Mel Knight, REHSChairman, Americas Region, IFEH
MALEHA – September 2012
Toward a National Environmental Health Communication Network
and Data Repository
Unleashing the power of “We”By definition, ‘We’ will always have greater
knowledge and power than “I”Networking multiplies our opportunities to
share ideas, experiences and solutionsData sharing enhances the quantity and
quality of environmental health program information
Networking Opportunities Professional Associations (MEHA,
NEHA, APHA etc.)Focused confederations (MALEHA,
NCLEHA, other state/regional groups) National workgroups and task forces
(FDA, CDC, EPA etc.)Public/private collaboration (CFP)
Value of a Data RepositoryLarger numbers are more significant
than smaller numbersUseful for determining norms and
trendsEnvironmental health issues rarely
reside in a single political/geographic jurisdiction
Value to researchers, academicians and private sector
Realizing Technological GainsComputerized inspection reportingGPS/GIS toolsWeb based information sharing and disclosurePaperless files with OCRSmartphone applicationsVirtual inspections and telemetry
Challenges of Technology
Information overloadHyper accessibilityQuality controlExposes problemsSignificant financial investmentExtensive training required
Technology UtilizationAllows for ‘pulling’ in addition to ‘pushing’ dataMobile access provides for efficiency and safetyAutomated searches for trends and normsHighlighting problems can accelerate finding
solutionsReturn on investment (ROI) improving with
technology price dropsA modern workforce demands capacity and access
to technology
MALEHA leadership opportunity to:- Commission studies/research
- Pool data- Allow/enable data mining
- Collaborate with Universities/researchers
Mel Knight, [email protected]
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