DANVILLE, PA. Two national leaders in health announced a joint institute to investigate some of this countrys most pressing environmental health problems with the intention of developing real-world sustainable solutions to those problems.

The Geisinger Center for Health Research and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have formed the Environmental Health Institute, which will study links between land use, ecosystem health, community health, and human health and to translate knowledge about health and the environment into sustainable solutions.

The co-directors of the Danville-based Institute are Brian Schwartz, MD, MS, a Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Walter Stewart, PhD, MPH, director of Geisingers Center for Health Research.

The vision for the Institute will be presented at a June 6 meeting at the Geisinger Center for Health Research in Danville.

Dr. Schwartz explained Over the past several years, Dr. Stewart and I have initiated a number of projects studying the important environmental challenges in central and northern Pennsylvania. The Environmental Health Institute now allows us to formalize the relationships between our two institutions, while at the same time motivating us to work with the other college and university, governmental, and non-governmental organization-related efforts in the region. We hope to develop many strong partnerships with these other active groups, and have already begun to do so.

Stewart added, We will leverage unique strengths of Geisinger and John Hopkins to better understand links between the environment and human health with an eye towards improving life in the region.

The Institute will focus on research, education, community outreach, and resource development, in partnership with other regional efforts.

Like many corners of the country and world, poorly managed industrial, manufacturing and commercial
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Contact: Justin Walden
jawalden@geisinger.edu
570-271-8083
Geisinger Health System
4-Jun-2007