Cleveland partnership to explore reducing health hazards in the home

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History and Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine have announced the creation of the Center for Environmental Health and Human Econogy, a first-of-its-kind center aimed at reducing health hazards found in the home (Source: “Center for Environmental Health and Human Ecology to focus on healthy homes, offices,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, Feb. 21, 2009).

Although the center will initially be virtual, the two entities are expressing the desire to eventually create an academic-based program at the museum that will provide public education about environmental health and health hazards unique to older homes, such as lead paint, rotting plaster, mold and dust mites.

"There are multiple issues that are facing us, and only with an educated public can we achieve the political will and political knowledge to move forward on those issues," said Dr. Dorr Dearborn, chairman of Case's department of environmental health sciences.

The natural history museum's $10.4 million health program endowment will help to pay the museum's half of the costs. Dearborn will support the other half with money he has already obtained for environmental health public education.