COEH Staff Retreat Summary and Follow-up (2002)
Item
Center for Occupational and Environmental Health
Hunter College
Staff Retreat Summary and Follow-up
September 3, 2002
A. Retreat Summary
A staff retreat for the COEH was held on July 2, 2002, in the Solarium Room of Hunter
College at 68" Street. The agenda included an organization and mission statement
visioning process, a planning session discussing concrete steps to achieve the mission,
and a discussion of office management issues. A list of attendees is attached as an
appendix to this summary.
The visioning session began with the following questions posed to the group: What was
the Center’s original mission, does this still Jit, how might/should it be changed? What
currently enables us to achieve our mission/what inhibits us? Dr. David Kotelchuck,
COEH Director, gave a brief history behind the COEH, the original mission and some of
the center’s early activities. Retreat participants were then asked to write on five sheets
of paper posted around the room with the following headings:
1) Problems/Issues - what are the problems and issues the COEH ought to be
addressing?
2) Destinations/Goals — what are your long-term goals/visions/dreams for the
COEH?
3) Assets/Strengths — what are the current assets in the COFH that enable us to
address the problems and issues identified in #1?
4) Barriers/Needs — what are the barriers and needs of the COEH in order to more
fully address the problems/issues raised in #12
5) Strategies/Actions — what concrete steps might be taken, both short and long term,
to address problems and/or fulfill needs?
Participants were given 20 minutes to go around the room and enter ideas. They were
instructed to start with any topic, to brain-storm, talk to each other, and be as honest and
creative as possible. After writing on the poster-sheets, the group came back together to
discuss each topic and to identify any common threads or themes.
B. Problems/Issues
The following is a summary of the problems and issues that participants raised during the
visioning session:
General Problems:
e The COEH ought to be addressing public health problems, including, but not
limited to: cancer, diabetes, AIDS/HIV, smoking, asthma, indoor air
quality, lead poisoning, and World Trade Center hazards.
¢ Cumulative hazardous exposures in communities is a serious problem.
COEH staff Retreat Update 1
9/2/2002
¢ Health disparities, particularly by ethnicity and class, are a problem the COEH
should address.
¢ Environmental injustices, including disproportionate environmental exposures
for people of color and low-income populations, is a problem.
¢ Lack of support for community-based health promotion/outreach work.
e Lack of partnerships between CBOs.
e Lack of link between physical and mental health problems (especially in light
of WTC)
e Indoor air quality in offices and classrooms.
COEH specific problems:
e There is a lack of coordination between the environmental, community and
occupation health programs/work that the COEH current performs.
e There is no link between the action/outreach, research, and training work of
the COEH.
e The COEH has no policy or research agenda, particularly one that involves
the community to address health disparities.
iC. Destinations/Goals/Visions
The following is a summary of the destinations, goals and visions offered by retreat
participants:
Eliminate health disparities.
Build community capacity to eliminate health disparities.
Link the COEH to academic programs at Hunter.
To be well know throughout the college, city, and nation.
Raise community awareness of health inequalities.
Help communities and workers control impacts on their health.
Create healthier living environments.
Link urban planning and public health to address urban health issues.
Improve access to health care.
Publish and document our work more widely.
Publish curricula, such as training manuals.
Inform policy-makers about key public health issues.
Have a clear policy agenda.
D. Assets/Strengths
The following is a list of the assets and strengths of the COEH that retreat participants
noted:
e The COEH is fiscally strong.
e COEH staff is experienced (and awesome) trainers and facilitators.
e The COEFH is a trusted partner for city and state government.
COEH staff Retreat Update 2
9/2/2002
E.
The COEH is well respected by community groups.
The COEH is adaptable and resilient.
Staff members share resources, work well together, respect one another, and
collaborate as a team often.
The COEFH staff has passion for their work (“brains and heart”).
The COEH management is open-minded.
The staff has valuable life experience that they combine with other forms of
expertise.
There is cultural and language diversity in the organization.
The COEFH has great interns.
Barriers/Needs
The following is a list of barriers and needs that the COEH faces.
F.
More staff get-ogethers and bonding opportunities.
Need to be more “vision-driven” rather than money-driven.
Need to publicize center to students at Hunter and beyond.
Money, money and more money..adequate long-term funding.
Staff raises.
Lack of communication among staff projects/programs.
Computer link from office to home.
Long-term commitment to staff to ensure job security.
No research opportunities to quantify various problems we work on.
Too little faculty participation in the COEH’s work/projects.
More and better integration of the center’s different projects.
Adequate office equipment for all staff.
Strategies and Actions
The following is a summary of the strategies and actions proposed by retreat participants.
COEH staff Retreat Update
9/2/2002
Create an environmental and occupational health research/resource
center/library at the COEH.
Link the center’s work to a class or number of classes in the urban public
health program.
Conduct educational outreach to community groups and work in collaboration
with CBOs in these efforts.
Develop new training skills in popular education methods.
More and better publicity in making the COEH known.
Additional training, when requested, for COEH employees.
Write a research paper about CHWs.
Produce center brochure.
Update web-site and make it more useful for COEH staff.
Develop a “community-toolbox” for health promotion.
e Identify and highlight the unique/strategic “niche” that the COEH brings to
the fields of environmental and occupational health.
e Publicize the COEH at Hunter College “fair.”
¢ Conduct environmental health research in communities most heavily burdened
in NYC.
G. Mission Statement
A new draft mission statement for the COEH was proposed, but no agreement was
reached whether the following statement should replace the current mission statement:
The Center for Occupational & Environmental Health at Hunter College aims to improve
and enhance the health of communities and workers, particularly those currently
underserved by the health-care system, by eliminating health disparities based on class,
race, and gender through collaborative research, training and outreach partnerships.
H. Summary and Updates
The topics raised by retreat participants were summarized into the attached table labeled
“retreat update.”
COEH staff Retreat Update 4
9/2/2002
COEH Retreat Update
September 3, 2002
Ae 4 Date of Staff
Vision Need Action(s) Taken ‘A Further Needs
Action Contact
la Develop niche Visioning session z
2a “ | Long-term funding (3+ years) | © Health force retraining grant (NY State DOH) Jason, Elena,
2b | Short-term cash |e Stony-Wald Fun
¢ NYCHA training
| ¢ Mt. Sinai Urban Anglers
|
ey eel ee ¢_Private sector worker training cea ae
ix HRA contract xtension and modification from HRA Jason, Elena, |
H | Sergio _ ALS
Policy & Research | Research topics ¢ Urban planning public health research | | Jason, all staff |
| ¢ G/W health & exposure mapping project |
Rae. eee | __|_¢ CHWs research agenda ae fees
2c | Elena, Sergio,
2d | Policy agenda/ working paper |
3a Empowering _ WTC outreach & education Dave
communities and
|
|
|
T
|
| private sector | Es
4a Eliminate health | Research agenda | See research topics above | Jason, |
ish | Candice, all
|_| ___disparities/EJ a3 i: | state
4b |
1 |
5a wauge |
Academic link
5b | a ees ae ~~ | Deve op/sponsor joint seminar lunch series,
Sc
(6a | Intra-organization
. COEH staff Retreat Update
9/2/2002
He 5 Date of Staff
Vision Need Action(s) Taken : Further Needs
Action | Contact
6b | Intra-office network | Develop LAN for computer connection |
Ja | Improve/update Web page New web site July 2002 Jeremy Better links to CHWs; post
Publicize COEH | | publications & training
7b Attend fair/hold open-house |
Tc "| Attend classes in beginning of |
ab semester oe
qd Documentary of CHWs ired video editor to edit conference video.
LO ;
7£ ew business cards and letter head
8a Improve office | New conference room furniture July 2002
8b | Air conditioners | July 2002
8c | CUNY technology grant for new computers July 2002
8d | Office supply/equipment inventory = Aug 2002 ~
8e Reduce paper use & copies |
rer Bee 4 at
| operating systems. Get everyone access to server | /
es _ drive to back-up files. i ee
8g
8h
9a e Rita/Romy conference
Enhance staff | All project staff funded to APHA | 2002 |
Candice G rs |
oH ares Svintoemctiee caeae fn cs taieewi preleet fate
[ seee | Doug ~ G/W research/GIS Re |
9c
[9]
| 9e |
Of Epidemiologist
9g | CHAMP - field supervisor S | Se.
* COEH staff Retreat Update 6
9/2/2002
Hunter College
Staff Retreat Summary and Follow-up
September 3, 2002
A. Retreat Summary
A staff retreat for the COEH was held on July 2, 2002, in the Solarium Room of Hunter
College at 68" Street. The agenda included an organization and mission statement
visioning process, a planning session discussing concrete steps to achieve the mission,
and a discussion of office management issues. A list of attendees is attached as an
appendix to this summary.
The visioning session began with the following questions posed to the group: What was
the Center’s original mission, does this still Jit, how might/should it be changed? What
currently enables us to achieve our mission/what inhibits us? Dr. David Kotelchuck,
COEH Director, gave a brief history behind the COEH, the original mission and some of
the center’s early activities. Retreat participants were then asked to write on five sheets
of paper posted around the room with the following headings:
1) Problems/Issues - what are the problems and issues the COEH ought to be
addressing?
