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What is Environmental Health and how does it relate to Public Health?Environmental Health is an integral part of public health where professionals dedicate their lives to preserving the health and well-being of individuals, communities and nations. The CDC has identified the 10 Essential Services in Public Health, which are taught and practiced in our Environmental Health program. In addition, our program teaches students the critical knowledge, skills and abilities to effectively perform these 10 essential services.
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1) Monitor health status to identify community health problems
Students learn to devise methods to follow changes within a community that might threaten human health, to evaluate their findings, and to propose solutions. Our alumni work in jobs where they perform inspections to evaluate quality of food, water, air and storage of solid and chemical waste.
2) Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community
Students learn to perform outbreak investigations, gather data, interview people, analyze results, and develop action plans to solve community health problems. Our students and alumni have been involved in foodborne-illness investigations and cases of West Nile Virus, Norovirus and plague.
3) Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues
Students learn to educate the public about health risks and risk prevention. Students have opportunities to prepare and present technical and complex topics that can help the public learn about the benefits of a healthy environment.
4) Mobilize community partnerships and action to identify and solve health problems
Students are trained to become a part of the public health team that mobilizes and coordinates people into action during infectious disease outbreaks, bioterrorism, floods, fires, and other community health events and/or emergencies. Students learn to make decisions that help guide, instruct, and assure that events are managed to minimize the impact on human life and preserve our natural resources. Our students have participated in training on emergency response and bioterrorism simulations.
5) Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts
Students learn how to read, understand, and enforce the health and environmental laws, regulations, and standards that provide formal guidelines and thresholds for compliance and safety of the public and our environment. Students also learn how to work with legislators and community coalitions to evaluate current laws and draft new legislation to protect the public against threats to human health and the environment.
6) Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety
Students learn how the law is used daily to inspect and mitigate health risks in our communities. They study how monitoring assures compliance for safe air, water, soil, food, and chemical use in every community and workplace in America.
7) Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care during a crisis or when regular care is otherwise unavailable
As members of the public health care team, students learn to educate, coordinate, and work with volunteers, patients, and victims to assure that basic provisions including food, water, and transportation, as well as vaccination, medical evaluation, treatment procedures and/or transportation, are provided.
8) Assure competent public and personal health care workforce
Our students learn that they can never stop learning. Many go on to earn advanced degrees and professional certifications such as the REHS (Registered Environmental Health Specialist) or RS (Registered Sanitarian). As seen in the career section of this site, our students and alumni work for a variety of public health entities.
9) Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services
Our students become committed to continuous improvement. Students learn to use outcomes assessment to determine the effectiveness of personnel and resources in meeting the goals and objectives of those they serve.
10) Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems
CSU’s environmental health professors and researchers exemplify a dedication to life-long learning and a commitment to grow the knowledge, skills, and abilities of students who want to work in public and environmental health. As a result, the Bachelor of Science degree in environmental health may be a stepping-stone into the world of research and other environmental health-related degrees, including MS/PHD or MD/DVM/DC. Information about current research conducted in our department can be found at www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/erhs, and on research conducted in our college at www.cvmbs.colostate.edu.
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