Mid-America Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (MAPEHSU)
About the program
The PEHSU Program was established in 1998 by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Today the PEHSUs are a CDC and EPA sponsored network of interdisciplinary pediatric EH specialists based at academic medical centers corresponding to federal regions (www.pehsu.net) Children's Mercy provides comprehensive pediatric environmental health services through the Mid-America Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (MAPEHSU) which is one of 10 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs) located in the continental United States. The goal of the PEHSU Program is to increase awareness and knowledge of pediatric environmental health.
The MAPEHSU provides free consultation services, referral, outreach and education to:
- Public Health Departments
- Clinicians, health care professionals
- Public health and medical trainees
- Communities
- Families
Region 7 PEHSU Director: Elizabeth Friedman, MD, MPH; efriedman@cmh.edu
For questions and concerns about environmental health matters, please contact the MAPEHSU at (800) 421-9916 or mapehsu@cmh.edu.
Resources for health care providers, public health professionals, community members
These resources have been made available by the MAPEHSU in partnership with the Healthy Homes and Healthy Schools Programs of Children’s Mercy Kansas City.
See Healthy Homes and Healthy Schools Training Opportunities for information on training courses.
Environmental health and schools
- Healthy Schools: Improving Indoor Air Quality and Environmental Health for Better Student and Staff Outcomes (video)
- HVAC Systems: Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
- Ventilation in Schools
Healthy schools and COVID-19 resources
- FAQ summary
- Healthy Buildings: Guide to schools during COVID-19
- Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems
- Quaternary ammonium disinfectants – Information from the Great Lakes Center for Reproductive and Children’s Environmental Health at UIC
- MAPEHSU school resource list for COVID-19 mitigation
Healthy Homes factsheets and resources
- A Healthy Homes resource guide for families – 8 principles to help improve your home’s health and safety
- Asthma and allergy triggers – Identifying and reducing these triggers in the home
- Keep it dry – Stop mold growth by controlling moisture in your home
- Keep it safe – Dos and don’ts for healthy and safe homes
- Indoor lead exposure – A guide on cleaning one’s home in order to avoid exposure to lead paint dust
- Outdoor lead exposure – A guide on preventing lead exposure when yard is contaminated
- Healthy Homes Principles Resources for Community Health Workers
- Tenant's Self-Help Guide for Kansas City (Wyandotte and Johnson Counties)
- Radon Awareness: The Hidden Danger (video)
Continuing education opportunities
Disclaimer: The Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSU) are supported by cooperative agreement FAIN: NU61TS000356 with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also provides support through Inter-Agency Agreement 24TSS2400078 with CDC/ATSDR. The Public Health Institute supports the PEHSU as the National Program Office. The content on this website has not been formally disseminated by CDC/ATSDR or the EPA and should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy. Use of trade names that may be mentioned is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the CDC/ATSDR or EPA.
The information contained on this website should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your/your child’s primary care provider. There may be variations in treatment that your provider may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
Acknowledgement: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports the PEHSU by providing partial funding to ATSDR under Inter-Agency Agreement number DW-75-95877701. Neither EPA nor ATSDR endorse the purchase of any commercial products or services mentioned in PEHSU publications.