Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #106119

Lila Wickham, RN, MS, Multnomah County Health Department, 727 NE 24th Avenue, Portland, OR 97232, 503 988-3400 x 22404, lila.a.wickham@co.multnomah.or.us and Lynn Michelle George, BA, Health, Multnomah County Environmental Health Services, 727 NE 24th Avenue, Portland, OR 97232, Portland, OR 97232.

Multnomah County Environmental Health (EH) utilized the Ten Essential Services and Protocol for Assessing Community Excellence in Environmental Health to assess gaps, prioritize capacity needs and implement solutions to maximize limited resources to protect the public's health. EH analyzes local environmental health issues from a public health perspective, regulates specified businesses and accommodations, and enforces state and local environmental health laws and rules.

Capacity building involves: • successful grant writing: CDC award of Environmental Health Services capacity, EPA award asthma trigger reduction in child care centers, NACCHO award developing multicultural food handler training • partnership development: collaborative initiatives with other agencies and academia • adherence to available standards: adoption and implementation of FDA Food Program Standards • integrating effective business practices into the work plan

The 10 Essential Services Framework was the catalyst for identification of the following priority gaps and receipt of funding by the CDC award Building Environmental Health Public Health Services Capacity in the following areas: 1. Community Outreach, Involvement and Education 2. Mobilizing Educational Partnerships 3. Monitoring and Investigating Vectors 4. Reduction of Food Borne Illness

This presentation will include steps necessary to build environmental health capacity: 1) conducting a gap analysis of services using the 10 Essential Services Framework, 2) describing methods to prioritize gaps and increase capacity to meet critical gaps described above; 3) identifying baseline data and performance measures supporting evaluation; and 4) describing next steps and expected results in capacity building process in each of the 4 identified gaps.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the processes, skills and functions necessary to build capacity
• Indentify how to conduct a capacity building 10 Essential Services framework gap analysis
• Describe methods to prioritize gaps and increase capacity to meet critial gaps in 10 Essential Services Framework
• Identify baseline data and performance measures supporting evaluation Describe next steps in capacity building process

Keywords: Environment, Community-Based Public Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation