Through Prescriptions for Prevention (RxP), a partnership with the Center for Black Women's Wellness (CBWW) in Atlanta, Black mothers have a much-needed resource to address environmental health risks in and around their homes.

As a young, certified nurse-midwife caring for pregnant women in rural Missouri, Abby Mutic was struck by how many of them experienced environmental stressors. They wondered if exposures at work or home were affecting their health and threatening the health of their families and unborn babies.

To find more answers, Mutic entered the PhD program at Emory's School of Nursing, where she studied prenatal exposure to flame retardant materials. Now an assistant professor, Mutic continues to focus on environmental impacts on health, especially in children of color.

Through research, community presentations, and health fair screenings, Mutic strives to identify the people most affected by harmful environmental exposures and help them address their concerns. She is partnering with Atlanta's CBWW on a program called RxP.

RxP employs an environmental health screener to work with CBWW patients and families, sharing guidance from the Region 4 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) in culturally relevant ways. During clinic visits, the screener evaluates exposure risks and factors that may protect against risk or increase risk of poor health.

Reports of exposures or environmental concerns automatically generate a flag in the electronic medical record, alerting health care providers to address and possibly investigate further. The "prescription" they give to clients consists of information on how to find and use available resources to reduce exposure.