2) Destinations/Goals — what are your long-term goals/visions/dreams for the
COEH?
3) Assets/Strengths — what are the current assets in the COFH that enable us to
address the problems and issues identified in #1?
4) Barriers/Needs — what are the barriers and needs of the COEH in order to more
fully address the problems/issues raised in #12
5) Strategies/Actions — what concrete steps might be taken, both short and long term,
to address problems and/or fulfill needs?
Participants were given 20 minutes to go around the room and enter ideas. They were
instructed to start with any topic, to brain-storm, talk to each other, and be as honest and
creative as possible. After writing on the poster-sheets, the group came back together to
discuss each topic and to identify any common threads or themes.
B. Problems/Issues
The following is a summary of the problems and issues that participants raised during the
visioning session:
General Problems:
e The COEH ought to be addressing public health problems, including, but not
limited to: cancer, diabetes, AIDS/HIV, smoking, asthma, indoor air
quality, lead poisoning, and World Trade Center hazards.
¢ Cumulative hazardous exposures in communities is a serious problem.
COEH staff Retreat Update 1
9/2/2002
¢ Health disparities, particularly by ethnicity and class, are a problem the COEH
should address.
¢ Environmental injustices, including disproportionate environmental exposures
for people of color and low-income populations, is a problem.
¢ Lack of support for community-based health promotion/outreach work.
e Lack of partnerships between CBOs.
e Lack of link between physical and mental health problems (especially in light
of WTC)
e Indoor air quality in offices and classrooms.
COEH specific problems:
e There is a lack of coordination between the environmental, community and
occupation health programs/work that the COEH current performs.
e There is no link between the action/outreach, research, and training work of
the COEH.
e The COEH has no policy or research agenda, particularly one that involves
the community to address health disparities.
iC. Destinations/Goals/Visions
The following is a summary of the destinations, goals and visions offered by retreat
participants:
Eliminate health disparities.
Build community capacity to eliminate health disparities.
Link the COEH to academic programs at Hunter.
To be well know throughout the college, city, and nation.
Raise community awareness of health inequalities.
Help communities and workers control impacts on their health.
Create healthier living environments.
Link urban planning and public health to address urban health issues.
Improve access to health care.
Publish and document our work more widely.
Publish curricula, such as training manuals.
Inform policy-makers about key public health issues.
Have a clear policy agenda.
D. Assets/Strengths
The following is a list of the assets and strengths of the COEH that retreat participants
noted:
e The COEH is fiscally strong.
e COEH staff is experienced (and awesome) trainers and facilitators.
e The COEFH is a trusted partner for city and state government.
COEH staff Retreat Update 2
9/2/2002
E.
The COEH is well respected by community groups.
The COEH is adaptable and resilient.
Staff members share resources, work well together, respect one another, and
collaborate as a team often.
The COEFH staff has passion for their work (“brains and heart”).
The COEH management is open-minded.
The staff has valuable life experience that they combine with other forms of
expertise.
There is cultural and language diversity in the organization.
The COEFH has great interns.
Barriers/Needs
The following is a list of barriers and needs that the COEH faces.
F.
More staff get-ogethers and bonding opportunities.
Need to be more “vision-driven” rather than money-driven.
Need to publicize center to students at Hunter and beyond.
Money, money and more money..adequate long-term funding.
Staff raises.
Lack of communication among staff projects/programs.
Computer link from office to home.
Long-term commitment to staff to ensure job security.
No research opportunities to quantify various problems we work on.
Too little faculty participation in the COEH’s work/projects.
More and better integration of the center’s different projects.
Adequate office equipment for all staff.
Strategies and Actions
The following is a summary of the strategies and actions proposed by retreat participants.
COEH staff Retreat Update
9/2/2002
Create an environmental and occupational health research/resource
center/library at the COEH.
Link the center’s work to a class or number of classes in the urban public
health program.
Conduct educational outreach to community groups and work in collaboration
with CBOs in these efforts.
Develop new training skills in popular education methods.
More and better publicity in making the COEH known.
Additional training, when requested, for COEH employees.
Write a research paper about CHWs.
Produce center brochure.
Update web-site and make it more useful for COEH staff.
Develop a “community-toolbox” for health promotion.
e Identify and highlight the unique/strategic “niche” that the COEH brings to
the fields of environmental and occupational health.
e Publicize the COEH at Hunter College “fair.”
