April 2022: Direct From CDC/Environmental Health Services

Direct From CDC/Environmental Health Services Column

Journal of Environmental Health (Volume 84, Number 8)

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 a 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 of these columns are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of CDC.

Data Modernization: Making Environmental Health Services Data More Accessible

Luis Rodriguez, MS, REHS/RS, CP-FS, CPO, DAAS, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Holly Wilson, MHSE, MCHES DAAS, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Description

Environmental health programs routinely generate and collect data on inspection results and violations, facility closures, permits or licenses issued, investigation findings, public inquiries, and responses to complaints. High-quality environmental health services data are essential for timely identification and detection of environmental hazards, decision making, and evidence?based practices guidance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has begun a public health Data Modernization Initiative to create connected, resilient, adaptable, and sustainable data systems that can help produce solutions before problems occur and limit negative effects caused by problems that do occur. The Environmental Public Health Tracking Program and the Water, Food, and Environmental Health Services Branch of CDC are working together to enhance and expand environmental health data modernization efforts across the country.

This month's column highlights how several jurisdictions in the U.S. are using environmental health data, as well as the road ahead for data modernization.

Read the April 2022 JEH Direct From CDC/Environmental Health Services Column

DATA MODERNIZATION: MAKING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES DATA MORE ACCESSIBLE (PDF)