Overview
The Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (SWCOEH) supports research, education and outreach in occupational and environmental health. The SWCOEH is housed within the Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences of the UTHealth School of Public Health and is under the leadership of Elaine Symanski, PhD who serves as Director.
Mission
The mission of the SWCOEH is to promote and improve health, safety, and well-being in the workplace and the community.
Board of Advisors
An external advisory board comprised of members from industry, labor, government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and academia provide guidance to the SWCOEH on current and future directions.
History
The SWCOEH was established in 1977 as a NIOSH-funded Education and Research Center (ERC), now one of 18 ERCs in the nation. In 1985, the SWCOEH became a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Occupational Health. In 2010, the SWCOEH, in collaboration with our colleagues at the University of Utah, received a large 5-year Worker Education and Training (WETP) award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to provide hazardous materials and emergency response training to workers; we place special emphasis on training returning veterans and underserved minorities. Having grown considerably since we were established, we also conduct research on how environmental and occupational exposures affect health and on how to mitigate health risks associated with these exposures.
What We Do
The threats to health and well-being posed by occupational and environmental factors are complex and require interdisciplinary and innovative approaches to improve the health of workers and communities. In addition to utilizing the best available research practices and interventions, solutions must also consider geographic, economic, behavioral, cultural and political dimensions. The SWCOEH addresses these threats by providing graduate-level education in environmental and occupational health, conducting research into the causes, prevention and control of disease and injury, engaging in research to practice activities, and providing continuing education and outreach to our stakeholders.
Research
We conduct research in areas that include military health, ergonomics, farmworker health, workplace violence and air pollution epidemiology. Funding primarily comes from the NIH, CDC NIOSH, DOD, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Graduate-Level Education
Through the ERC, the SWCOEH provides a variety of graduate-level training opportunities for occupational and environmental health professionals through our industrial hygiene, occupational and environmental medicine, and occupational epidemiology.
Continuing Education and Outreach
The SWCOEH Continuing Education (CE) and Outreach Program serves as a training resource for professionals by delivering specialized courses in response to current training needs and responding to emerging issues in occupational and environmental health.
Taking an Interdisciplinary Approach
We train occupational and environmental health professionals to recognize, evaluate and control environmental and work-related threats to health. Just as in the larger field of public health, success at these challenges requires application of a broad range of skills, from the research lab to workplace and community settings.
An interdisciplinary approach to occupational and environmental health training is at the center of our philosophy. Through common coursework, joint projects, field experiences and research, SWCOEH creates a rich environment for exchange and interaction among faculty, students and professionals from varying disciplines.
The Southwest Center offers academic programs in several areas, including Industrial Hygiene (IH), Occupational Epidemiology (Occ Epi), and Occupational & Environmental Medicine (OEM) Residency. Traineeships are available (Full tuition and fees support and a generous monthly stipend) are available to full-time students on a competitive basis as part of our NIOSH-funded Education and Research Center (ERC) (trainees must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents). Requirements for the traineeships include acceptance into the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (IH or OEM) or Epidemiology (Occ Epi) academic programs, maintenance of a minimum course workload, and satisfactory academic progress.
Industrial Hygiene
Industrial Hygiene is the science of anticipating, recognizing, evaluating and controlling factors that arise from the workplace that pose health and safety risks to workers and the community. For more information, Dr. Lawrence Whitehead.
Occupational Epidemiology
Occupational Epidemiology is the science of epidemiology focused on the occupational environment. This includes the assessment of health risks from occupational exposure, investigation of disease outbreaks and research to establish the scientific basis for regulation and control of chemical, physical and biological agents in the workplace. For more information, Dr. David Gimeno Ruiz de Porras.
Occupational & Environmental Medicine Residency
The Occupational & Environmental Medicine Residency is the training of practicing physicians for occupational and environmental positions in private practice, industry, government, the military or academia. The ACGME-accredited residency program includes one year of coursework leading to an MPH and one practicum year. For more information, Dr. Arch Chip Carson.
Graduate Assistantships
Graduate assistantships are also available to students throughout UTSPH. There are also many scholarship opportunities available through the school, professional associations, and community and advocacy groups.
Your Best Response to a Changing World!
Mission
The mission of the Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (SWCOEH) Continuing Education (CE) Program is to serve as a training resource for professionals and decision-makers in the occupational and environmental health fields by delivering specialized courses in response to current training needs. Our ultimate goal is to improve occupational and environmental health. Our core subject areas are occupational medicine, industrial hygiene, occupational safety, hazardous substances and materials, HAZWOPER training, and occupational health nursing.
Tell us your training needs! Interested in specialized training courses that you don’t see on the training calendar? Would you like to sponsor or collaborate with SWCOEH to produce a training course for your employees or other organizations?
Email: SWCOEH.CE@uth.tmc.edu or call 713-500-9447 to let us know how we can be of service.
