1 of 94

2 of 94

Agenda

1:00 Welcome and Opening Remarks

1:15 Keynote Cecilia Sorensen, M.D.

2:00 Stories from the Frontlines

2:50 Break

3:00 Topic-Specific Table Discussions

3:50 Closing Remarks

4:00 Networking/Happy Hour

5:00 End

3 of 94

Program Advisory Committee

Rachel Betts - Greater Rochester Health Foundation

Monica Brown - Greater Rochester Health Foundation

Sheila Carpenter - Connected Communities

Dina Faticone - Common Ground Health

Dr. Gerry Gacioch - Rochester Regional Health

Dr. Sandra Jee - URMC / Finger Lakes Children’s Environmental Health Center

Annette Jimenez Gleason - Rochester Area Community Foundation

Aqua Porter - RMAPI

Mary Zelazny - Finger Lakes Community Health

4 of 94

Thank you to our sponsors!

5 of 94

Thank you to our sponsors!

6 of 94

Thank you to our sponsors!

7 of 94

Housekeeping

PARTNER �1

8 of 94

Purpose

PARTNER �1

PARTNER �3

Engage healthcare professionals and equity advocates in our local climate movement, and develop a shared understanding of how climate change impacts our health and what we can do about it

Research has demonstrated that…

healthcare workers are trusted messengers on climate (especially nurses, followed by doctors and pharmacists)
Health professionals widely believe climate change is happening, is causing/will cause health problems, and feel a responsibility to help.
Barriers: (1) Most health professionals are reluctant to engage in advocacy because they feel they lack sufficient training and guidance, both about the health impacts of climate change and how to communicate about them. (2) concern that they don't have enough communication training accidentally creates a sense of fear and powerlessness. Many reported feeling that speaking publicly about climate was "stepping outside their lane" and that they just "need to know more" to be valid in using their voice. (3) Lack of perceived support from their professional organizations and leadership
So we should (1) Build efficacy: "You can do it!", (2) Tap into existing identities, and reinforce activist identity. For example, emphasizing that health professionals have values around protecting and promoting human health, and therefore belong in the climate space, (3) Leverage social norms. This can show health professionals how truly popular their beliefs are. Remind them they are "not alone" in caring about climate change, and that lots of people "just like them" are concerned about this issue and already taking personal and professional actions to address it.

9 of 94

Climate change is a highly intersectional issue and an “injustice accelerator.”

The land on which we meet is the territory of the Seneca Nation, a member of the Haudenosaunee Six Nations Confederacy. This territory is covered by the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua, between the United States Government and the Six Nations Confederacy, which affirms Haudenosaunee land rights and sovereignty in the State of New York. Today, this region is still home to the Haudenosaunee people, and we are grateful for the opportunity to live, work, and learn in this territory.

In addition to stolen land, we also acknowledge the history of stolen peoples and the atrocities committed against enslaved Africans in the service of American expansionism and the development of our Region. We acknowledge that the mindset behind the genocide of Indigenous communities and communities of color - that of dominance, power, and exploitation - continues to create injustices and structural inequities that devalue human life and the land.

It is our intention, therefore, to operate in a different way than times past, to honor and celebrate collaboration, to raise up different perspectives and voices, and to foster mutual respect and equity as we work to address the climate crisis and build a healthier, more equitable, and regenerative region for all community members.

10 of 94

11 of 94

What brings you here?

Name
Organization
One thing you’re hoping to learn or contribute

12 of 94

Keynote Address�Cecilia Sorensen, M.D.

Director, Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education, Columbia University

13 of 94

Health Professionals on the Front Lines of Climate and Health Equity Solutions

Cecilia Sorensen, MD

Associate Professor, Environmental Health Sciences

Director, Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education

Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University

14 of 94

15 of 94

State of Climate and Health in 2024

16 of 94

17 of 94

Findings from the IPCC AR6 Report

Climate-sensitive diseases are estimated to comprise 70% of global deaths.

18 of 94

Climate and Health Alliance

19 of 94

IPCC, AR6, 2022

In this figure, we are looking at observed impacts on human systems. The darker the circle, the more evidence or certainty we have that these impacts are occurring and are attributable to anthropogenic climate change.

