Public Health into environmental health practice. He is currently the principal investigator for 3 year CDC grant which aims to assist environmental health units in 9 states enhance their capacity through trainings, assessments, and evaluations. Carl is the past chair of the Washington State Association of Local Health Officials and is a member of numerous state and national public health organizations. His Bachelors and Masters degrees are in Environmental Health; both from the University of Washington. He has been in public health practice since 1966.
Peter D. Thornton RS, MPH, DAAS
Mr. Thornton serves as the Assistant Director for Public Health Programs at the Volusia County Health Department in Daytona Beach, Florida. For over 20 years he was the Environmental Administrator in that county and overall he has over 34 years in environmental health. In his current position over EH, Preparedness, and primary care clinics, he is also creating new departments which will include Assessment and Minority Health Offices.
Mr. Thornton holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan. He is a past Chair of the National Conference of Local Environmental Health Administrators, Past President of the National Environmental Health Association, and Past President of the Florida Environmental Health Association. He was appointed to the National Drinking Water Advisory Council for EPA. He attended President Clinton’s White House bill signing ceremony for the Food Safety Initiative.
He has received several prestigious awards from the Florida Environmental Health Association and in 2004 was awarded the Walter F. Snyder Award from NSF and NEHA. He has provided the keynote address for nearly 40 state environmental health associations.