Health Professionals’ Roles in Community Involvement at Contaminated Sites
Presented by: Robyn Gilden and Barbara Sattler, University of Maryland School of Nursing Environmental Health Education Center

When communities are confronted with a contaminated site in their neighborhood, there are a few common concerns that surface immediately. Often one of the first concerns is whether potential health risks are associated with the exposures from the site. People are accustomed to asking their health care providers about health questions, but few health professionals are prepared to answer environmental health questions. This presentation will explore the merits of having a health professional on the community involvement team. A case study will be presented using the Region 3, nurse-run Community Outreach Program for the Northeast Hazardous Substance Research Center. The presentation will include a review of the current environmental health knowledge of the average health professional, recent National Academy of Science recommendations regarding environmental health integration into health professional education and practice, and where to find health professionals who are specially prepared in environmental health. Handouts will include web-based resources regarding environmental health.