IHW Pilot Training Held at the New York Academy of Medicine

This is a Fall 2001 Newsletter Featured Article.

Other Featured Articles:

• Health for Sale
• Death by Degrees Report

As a follow-on to the successful launch and wide distribution of the report In Harm's Way: Toxic Threats to Child Development (IHW), GBPSR implemented Phase II of the IHW project. This focused on the development of a model training program for health professionals, and associated educational materials for providers and patients, based on the findings of IHW. It was funded by the John Merck Fund, the Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust, the W. Alton Jones Foundation, the Mitchell Kapor Foundation, the EPA Office of Children's Health Protection, and the Jewish Healthcare Foundation.

On April 26, 2001, GBPSR conducted a pilot In Harm's Way training for health professionals at the New York Academy of Medicine. It addressed the contributions that toxic chemicals may make to neurodevelopmental disorders, and the issue of health professionals as public health advocates. Co-sponsored by the New York Academy of Medicine and the Center for Children's Health and the Environment at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the CME program was attended by over 150 health professionals, educators, children's advocates, and others.

Drs. Philip Landrigan and Michael McCally, Director and Co-Director respectively of the Sinai Children's Center, keynoted and moderated the training. Other speakers/faculty included Audrey McMahon, Research Committee of the Learning Disabilities Association of America; physician co-authors of In Harm's Way Drs. Jill Stein, Ted Schettler, and David Wallinga; Dr. Barbara Sattler, University of Maryland School of Nursing; Elizabeth Blackburn, EPA Office of Children's Health Protection; and Susan West, National PSR Environmental Program Director. Local New York health care providers and health advocates co-led workshops.

Positive Evaluations Received

Plenary sessions addressed the broader topics while workshops focused on clinical interventions to prevent toxic exposures. Attendees included professionals from as far away as Japan. The presentations were extremely well received and reflected in the overwhelmingly positive evaluations. Training binders included the In Harm's Way Training PowerPoint presentation of 69 slides in print and on diskette (the core curriculum), and companion materials that included "Out of Harm's Way" prevention-oriented fact sheets designed for providers and patients, and two extensive resource guides. Many attendees reported that this comprehensive package would allow them to educate their colleagues and patients on the topic.

Materials On-Line

In addition to the IHW report, available to download in its entirety or by chapter, many of the training materials are now available to download free at the GBPSR web site www.igc.org/psr. They include:

• Training Program for Health Professionals PowerPoint presentation with speaker notes and extensive references;
• PowerPoint presentation plus audio accompaniment of speakers taped at the NYAM training (linked through the University of Maryland web site thanks to Dr. Barbara Sattler);
• Four Out of Harm's Way fact sheets - Health Care Provider Fact Sheet, Chemicals and Their Effects, How to Create a Healthy Environment for Your Child's Development, and Why Breast-Feeding is Still Best for Baby.

Viewed on-line, the fact sheets also contain direct links to resources.

Replicating Trainings Throughout the Country

Due to the success of the New York training, GBPSR will be conducting an IHW training in the Boston area, and is currently working with PSR National on a joint fundraising and strategic plan to replicate the IHW training nationwide. IHW trainings in planning stages include:

San Francisco

San Francisco PSR (SF PSR) has begun planning for a training in the Bay area for April 2002. The Center for Children's Environmental Health Research at the School of Public Health of the University of California, Berkeley, has agreed to co-sponsor the training. SF PSR has garnered support from the San Francisco Medical Association, the California Medical Association, the Northern California Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Health Care Without Harm. Contact: Julie Silas, Co-Director of Programs, San Francisco PSR - jules32@earthlink.net

Boston

The John Merck fund has awarded funding for continued IHW activities including organizing a daylong training in the Boston area that we hope to conduct in the Spring of 2002. We are currently seeking medical sponsors and other partners. A planning group is being formed.

Minnesota Twin Cities Area

IHW co-author Dr. David Wallinga has been speaking on IHW at various venues in Minnesota including to Kiwanis clubs, the Children's Health Coalition, and the Children's Environmental Health Working Group of the Minnesota legislature. He has also been garnering support to conduct a daylong training, and is currently fundraising to support this and to build alliances on children's health.