ADVANCEMENT OF THE PRACTICE
Open Access
DIRECT FROM CDC ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
EH Nexus: CDC’s Communication Network for Environmental Health Professionals
CDR Anna Khan, MA, REHS, RS
Jonathan Lynch, MBA-PM
Kagsianaís Alicea-Torres, MS, CPH, CLSSBB
tion, detailed training, and discussion about the most current guidance. In 2023, EH Nexus supported an academic conference, the national meeting for the National Heat Health Information System, and a workshop for teaching epidemiologic methods. The National Heat Health Information System meeting had over 400 attendees and helped shape planning and response at national, state, and local levels for the exceptional 2023 heat season. Podcasts In 2023, the EH Nexus team added podcasts to their collection of communication activities. These podcasts are interviews with experts from a variety of fields, including disaster management, climate and health, and safe water. Podcast subjects from 2023 included preparing for the health eects of climate change at the state and local level, celebrating 40 years of eradicating chemical weapons, and protecting children from lead poisoning. EH Nexus Newsletters The EH Nexus Newsletter is sent out once a month and contains up-to-date informa- tion, links to CDC websites and resources, and announcements about upcoming webi- nars hosted by CDC. The newsletter informs recipients on ways to reduce harms and haz- ards and educates them on new and emerging environmental public health crises. Partnerships As a partnership hub, the EH Nexus sta frequently collaborate on communication activities with partners from government, academic, and nonprofit sectors. We are
Editor’s Note: The National Environmental Health Association strives to provide up-to-date and relevant information on environmental health and to build partnerships in the profession. In pursuit of these goals, we feature this column on environmental health services from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in every issue of the Journal . In these columns, authors from CDC’s Water, Food, and Environmental Health Services Branch, as well as guest authors, will share tools, resources, and guidance for environmental health practitioners. The conclusions in these columns are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of CDC. CDR Anna Khan is the associate director for communication, Jonathan Lynch is the deputy associate director for communication, and Kagsianais Alicea Torres is a health communication specialist in the Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice at CDC.
T he Environmental Health Nexus (EH Nexus) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a communication network for environmental health professionals that was developed in 2021. The EH Nexus uses webinars, confer- ences, podcasts, newsletters, and partnerships to share environmental public health informa- tion with the public, practitioners, community leaders, academia, and a wide range of experts. In the EH Nexus, information flows in all di- rections. Our partners have been key contribu- tors to many of our products. By keeping the greater environmental health community con- nected and informed, we help ensure that the public receives the information they need to make the best choices to protect their health and the health of their families.
Webinars EH Nexus webinars are typically 1-hr long, but can vary based on subject and activity. Some of the topics covered in EH Nexus webi- nars in 2023 were radon awareness, childhood lead exposure, and fungal diseases in a chang- ing environment. We also presented on one of CDC’s most powerful tools: the Environmen- tal Public Health Tracking Network (www.cdc. gov/nceh/tracking/index.html). This webinar raised awareness of the growing ability to track data at the subcounty level.
Conferences, Meetings, and Workshops
EH Nexus supports these online events that dive deeper than webinars, using breakout sessions, data sharing, organized collabora-
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Volume 86 • Number 8
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