YOUR ASSOCIATION
Open Access
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
My Thoughts on the NEHA 2024 AEC
CDR Anna Khan, MA, REHS/RS
I t was an honor and a pleasure to at- tend and take part in the National Envi- ronmental Health Association’s (NEHA) Annual Educational Conference (AEC) & Exhibition in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in July. Despite the many changes our world is going through, it was comforting to find one constant—the dedicated, bright, and profes- sional members of our environmental health community from around the world all in one place. I am inspired by the current and future leaders in environmental health who I had the privilege to talk with and hear their stories. There were environmental health students and practitioners that I met for the first time who shared their stories about why they are in environmental health. I was amazed by the adventurous stories of a lieutenant in the U.S. Public Health Service who is working in Alaska and traveling by plane to support communities across the state. She is learning about diverse cultures as well as solving dif- ferent environmental challenges and address- ing the impacts of weather and climate change that each community encounters. I met with two environmental health stu- dents who shared their stories with me. The first student explained how a hurricane had destroyed her home and the emotional impact it had on her and her family. She talked about public health messaging and the importance of environmental public health. The second student studied abroad. We talked about how some developing countries recognize the importance of environmental health, specifically water, sanitation, and food safety. We also talked about issues that we struggle with today in a developed country, such as
and make their day, tell them climate change does not exist. They will flash a wise, all- knowing smile, explain why it does, and immerse you in data. These conversations also brought up one of the key elements that I will continue to work on during my presidency, which is how we address the strain on our current work- force and what are we doing about workforce challenges. A recent article discusses the workforce as one of the changes that we need to overcome (Chamberlain et al., 2024). In the article, Emory University and the Georgia Department of Health recognized the need for epidemiologists in the field. They collabo- rated and created an epidemiology fellowship in 2020 to fill the gap across Georgia. Ideas such as this one help us move the needle in the direction that we need to go. NEHA is also thinking outside the box about how to help environmental health students and how to support new professionals in their careers. I look forward to providing more information in the next few months. I also want to mention that during the 2024 AEC, there was a session titled, “Rais- ing the Environmental Health Voice.” This session was led by Chana Goussetis, direc- tor of marketing and communications at NEHA. She provided communication strate- gies for environmental health professionals in the field. This guidance provides support to environmental health professionals when communicating with decision-makers about what they do, why it is important, and creat- ing a call to action to keep our communities safe. You can find this tool kit of resources at www.neha.org/workforce-outreach-toolkit.
NEHA is reaching out, embracing more environmental health professionals, connecting subject matter experts, and strengthening us as a profession.
the importance of pasteurization. These con- versations reminded me that each time we step into a new critical project and each time we work in a domestic or global community, we are likely helping communities during a vulnerable and challenging time. We might not understand exactly what they are going through, but we enter their world with empa- thy, kindness, and a willingness to help move things forward so they have some stability back in their lives. I had the opportunity to listen to some of our wisest (i.e., been around the block a few times) environmental health professionals. I learn something new in every conversa- tion with them. I enjoy their advocacy and willingness to stand up and say something when newer professions may feel the need to tip-toe around certain subjects. I refer to them as our Clint Eastwoods. Yes, go ahead
6
Volume 87 • Number 3
Powered by FlippingBook