Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units: An Analysis of Operations

BackgroundIn 1998 the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) secured the first federal funding to develop an innovative network of public health-oriented entities: Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs). PEHSU goals were to provide pediatric and environmental health education to health care providers and health profession students, to offer consultation to health care professionals, parents, and others regarding environmental health exposures, and to provide referrals to specialized medical resources when necessary. This report analyzes the productivity of US PEHSUs from 1999 to 2014.MethodsThis was a retrospective analysis of federally mandated quarterly reports filed by each PEHSU. These reports document specific goal-related deliverables outlined under cooperative agreements awarded to the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) with funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and ATSDR. Costs were obtained from grant budget information available from the administrator of the grants, AOEC.ResultsTotal EPA/ATSDR funding for PEHSUs paid to AOEC during 1999–2014 was $23,847,452. The average cost to the EPA/ATSDR of running each PEHSU in 2014 was $169,256. Through over 8000 consultations and educational activities, PEHSUs reached 702,506 people: 298,936 health professionals, 61,947 health professional trainees, 323,817 members of the public, and 17,806 public health officials and others.ConclusionsPEHSUs have grown into an established, productive network of clinical and educational centers whose expertise and activities have benefited both the public and health care professionals alike. The federal contributions to the cost of operating these centers have been more than offset by the benefits PEHSUs have conferred on the communities they serve.