SO, with high to very high confidence, our best science is telling us that climate change is already undermining human systems across the globe which are vital to stable and secure livelihoods including water security, agriculture production, and livestock and fishery yields.

Again, we are seeing direct impacts on human health through infectious diseases, heat, malnutrition, mental health and displacement

And escalating impacts are being felt on human cities, settlements and infrastructure, through widespread inland and costal flooding and storms which damage essential health infrastructure such as hospitals. And last but not least, we have a large amount of evidence documenting economic damage to key economic sectors.

20 of 94

Findings from the IPCC AR6 Report

Climate change is worsening health inequities.

Climate change and extreme weather events disproportionately impact groups and people who are economically and socially marginalized (SPM:B.1.5).

21 of 94

22 of 94

23 of 94

Preparing Health Systems Can Protect Health from Climate Change

The severity of climate-related health risks is highly dependent on how well health systems can protect people.

With timely, proactive and effective adaptation many risks for human health and wellbeing could be reduced and some potentially avoided (very high confidence)

Cissé, et al., 2022

24 of 94

25 of 94

26 of 94

27 of 94

28 of 94

Increases in temperature (or heatwaves) increases the risk of

Emergency Room Visits, Hospital Admissions, and Mortality

Dehydration and Heat Illness
Cardiovascular
Respiratory
Diabetes
Mental Health
Accidental and Non-accidental Trauma
LIVER AND KIDNEY
Infectious
Gastrointestinal
Adverse Birth Outcomes (Preterm delivery, Low

Birth Weight, Stillbirth)

VERY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER SEVERAL HEALTH OUTCOMES

29 of 94

Present day Heat

An extreme heat event with a 10-year return period in the historic climate now occurs 3 times as often
An extreme heat event with a 50 year return period now occurs 5 times as often
Nearly 4 billion people will soon be exposed to life-threatening wet bulb temperatures of 35◦C or greater

30 of 94

Pacific Northwest Heatwave of 2021

Historically unprecedented extreme heat event

Near-surface air temperature anomalies reached up to 16–20 °C above normal over a wide region

Relatively short advance warning

Little lived experience with heat

Acute-on chronic capacity constraints

Population growing faster than health care capacity

31 of 94

Health Impacts

100-fold increase in heat-related ED visits

Schramm et al, 2021

32 of 94

Community deaths higher in neighborhoods with material & social deprivation & lower levels of green space
Mental illness & substance use disorder were significant risk factors
Higher risk among those aged 65–84 years and among females

(White et al, Nature, 2023)

Figure: NYT

33 of 94

Healthcare system impacts:

911 call centers overwhelmed
Patient surges in regional hospitals
Several facilities lost power
No regional disaster plans for heat waves
Hospitals ran out of ice/abilities to cool patients
Ventilators in short supply

34 of 94

….a “never again” moment….

Creation of heat action plans in affected cities in PNW
Closer coordination of EMS/Healthcare systems with meteorologic services
Engagement of communities most impacted by heat and environmental injustice, such as seniors, primary caregivers for children, and communities of color to improve extreme heat planning and response
Greater outreach to homeless and mental health populations
Healthcare system upgrades

35 of 94

Change in Global Mortality

36 of 94

36

37 of 94

Storms, Extreme Rainfall, & Flooding

Water, water… and what comes after

38 of 94

Extreme weather events and climate change

39 of 94

40 of 94

Proportion of hurricanes that become major hurricanes is increasing in most ocean basins.

Figure credit: Kossin, Knapp, Olander, & Velden. Global increase in major tropical cyclone exceedance probability over the past four decades. PNAS Earth Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. May 2020.

41 of 94

Flooding & Extreme Rainfall Future?

