? ? In collaboration with the Southwest Center for Pediatric Environmental Health in Tyler and Texas Children's Hospital, the Environmental Health Section in the Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) is hosting a 2007 pediatric environmental health symposium, """"""""Environmental Health is a VERB! Building Healthy Children"""""""", on Friday, March 16, 2007, at the Robert J. Hall Conference Center in the Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas. Ancillary events include meetings with faculty and students, a reception and a three-hour environmental tour. ? ? The one-day symposium builds on highly successful symposiums held in 2001, 2004 and 2005, and responds to specific needs defined by attendees of the previous symposia and in recent surveys the investigators have conducted. The primary targeted audience is regional health care professionals including primary care physicians, physicians-in-training, nurses and community health workers (promotores de salud); the secondary audience includes area citizens, advocacy groups, government officials and public health workers. The investigators expect approximately 325 participants for the opening session, which will be held in conjunction with BCM's Pediatric Grand Rounds, and approximately 175 registrants for the entire day. Continuing education credits will be offered for physicians, nurses, social workers and educators. The symposium will be organized around case histories, interaction with the audience and techniques to spur post-symposium action in a setting exceptionally conducive to educating health professionals and attracting regional attendees. ? ? The long-term objectives include: 1) to increase capacity among regional health professionals, educators and citizens to address environmentally induced health problems in children, and 2) to stimulate attendees to define and implement actions to make the community a healthier place for children.
The specific aims of the symposium are delineated in the list of objectives for attendees. At the conclusion of the event, participants should be able to: 1) identify key pediatric illnesses or symptoms caused or exacerbated by exposure to environmental toxicants; 2) explain the importance of an environmental exposure history; 3) define key features of healthy homes, schools and communities for children; 4) list fetal and early childhood exposures that may lead to lifelong disabilities or susceptibilities to illness; 5) list strategies for advocating on behalf of children's environmental health; and, 6) create a list of three specific actions to be undertaken in the following year to promote and protect children's health. ? ? ? ?
