The Environmental Public Health Performance Standards: strengthening the nation's environmental public health infrastructure and improving environmental health practice

CDC developed EnvPHPS nationally, in cooperation with key public health partner groups. [...] the standards have a level of credibility that makes a strong argument for improving environmental public health practice. [...] the EnvPHPS can be used separately from or concurrently with the NPHPS to do the following. * Assess the capacity of a state, tribal, or local jurisdiction to perform essential environmental health services; EnvPHPS is applicable at the program, agency, or system level. * Identify and prioritize gaps in an environmental health system that inhibit or prevent that system from performing the 10 essential environmental health services. * Develop an action plan to address identified gaps and address any other barriers to meeting the standards. * Educate and train new and existing staff, other public health officials, policy makers, and elected officials about how environmental health can prevent disease and reduce hazards. * Provide credible evidence to demonstrate the value of environmental health sendee programs and to justify the need for additional resources. * Measure improvement in a system's capacity to deliver essential environmental health services.