1-in-100 year flooding can now be expected every 8 years… First Street Foundation

42 of 94

Hurricanes Present

Warm Air

Warm

Sea Surface

Increased

Available

Energy

Increased

Moisture

Carrying

Capacity

Heavier

Rainfall

Sea Level

Rise

Higher

Wind Speeds

Increased

Storm Surge

Flooding

Wind Damage

Flooding

Reduced

Warning

Rapid

Intensification

U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Bill Huntington, Courtesy: US Air Force

43 of 94

Health and Health System Impacts: Extreme weather events and climate change

44 of 94

45 of 94

Health & Healthcare Impacts of Hurricanes

Health

Drowning and Trauma
Infections
Displacement
Loss of access to healthcare
Loss of access to critical infrastructure (electricity, clean water, etc)
Long-term damage to housing
Increased all-cause mortality

Healthcare

Facility damage
Facility evacuations
Staffing problems due to staff displacement or other responsibilities
Supply chain interruptions
Care for displaced populations
Financial impacts

46 of 94

46

47 of 94

Air Pollution and Wildfire

Fire, Smoke, Particulates, and Evacuation

48 of 94

Air Pollution and Climate Change

49 of 94

Wildfire Trends

50 of 94

Wildfire Future?

Map showing “projected increase in the number of “very large fire weeks”—weeks in which conditions are favorable to the occurrence of very large fires—by mid-century”

Model based on RCP8.5.

Image: Climate.Gov, from Barbero, R.; Abatzoglou, J.T.; Larkin, N.K.; Kolden, C.A.; Stocks, B. 2015. Climate change presents increased potential for very large fires in the contiguous United States. International Journal of Wildland Fire.

51 of 94

Air Pollution and Climate Change

Health effects

Premature mortality

Heart attacks

Reduced lung function

Cognition/neurodegeneration

Birth outcomes

Cancer

Vulnerable populations: children, elderly, pregnant people

52 of 94

What are the long-term health effects from exposure to wildfire smoke?

Studies lacking…
Kim et al (2017)

Lower lung capacity
Lower self-reported general health
Lower self-reported physical functioning

53 of 94

Climate Change and Vector-borne Diseases

54 of 94

Vector-borne diseases on the rise

Culex

Loves stagnant water; floods

WNV

Aedes

Likes it hotter

Droughts and floods

Dengue

Anopheles

Likes it hot (not TOO hot)

Malaria

55 of 94

Reproductive number curves for Malaria and Dengue Virus

Mordecai EM, Sadie R, Caldwell J, Shah MM, LaBeaud AD. Climate change could shift disease burden from malaria to arboviruses in Africa. Lancet Planetary Health, 2020.

56 of 94

Vector borne Disease and Climate Change

Romanello et al, 2022

57 of 94

Tickborne diseases and drivers

58 of 94

Long Term Changes

59 of 94

60 of 94

The many roles of the health professional

EDUCATORS

CLINICIAN

TRUSTED COMMUNITY VOICE

INSTITUTIONAL LEADER

RESEARCHER

61 of 94

Explosion of Climate and Human Health Research

Ouyang H, Tang X, Zhang R. Research Themes, Trends and Future Priorities in the Field of Climate Change and Health: A Review. Atmosphere. 2022 Dec 9;13(12):2076.

62 of 94

63 of 94

At work…�Patient Discussions

Heat
Air Pollution

64 of 94

65 of 94

White Coat Diplomacy

66 of 94

67 of 94

Indirect health impacts of these emissions have been estimated to be equivalent to the tens of thousands of patients who die annually in U.S. hospitals due to preventable medical errors

68 of 94

Healthcare Climate Pledge

69 of 94

Can sustainable hospitals help bend the health care cost curve?

If all US hospitals adopted best practices…..

$5 billion savings / 5 years

$15 billion / 10 years

Energy use
Waste segregation
Single-use device reprocessing
OR kit reformulation

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23214181/

70 of 94

Clinical care: impact of clinician choices

“The single largest factor driving health care pollution is clinical care.” - Jodi Sherman M.D.

"With physicians' decisions accounting for 80 cents of every healthcare dollar spent, our choices—including prescribing, device use and the tests we order—can have a real impact on climate change.” Modern Healthcare, 2019

71 of 94

Low-value care

Overprescribing
Over-screening
Unnecessary procedures, surgeries and tests

“Low-value care can be defined as services that provide little or no benefit to patients, have potential to cause harm, incur unnecessary cost to patients, or waste limited healthcare resources,” and contributes to over $345 billion annually in wasteful health spending.”

