care professionals. Approximately 2,700 health
are funded to build programs for environmental
care professionals participated in training pro-
and public health. The colleges develop course
grams. Of those, 1,900 were nurses. Participants
work, research projects, and resource materials
of these training sessions will become part of an
specific to the needs of their regions. Specific
environmental health nursing network that will
needs include a focus on uranium waste in the
build the capacity within their states.
Navajo Nation, water quality in North Dakota,
and toxic material migration in the food chain
in Wisconsin.
Morehouse Regional Research
Center for Minority Health
ATSDR has also developed health education
and promotion partnerships with tribal govern-
ATSDR provides support for the Regional
Research Center for Minority Health, which
was established at Morehouse College to
with the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council,
develop and direct an interdisciplinary program
the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, the Indian
that promotes public health research on the
Health Council, the Ely Shoshone Tribe, and
health status of racial and ethnic minority popu-
the organization Nuclear Risk Management for
lation in the United States. Specific objectives
include (1) increasing the technical expertise
ments are intended to develop a variety of envi-
among students, faculty, and guest researchers
ronmental health education and training pro-
to access and analyze currently available health
grams for health professions and tribal com-
data appropriate for minority health research
munities.
and (2) providing a focal point for identifying
a cadre of minority health researchers interested
For example, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe's
in health issues of racial and ethnic populations
environmental health education program devel-
in the U.S. To date, approximately 40 regional
oped a clearinghouse for results from environ-
research trainees have been supported through
mental health studies conducted in the past 15
the program. Students are at various uni-
years in the Akwesasne Mohawk community.
versities, including Emory, Morehouse, Clark-
The clearinghouse, which includes articles and
Atlanta, the University of Puerto Rico, and
other educational materials, is regularly adver-
Tuskegee. They apply to the Morehouse pro-
tised and available for community members
gram and, upon acceptance, are assigned to
and other interested individuals. The program
mentors. Some have worked with mentors at
also developed a fish consumption guide for
ATSDR. Following the research trainee pro-
children, "Children are not Small Adults--A
gram, many of the students have gone on to
children's guide to consuming fish from the St.
pursue postgraduate degrees, including PhDs,
Lawrence River." The guide was created in col-
MDs, and MPHs.
laboration with the Natural Resource Damage
Assessment program. This material has been
Partnerships with Tribal Colleges
distributed at various health fairs and programs.
and Governments
First Responder Stress Training
In fiscal year 2002, ATSDR continued to fund a
During 2002, workshops were given to CDC,
cooperative agreement with three tribal col-
EPA, and ATSDR personnel on the handling the
leges. The College of the Menominee Nation,
stresses of responding to technological disas-
Wisconsin; Dine' College, Arizona; and Turtle
ters and terrorist attacks. In addition, ATSDR
Mountain Community College, North Dakota,
56 chapter 4
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