Poison Center and Public Health Collaborations Community of Practice

At a glance

The Poison Center and Public Health Collaborations Community of Practice (PCPH CoP) was created to facilitate better collaboration between federal, state, and local public health agencies and poison centers.

Two co-workers discussing reports at a table.

About

The Poison Center and Public Health Collaborations Community of Practice (PCPH CoP) was created in 2010 by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), America's Poison Centers, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to facilitate better collaboration between federal, state, and local public health agencies and poison centers.

Data collected by the nation's poison centers are an important tool for all-hazards exposure and illness surveillance. Close collaboration and open communication among public health partners and poison centers are necessary to leverage poison center data for public health surveillance.

The primary goals of the PCPH CoP are the following:

  • Build knowledge on public health and toxicology topics
  • Develop best practices for poison center and public health collaboration

PCPH CoP Mission‎

The mission of the CoP is to facilitate better collaboration between federal, state, and local health agencies and poison centers through sharing ideas and best practices to enhance disease surveillance.

Activities

Webinars

The PCPH CoP hosts a quarterly webinar series featuring various topics and activities from around the country.

Past webinar topics include:

  • Cannabinoid-associated coagulopathy
  • Lead surveillance
  • Wildfires
  • Climate change and poison control
  • Harmful algal blooms
  • Pesticide poisonings

Newsletters

CDC develops and releases a newsletter for the PCPH CoP several times a year, featuring select topics and resources relevant to members.

Newsletters are available to view online.

Special project

In 2012, the PCPH CoP launched a special project to better characterize current collaboration and barriers to collaboration between poison centers and state and local health departments.

The results of this evaluation illustrated the wide spectrum of collaboration and partnerships that exist between poison centers and health departments across the country. Read more in the report.

Join the PCPH CoP

PCPH CoP membership consists of more than 250 public health and poison control professionals from across the country.

Members of the PCPH CoP include:

  • Poison center professionals
  • Public health professionals at state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments
  • First responders
  • Emergency managers
  • Medical professionals

To become a member, contact PCPHCoP@cdc.gov.

Resources

America's Poison Centers

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Content Source:
National Center for Environmental Health