On April 26-27, 2018, the NYS Children’s Environmental Health Centers network held their first annual meeting.

 

On April 26-27, 2018, Maida Galvez, MD, MPH (Region 2 PEHSU Director), Perry Sheffield MD, MPH (Region 2 PEHSU Deputy Director), Lauren Zajac, MD, MPH (Region 2 PEHSU Environmental Pediatrician), and staff (Marisela Bolanos- Region 2 PEHSU Program Coordinator; Michael Ejiogu, MPH- NYSCOE Program Coordinator) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai hosted the first annual Planning Meeting for the NYS Centers of Excellence in Children’s Environmental Health. The meeting was attended by representatives from NYS and NYC Agencies, community partner organizations, and Network Partner Centers from across the State (Long Island, Westchester County, the Capitol Area (Albany), Rochester, Syracuse and Buffalo). The key objective of the meeting was to provide opportunities to network, build relationships, and raise the profile of the Centers of Excellence in Children’s Environmental Health. The collaborative meeting had a total of 60 attendees with Keynote speakers (Philip Landrigan, MD, MSc, FAAP, Sophie Balk, MD, and Robert Amler, MD, MBA, Michael T. Hatcher, DrPH, MPH). Collaboration was facilitated through environmental health messaging activities and work planning sessions to discuss goals, challenges, and collaborative processes/strategies to achieve outcomes. Through this planning meeting, NYSCEHC is optimistic that participants will cultivate new relationships to protect and improve the environmental health of New York’s children.

We are honored and excited to be leading this new statewide network that could serve as a model for replication in other states in the future!

The meeting was attended by representatives from all of the partner Centers across NY, community partners, and representatives from several NYS and NYC agencies.

 

The directors of each respective center convene to conduct multiple work planning sessions aimed to discuss goals, challenges, and collaborative strategies to achieve outcomes that promote children’s environmental health across NY.

 

Keynote speaker Philip Landrigran, MD and his wife Mary Landrigan meeting with founder of the Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition (HBCAC) Karen Miller.

 

Richard Miller, PhD accepting his raffle prize from
Mount Sinai Grants Manager Dorothy Parks and Region 2 PEHSU Program Coordinator Marisela Bolanos.

 

Advisory Members, Keynote Speakers, and DOH Partners convening to review progress of the program and provide recommendations. Top (Left to Right): Michele Herdt, PhD, MPH, Andrew Aligne, MD, MPH, Pamela Hadad-Hurst, Michael T. Hatcher, DrPH, Sophie J. Balk, MD, Kathleen Curtis, LPN, and Leah Graziano. Bottom (Left to Right): Wendy Rubinstein, Peggy Shepard, Deborah Nagin, MPH, and Bobbi Wilding, MS.

 

Children’s Environmental Health Center of the Hudson Valley (Westchester)

 

Keynote Speaker Robert Amler, MD, MBA presenting on Children’s Environmental Health Success Stories.

 

Left to Right: John Culhane, Diane Lindsay-Adler, MS, RDN, CDN, Jennifer Becker, MPH, and Erin Thanik, MD, MPH collectively discussing strategic plans to raise the profile of the Network.

 

Pediatrician and Public Health Physician Travis Hobart, MD, MPH (SUNY Upstate Medical University) discussing ways to refine the Network’s goals, outcomes, and actions to track our progress.

 

NYS Department of Health Asthma Program Manager, Lynley Siag, MPH, MPA discussing opportunities to leverage and connect programs/resources that will enhance our impact.