191114 What is a healthy home? The house as a system. Start with people

Saturday, October 25, 2008: 2:00 PM

Brenda Reyes, MD, MPH , Bureau of Community & Children's Environmental Health, City of Houston Department of Health & Human Services, Houston, TX
This session will discuss basic public health and housing principles that can help us understand the link between housing and health. Groups at higher risk for adverse health effects will be identified. The Healthy Homes movement will be introduced as a holistic approach that promotes health through better housing. Participants will complete a group exercise to identify biological, chemical and physical hazards commonly found in houses and the harmful to health that lead to asthma, allergies, neurological damage and cancer.

Learning Objectives:
Define a healthy home as a home that is designed, constructed, maintained or rehabilitated in a manner that supports the health of residents. Describe the benefits of using a holistic approach that considers people living in the home, the structure and the potential housing related health hazards vs. a categorical approach to addressing biological, chemical and physical hazards in the home. List four housing problems and the negative health impacts associated with them. Identify three populations that are at risk for housing related disease and injury. Name three routes of exposure and their relationship to housing hazards.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Brenda M. Reyes, MD, MPH is the Bureau Chief of the Community & Children’s Environmental Health at the Houston Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Reyes started working with the city of Houston in 2001 as the Manager for Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. In 2003 became the Administration Manager for HUD’s Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control grant and Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and by 2005 became the Children’s Environmental Health, Bureau Chief. She worked as Chief Medical Doctor with the Rotary International at Finca La Alegria at Choloma City and as Chief Medical Doctor with the Honduran Ministry of Public Health at Choloma. She is the Chairperson of the city of Houston Lead Jurisdiction Wide Screening Plan; Chairperson of the Leverage of Funds Subcommittee for the Texas Advisory Committee; Texas Gulf Coast Asthma Coalition Chairperson; Texas Asthma Coalition’s Environmental Health vice-Chair; EPA Beyond the Forum Environmental and Health Committee Chairperson; National HUD Grantees Association Board Member; NCI Head Start Service Advisory Committee; AVANCE Head Start/Early Head Start Health Services Advisory Committee. Also member of the following coalitions: Texas Coalition of Asthma Networks (TexCAN); Houston Mayor’s Lead Task Force; Texas Gulf Coast Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Coalition; Hispanic Coalition, African American Coalition, and others. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented her with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Recognition Award for her collaboration at the Superfund Site MDI and the EPA Recognition Award – for the STAR Program.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Promoting healthy environments for children where they live, learn and play
See more of: APHA-Learning Institute (APHA-LI)