Each year, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) holds an annual conference for its members and partners working in state, local, tribal, territorial and federal health agencies. The meeting serves as the largest meeting of applied epidemiologists in the United States, hosting approximately 900 epidemiologists. In conjunction with this conference, CSTE hosts an annual meeting of State-based occupational health epidemiologists and other professionals (State-Based Occupational Health Surveillance Meeting). This meeting provides a forum for information sharing and networking of professionals working in occupational health surveillance and epidemiology. CSTE is requesting conference support funding for three years - 2011- 2013 to support travel for those members who would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend this occupational health meeting due to lack of funding in their state, territorial or tribal agency. CSTE requests support for conference registration, airline transportation, ground transportation, hotel accommodations, per diem expenses, and other related travel expenses. The purpose of the State-Based Occupational Health Surveillance Meeting is to advance the goals of applied epidemiological research and practice in occupational health as well as promote the unique relationship between occupational health epidemiologists and other public health practitioners. Objectives include providing an environment for: 1) occupational health epidemiologists to present findings and recommendations from surveillance activities and investigations in their states and territories;2) an educational experience offering workshops on current occupational health and other public health issues;and 3) networking with peers working in state, local, and federal health agencies to promote information sharing within the occupational health community. The Occupational Health Planning Committee regularly meets by teleconference to ensure the agenda of the meeting fully meets the objectives determine for the meeting.
The goal of the Occupational Health Surveillance Meeting is to provide a forum for information sharing and networking of professionals working in occupational health surveillance and epidemiology. CSTE will continue to work with NIOSH and other partners to advance the goals of applied epidemiological research and practice in occupational health as well as promote the unique relationship between occupational health epidemiologists and other public health professionals. CSTE will also work towards the goal of increasing state-based occupational health surveillance capacity and improving public health.
