Environmental Health Education for Patients & Clinicians Project (EECPC)
Your Environment Affects Your Health—Let’s Talk About It!
Sidebar
In Louisville, many communities face higher exposure to air pollution and environmental hazards. These exposures can influence long-term health, but they are not always discussed in medical care.
The Environmental Health Education for Patients and Clinicians (EECPC) project brings together community members, healthcare providers, and researchers to close that gap. Through education, tools, and conversation, we are making environmental health part of everyday care.
About the Project
The Exposure Education for Clinical Patients and Clinicians (EECPC) project helps bridge the gap between environmental exposure information and clinical care. The project will create patient-facing clinical conversation guides and clinician-facing tools to support conversations about environmental exposures during healthcare visits.
In Louisville, industrial and traffic-related pollution have affected some neighborhoods more than others. Yet many patients may not know how to raise environmental health concerns with a provider, and many clinicians have limited training or tools to support those conversations. This project responds to that gap by developing accessible, evidence-based materials shaped by community experience and local partnerships.
2024 Community Survey Results
In 2024, the West Jefferson County Community Task Force (WJCCTF) conducted a survey as part of the Rubbertown Air Toxics and Health Assessment (RATHA) project, a collaboration between the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District, the University of Louisville’s Envirome Institute, and the WJCCTF. These survey findings provide important context for understanding how residents experience environmental concerns in their neighborhoods.
Learn More About the RATHA Project
Why Environmental Health Matters
Environmental exposures can affect health over time and may contribute to respiratory, neurological, cardiovascular, and metabolic concerns. For residents living near industrial sites or other pollution sources, it is important to have clear information and supportive healthcare conversations.
This project is designed to:
- help patients feel more prepared to ask questions about environmental exposures,
- help clinicians better understand local exposure concerns and
- strengthen connections between community knowledge, environmental data and healthcare practice.
For Community Members
If you are concerned about pollution, odors, or environmental conditions in your neighborhood, you are not alone. This project is designed to help residents better understand local environmental health concerns and feel more confident bringing questions to their healthcare providers.
Environmental exposures may include:
- Air pollution from traffic or industry
- Chemical exposures from nearby facilities
- Indoor air quality and the products in your home
- Water quality
Why Talk to Your Doctor About It?
Environmental exposures can affect:
- Breathing and lung health
- Heart health
- Mental health
- Metabolic conditions
Talking about your environment can help your provider:
- Understand your risk factors
- Recommend appropriate screenings
- Provide better care tailored to your experience
How to Start the Conversation
You can ask questions like:
- “Could my environment be affecting my health?”
- “Are there tests or screenings I should consider?”
- “What can I do to reduce my exposure?”
Resources:
- Learn more about local environmental exposures with the Health Impact Evaluation Tool
- Access fact sheets that explain Louisville’s air pollution in plain language (coming soon)
- Prepare for healthcare conversations with the “Environmental Health Clinical Conversation Guide” (coming soon).
For Clinicians
Why Environmental Health Matters in Practice
Environmental exposures are an often-overlooked contributor to chronic disease. In communities with known exposure risks, integrating environmental context into care can improve:
- Early detection
- Risk assessment
- Patient trust and engagement
Resources:
- Air Toxics Exposure & Health Outcomes Fact Sheets (coming soon!)
- Kentucky Medical Association Article (coming soon!)
- Health Impact Evaluation Tool (HIET) - HIET is a website that helps clinicians and residents in Louisville learn about air pollution in their area. It focuses on a type of pollution called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which can affect health. The tool uses data from EPA’s AirToxScreen to show current and historical estimated pollution levels for different neighborhoods.
Project Partners
This project is being developed through partnership among community and academic organizations committed to environmental health and environmental justice in Louisville.
- NAACP
- Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute at the University of Louisville
- West Jefferson County Community Task Force
What the NAACP BUILD Grants Do
The EECPC project is designed to close this gap by building a shared language between patients and providers. Tools and guides will help patients better understand how environmental exposures may affect their health and give clinicians practical ways to incorporate that information into care. Learn more about the BUILD Grant.
Through this grant, the team will:
- Develop a patient-facing Environmental Health Clinical Conversation Guide and fact sheets about air pollution and health impacts in Louisville,
- Create a clinician-facing website and tools with local exposure data and health insights,
- Distribute materials to at least 300 community members and 50 healthcare professionals, and
- Host meetings, radio outreach, and sponsor the annual Environmental Justice Conference.
Contact Us
Email us to learn more about the project, request materials, or connect with the team.