119 - A novel statewide educational program to address training gaps in public health (PH), environmental health (EH), and climate change (CC): a mixed methods evaluation of a multi-site collaboration

Poster Number: 119
Publication Number: 119.108

Amy Brown, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, United States; Sarah F. Evans, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Fairfield, CT, United States; Geoffrey Collins, Nullary Care, Inc., New York, NY, United States; Maida P. Galvez, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States; John F. Culhane, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Brooklyn, NY, United States; Amy Ansehl, New York Medical College, valhalla, NY, United States; Melanie Gabrell, Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition, Inc. 501(c)(3), melville, NY, United States; Karen J. Miller, Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition, Inc. 501(c)(3), melville, NY, United States; Sandra Jee, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, United States

Background: Students pursuing future medical careers lack foundational knowledge of PH and EH principles. Using a virtual, collaborative program with elements of self-directed learning (SDL) and ownership of advocacy projects is an under-explored, novel approach.

Objective: To implement and evaluate a novel EH education program for trainees consisting of SDL, advocacy projects, and collaborative virtual discussion groups.

Design/Methods: We implemented an 8-week interactive teaching program for health trainees at 7 medical centers in NY State, partnered through the NY State Children’s Environmental Health Centers (NYSCheck) network. Using SDL, and small and large group settings, students engaged in advocacy projects on Climate Change, Teflon chemicals and Safer Cleaning and Disinfection. Mixed-methods evaluation included: 1) pre/post surveys analyzed by descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis, and 2) focus groups using inductive analyses with independent coding of themes.

Results: Participant characteristics are reported in Table 1.The majority (68%) felt the amount of time spent on the advocacy project was sufficient, ranging from 2-5 hours/week (52%) and 5-10 hours/week (35%). Following course participation, trainees reported the following: 1) Significant increase in knowledge of Foundational Health Principles, ACES, Climate Justice, Lead Poisoning, and Environmental Asthma Triggers 2) Significant increase in capability to contribute to academic scholarship for EH issues. (Fig 1). Analysis of data from focus groups identified three major themes: 1) unmet need for integrated, and ongoing training in PH and EH for medical and pre-medical students 2) added value of PH and EH as foundational components to clinical care and the community building that occurs in cross collaborative environments 3) SDL as an educational tool to augment educational reach for CC and EH (Table 2). Advocacy projects included:  educational video games for school-aged children, instructional videos, health communication via social media, published materials, and infographics.Conclusion(s): An interactive multi-site educational program that integrates didactic seminars, faculty mentorship, and small-group advocacy projects is an effective tool to engage student learners with varied backgrounds to increase knowledge and capacity around EH topics. This program, as well as the existing infrastructure of a coordinated EH network collaboration, can serve as a model to reinforce practical application of PH, EH, and CC concepts, and could be adapted for other curricula and audiences.
Table 1. Participant CharacteristicsTable 1. Participant Characteristics
Fig. 1 Pre and Post Program Assessment of Knowledge of Environmental Health TopicsFig. 1 Pre and post Program Assessment of Knowledge of Environmental Health Topics