The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), which is a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recently announced their reorganization. The reorganization according to ATSDR officials is necessary due to the increasing demand for their services at the community level and decreasing funding over the past decade. Since the establishment of ATSDR in 1980, this agency has been working to keep America safe from hazards in the environment. ATSDR scientists have worked in more than 8,000 US communities assessing health risks from hazardous exposures and educating Americans so they can keep themselves and their families safe.
The new structure consolidates four divisions into two, which permits ATSDR to focus more on communities while supporting greater collaboration in science. In brief, the new divisions and their mandates are as follows:
The Division of Community Health Investigations (DCHI): The DCHI will support healthy environments in communities by identifying chemical exposures and recommending actions to protect human health. The new division will focus on regional and community issues and enhancing partnerships with other agencies such as the US Environmental Protection Agency, states, and communities themselves.
The Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences will focus on research and translation of complex environmental health science in order to respond to community concerns. This new division will improve transparence and coordination of ATSDR’s scientific guidance for communities and health. The division also will unify expertise in toxicology, epidemiology, and environmental medicine.
For more information about the reorganization, please visit the ATSDR website.