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Jerome A. Paulson, MD, Catherine J. Karr, MD, PhD, James M. Seltzer, MD, Debra C. Cherry, MD, Perry Elizabeth Sheffield, MD, Enrique Cifuentes, MD, PhD, MMed Sci, Irena Buka, MB ChB and Robert W. Amler, MD, MPH

At the time this article was written, Jerome A. Paulson was with the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, and the School of Public Health and Health Services, George Washington University, Washington, DC. Catherine J. Karr was with the University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle. James M. Seltzer was with the School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine. Debra C. Cherry was with the University of Texas Health Science Center, Tyler. Perry Elizabeth Sheffield was with the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Enrique Cifuentes was with the Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Irena Buka was with the Paediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of Alberta, Edmonton. Robert W. Amler was with the School of Health Sciences and Practice, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY.

Correspondence: Correspondence should be sent to Jerome A. Paulson, MD, 2233 Wisconsin Ave NW, #317, Washington, DC 20007 (e-mail: ejpaulson{at}cnmc.org). Reprints can be ordered at http://www.ajph.org by clicking on the "Reprints/Eprints" link.

Training in environmental health in general, and pediatric environmental health in particular, is inadequate. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry began to develop pediatric environmental health specialty units (PEHSUs) after noting the dearth of practitioners who could evaluate and manage children with exposures to environmental health hazards. The Environmental Protection Agency subsequently joined in providing support for what has developed into a network of 13 PEHSUs in North America.

PEHSUs provide services to families, act as consultants to clinicians and public agencies, develop educational materials, and respond to natural disasters, including hurricanes and wildfires. PEHSUs are relatively easy to organize and should be replicable internationally.