¢ Conduct environmental health research in communities most heavily burdened
in NYC.
G. Mission Statement
A new draft mission statement for the COEH was proposed, but no agreement was
reached whether the following statement should replace the current mission statement:
The Center for Occupational & Environmental Health at Hunter College aims to improve
and enhance the health of communities and workers, particularly those currently
underserved by the health-care system, by eliminating health disparities based on class,
race, and gender through collaborative research, training and outreach partnerships.
H. Summary and Updates
The topics raised by retreat participants were summarized into the attached table labeled
“retreat update.”
COEH staff Retreat Update 4
9/2/2002
COEH Retreat Update
September 3, 2002
Ae 4 Date of Staff
Vision Need Action(s) Taken ‘A Further Needs
Action Contact
la Develop niche Visioning session z
2a “ | Long-term funding (3+ years) | © Health force retraining grant (NY State DOH) Jason, Elena,
2b | Short-term cash |e Stony-Wald Fun
¢ NYCHA training
| ¢ Mt. Sinai Urban Anglers
|
ey eel ee ¢_Private sector worker training cea ae
ix HRA contract xtension and modification from HRA Jason, Elena, |
H | Sergio _ ALS
Policy & Research | Research topics ¢ Urban planning public health research | | Jason, all staff |
| ¢ G/W health & exposure mapping project |
Rae. eee | __|_¢ CHWs research agenda ae fees
2c | Elena, Sergio,
2d | Policy agenda/ working paper |
3a Empowering _ WTC outreach & education Dave
communities and
|
|
|
T
|
| private sector | Es
4a Eliminate health | Research agenda | See research topics above | Jason, |
ish | Candice, all
|_| ___disparities/EJ a3 i: | state
4b |
1 |
5a wauge |
Academic link
5b | a ees ae ~~ | Deve op/sponsor joint seminar lunch series,
Sc
(6a | Intra-organization
. COEH staff Retreat Update
9/2/2002
He 5 Date of Staff
Vision Need Action(s) Taken : Further Needs
Action | Contact
6b | Intra-office network | Develop LAN for computer connection |
Ja | Improve/update Web page New web site July 2002 Jeremy Better links to CHWs; post
Publicize COEH | | publications & training
7b Attend fair/hold open-house |
Tc "| Attend classes in beginning of |
ab semester oe
qd Documentary of CHWs ired video editor to edit conference video.
LO ;
7£ ew business cards and letter head
8a Improve office | New conference room furniture July 2002
8b | Air conditioners | July 2002
8c | CUNY technology grant for new computers July 2002
8d | Office supply/equipment inventory = Aug 2002 ~
8e Reduce paper use & copies |
rer Bee 4 at
| operating systems. Get everyone access to server | /
es _ drive to back-up files. i ee
8g
8h
9a e Rita/Romy conference
Enhance staff | All project staff funded to APHA | 2002 |
Candice G rs |
oH ares Svintoemctiee caeae fn cs taieewi preleet fate
[ seee | Doug ~ G/W research/GIS Re |
9c
[9]
| 9e |
Of Epidemiologist
9g | CHAMP - field supervisor S | Se.
* COEH staff Retreat Update 6
9/2/2002
Title
COEH Staff Retreat Summary and Follow-up (2002)
Description
This document offers summary of a 2002 staff retreat of members of Hunter College's Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (COEH). At the retreat, staff members outlined what they considered to be the Center's largest issues, their future goals, and proposed strategies for achieving them. Though the Center was active for decades, it reached its peak (in terms of projects and team size) around the time of this retreat in the early-2000s.
Officially founded in 1990, the COEH spent decades dedicating itself to promoting community and workplace health throughout the New York area. It offered courses on topics ranging from asthma to ergonomics for unions, neighborhood groups, public employees, and others.
Officially founded in 1990, the COEH spent decades dedicating itself to promoting community and workplace health throughout the New York area. It offered courses on topics ranging from asthma to ergonomics for unions, neighborhood groups, public employees, and others.
Contributor
Kotelchuck, David
Creator
Center for Environmental and Occupational Health at Hunter College
Date
September 3, 2002
Language
English
Rights
Creative Commons CDHA
Source
Center for Environmental and Occupational Health at Hunter College
Original Format
Report / Paper / Proposal
Center for Environmental and Occupational Health at Hunter College. Letter. “COEH Staff Retreat Summary and Follow-up (2002).”, CUNY DIGITAL HISTORY ARCHIVE, accessed March 10, 2026, https://stephenz.tailc22a4b.ts.net/s/cdha/item/1196