The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) released a free e-learning curriculum in January 2018 titled “Safe Water Program Improvement (SWPI).” With approximately 34 million American residents served by privately owned wells (NGWA, 2016), there is a need for training on how health departments can improve their services to homeowners. CDC developed the curriculum for state, local, tribal and territorial health departments as a resource to improve safe drinking water programs focused on private wells and other federally unregulated drinking water. CDC designed the SWPI curriculum using the 10 Essential Environmental Public Health Services (EEPHSs) (Figure 1) and the Environmental Public Health Performance Standards (CDC, 2014) as frameworks.
Figure 1:
The 10 Essential Environmental Public Health Services Wheel
CDC developed the e-learning series through a partnership with the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI), Texas Health Institute, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine Center for Applied Environmental Health, and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA). Two environmental health subject matter experts authored the nine courses with continual feedback from all partners. The e-learning series uses the latest technology for enhanced learner-centric interaction with engaging graphics. The average time to finish each course ranges from one to two hours depending on how the learner uses resources and tools.
Course Highlights
The SWPI e-learning series is firmly rooted in best public health practices consisting of an introduction and three core public health functions: Assessment, policy development, and assurance. SWPI consists of nine courses that take the learner through lessons and activities following the 10 EEPHSs. Each lesson in the SWPI courses has knowledge checks to help the learner understand and apply the content. There are scenarios that help the learner think through and resolve problems using course content. Following a required introductory course, SWPI 101, eight courses cover the 10 EEPHSs (Table 1).
Table 1.
SWPI E-Learning Courses and the 10 Essential Environmental Public Health Services
| Course Number | Core Public Health Function | Course Name |
|---|---|---|
| SWPI 101 | Introduction | The 10 Essential Environmental Public Health Services and Unregulated Drinking Water Programs |
| SWPI 102 | Assessment | Monitor Health |
| SWPI 103 | Diagnose and Investigate | |
| SWPI 104 | Policy Development | Inform, Educate, Empower, and Mobilize |
| SWPI 105 | Policies and Plans | |
| SWPI 106 | Assurance | Laws and Regulations |
| SWPI 107 | Linking People to Services | |
| SWPI 108 | Assuring a Competent Workforce | |
| SWPI 109 | Evaluation and Research |
The e-learning curriculum employs a “branching role play” technique that presents a complex, real-life example of a public health problem associated with private wells. The courses help the learner to understand how to operationalize the 10 EEPHSs as the problem unfolds. Additionally, learners have the opportunity to access tools and resources to improve partnering, outreach, communications, and research and evaluation skillsets. An engaging graphic from SWPI 104 (Figure 2), shows a methodical approach that the learner can use when developing a health communication plan. Resources linked to this course provide communication examples.
Figure 2.
Example of Course Screen on Health Communication Planning
Particularly useful for the learner is how some courses define the role of the environmental health professional in safe water programs focused on federally unregulated drinking water. This is especially true in the courses addressing policy and plans, and laws and regulations. Another topic for environmental health managers who take the training is how to maintain and assure a competent workforce. The curriculum also provides some content for management and examples that address workforce recruitment and retention, and emphasizes a proactive approach to comprehensive workforce planning.
Individuals completing all courses and the final exam will receive a certificate of completion and have the option to receive continuing education credit through NEHA. In addition, the courses are cross-walked with the Public Health Accreditation Board domains and standards that can help programs working towards public health accreditation.
Conclusion
The SWPI e-learning series provides much needed training at no cost to environmental and public health professionals working in safe water programs focused on federally unregulated drinking water. The curriculum provides practical and informative examples of operationalizing the 10 EEPHSs. There are course-specific tools and resources to help learners apply their new knowledge in the field and help them to improve their own program. The e-learning series allows the learner to complete continuing education credit in a convenient, self-paced environment. The courses use a framework and learning approach that will benefit agencies seeking accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board. In addition to the references linked to each course, there are tools and resources at the CDC’s Food, Water, and Environmental Health Services Branch homepage under the Safe Water section (https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/) and through NNPHI’s Public Health Learning Network (www.nnphi.org). This e-learning series is a practical tool for all environmental health professionals interested in improving the performance and quality of their safe drinking water programs.
Drinking water and other environmental health staff tested each course in the series during the pilot testing phase. Nine of 10 pilot testers said they would recommend the curriculum to colleagues. “This course will allow me to think more on the sources of unregulated drinking water instead of totally focusing on the public sources of water. It will also help me be ready with answers to questions from people using unregulated drinking water sources.” Pilot Tester Comment
Learn More at:
Steps to Improve Drinking Water Programs: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/safe-watch/steps-to-improve.html
Safe Water Performance Improvement e-learning series course registration: http://lms.southcentralpartnership.org/swpi.php
Improving Environmental Public Health Services Performance to Meet Community Needs (CDC, 2014) https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/envphps/docs/improving-eph-serv-perf-comm.pdf
Footnotes
Publisher's Disclaimer: Disclaimer in the standard Editor’s Note that will run with the column: The conclusions in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Contributor Information
Raquel Sabogal, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Martin Kalis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Brian Hubbard, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
John Oeffinger, Texas Health Institute.
Liljana Johnson Baddour, National Network of Public Health Institutes.
Christl Tate, National Environmental Health Association.
Charles Shorter, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Environmental Public Health Performance Standards (Version 2.0). Updated May. https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/envphps/docs/EnvPHPSv2.pdf
- National Groundwater Association (NGWA). (2016). Groundwater Use in the United States of America. Westerville OH: NGWA. http://www.ngwa.org/Fundamentals/Documents/usa-groundwater-use-fact-sheet.pdf [Google Scholar]