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. 2024 Jan;86(6):8-13.

Rebuilding Caribbean Environmental Health Post-Crisis Programs: A Preliminary Study for Virtual Mentorship

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Rebuilding Caribbean Environmental Health Post-Crisis Programs: A Preliminary Study for Virtual Mentorship

Roseann DeVito et al. J Environ Health. 2024 Jan.

Abstract

After the hurricanes in 2017 in the U.S. Caribbean, it was essential to rebuild, strengthen, and sustain essential environmental health (EH) services and systems. The National Environmental Health Association, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, developed an online mentorship program for newly hired and existing EH staff and health department leadership in Caribbean health departments. Participants were provided with both practical and didactic learning and were allowed to evaluate the program. Both mentors and mentees were highly satisfied with the knowledge and skills acquired, and mentees expressed it was relevant to their daily work. Based on the findings, we recommend both an online and a hybrid mentorship program for leadership- and inspector-level workforces in EH and potentially in other fields.

Keywords: Caribbean; emergency preparedness; emergency response and recovery; environmental health; mentorship program.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Mentor Agreement with Virtual Mentorship Responsibilities and Goals
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Pre- and Post-Mentorship Program Confidence of Mentees in Competency Skills

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