Category B: Advancing Equity and Excellence in Public Health through Environmental Health Workforce Capacity Building - The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) proposes to modernize and strengthen the capacity of the environmental public health (EPH) workforce to address critical challenges and advance health equity. This will be accomplished through strategic collaboration and initiatives that provide capacity building assistance focused on workforce development, data modernization, and partnership engagement. As the second largest segment of the public health workforce, EPH professionals play a vital role in safeguarding community health. However, longstanding infrastructure and workforce limitations hinder efforts to address emerging environmental health threats, which disproportionately impact underserved communities. NEHA will modernize the EPH workforce and provide capacity building assistance through training, information sharing, technology transfer, and materials development. Our initiatives will focus on three key strategic areas: 1) workforce development, 2) data modernization and informatics, and 3) partnership engagement. Workforce development activities include coordinating the National Environmental Public Health Leadership Academy, delivering quarterly EPH Grand Rounds webinars, and creating EPH Disaster Readiness Workforce resources. These initiatives will enhance leadership skills, increase access to quality training, and improve workforce capacity to respond to emergencies. Data modernization efforts will equip EPH professionals with the knowledge and skills to leverage data and technology effectively. NEHA will facilitate a national Informatics Committee and develop data modernization educational materials and an informatics guide tailored for the EPH workforce. Partnership engagement strategies will foster collaborative relationships and address the unique needs of underserved communities. NEHA will maintain its Rural & Frontier EPH Program Committee, establish a Tribal EPH Program Committee, and support strategic planning for Pacific and Caribbean EPH partners. NEHA's capacity building activities will result in short-term outcomes of increased availability and accessibility of training, resources, and tools that address priority workforce development, data modernization, and health equity needs. Intermediate outcomes include enhanced skills and competencies among the EPH workforce, improved capacity to use data and informatics to guide evidence-based practices and strengthened partnerships with underserved communities to address environmental health disparities through culturally-informed approaches. Long-term outcomes encompass a more diverse, skilled, and resilient EPH workforce with improved organizational effectiveness and public health outcomes, ultimately reducing disparities and improving health for all. NEHA's modernization of the EPH workforce through capacity building assistance will contribute to a more diverse, skilled, and resilient workforce better equipped to deliver essential services, respond to emerging threats, and advance health equity nationwide. Improved data systems and strengthened partnerships will enhance organizational effectiveness and public health outcomes, ultimately reducing disparities and improving health for all.
