Mission

The mission of the PEHSU Program is to:

1. Reduce environmental health threats to children;
2. expand and enhance access to pediatric environmental medicine expertise;
3. strengthen pediatric environmental medicine and public health prevention capacity through education and expanded collaborative relationships with medical schools, residency programs, schools of nursing and other allied health programs, and schools of public health; and
4. deliver relevant education and consultative services to assist in the care of pediatric patients and the education of their families and health care providers in addressing environmental health threats to children.

Goals and Objectives:

1. To assure environmental exposure concerns of children and their families are appropriately addressed.
2. Develop a staff complement with expertise in pediatrics, Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM), medical toxicology, and environmental health education.
3. Maintain academic affiliations and expand collaborations
4. Provide a setting for Pediatric Environmental Medicine Fellowships, clinical rotations or other environmental medicine training programs.
5. Assist community self-empowerment and capacity development
6. Assist with local public health infrastructure development and capacity building in all areas of PEH, including biochemical terrorism and disaster preparedness.
7. Provide consultation and information on PEH concerns to health care professionals, public health officials, and to parents and caregivers regarding environmental exposures and possible health effects through an established toll-free telephone line.
8. Provide community education and outreach in ways that address the need to raise awareness about environmental conditions that may harm children; preventing or reducing harmful environmental exposures in everyday situations; and practical advice on helping children cope and recover during and after environmentally-related crises impacting the health of children.