-Center for Value Based Insurance Design https://vbidcenter.org/initiatives/low-value-care/

72 of 94

72

73 of 94

“We have the tools and know-how required to limit warming.”(IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee)
We have options in all sectors to at least halve emissions by 2030

74 of 94

“The most effective way to get out of this mess is to educate ourselves”�� – Greta Thunberg

74

75 of 94

“Over the past 3 years, the percentage of medical schools with required curriculum on the health effects of climate change has doubled;

five in 10 schools have required climate change-related curriculum”

76 of 94

Fellowships and professional training

Climate and Health Science Policy Fellowship

University of Colorado

Climate and Health Equity Fellows Medical Society Consortium

National Medical Association & Medical Society Consortium

Climate and Health Organizing Fellows

Harvard Medical School, Cambridge Health Alliance, CHEEA

Climate and Human Health Physician Fellowship

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard C-CHANGE, and the Harvard FXB Center for Health and Human Rights

University of California - Faculty Clinical Decarbonization Fellowship �
Climate and Health Equity Practice Fellowship

Consortium of Universities for Global Health

Healthcare Without Harm

Sadler Fellowship

77 of 94

78 of 94

Our Mission:

Ensure that 100% of health professionals globally have the knowledge and skills to recognize, respond to and prevent climate-related health impacts
Organize, empower and amplify the voice of health professionals to convey how climate change is harming our health and how climate solutions will improve it.

79 of 94

With over 320 health professional member schools from 60+ countries, we are already reaching an estimated 250,000 students annually.

80 of 94

81 of 94

Professional Roles and Responsibilities

Primary Prevention
Secondary Prevention
Tertiary Prevention

82 of 94

Our Vision:�

Our vision is to reach 100,000 health professionals by 2030 through regional climate and health courses, thereby closing major gaps in health professional literacy and building strong regional climate and health education coalitions�

83 of 94

Our Trainings and Results

Over 25,000 health professionals trained globally through free, evidence-based, certificate-level, training programs and technical workshops

Level 1: Foundational Climate and Health Knowledge and Skills

Level 2: Application & Decision making

Level 3: Leadership

Figure 1. Overview of GCCHE course offerings, designed to increase the knowledge, skills and leadership capacity of health professionals

84 of 94

Global Reach – Level 1 Courses

85 of 94

86 of 94

87 of 94

88 of 94

88

Thank you!

CJS2282@cumc.Columbia.edu

89 of 94

Jane van Dis, M.D.

URMC

Valerie Lou, M.D.

URMC

Darrell Whitbeck

Happiness House

Mary Zelazny

Finger Lakes Community Health

Kate Weber, M.D.

Rochester Regional Health

90 of 94

Break

Please be back in your seats by 3:00

91 of 94

Topic-Specific Table Discussions

GROUP �1

GROUP �2

GROUP �3

Challenges, Barriers & Needs

Solutions & Opportunities

Key Local Stakeholders & Resources

3:00

15 minutes per group - we’ll let you know when it’s time to move

Goal = crowdsource knowledge and make it available for your use - Notes will be shared with everyone after the Summit - Please designate a note-taker and write legibly!

List of topics on the back of the agenda on each table - you can also use QR code to look at the list online

We ask that you adhere to the discussion guidelines that are listed on the same sheet:

Stay on topic
Make space for all voices to be heard / “Three before me”
Assume best intentions, but be mindful of impact
Stay curious / Instead of judging, seek to understand
Avoid jargon and welcome clarifying questions
Call out problematic behaviors, ideas, and systems, instead of demonizing individual people or groups of people
Keep it nonpartisan
Be kind and respectful

92 of 94

Key Actions for Health & Equity-Focused Leaders

Speak up! / Engage your colleagues, patients, clients, etc.
Commit to action / Sign the pledge
Familiarize yourself with the Genesee-FLX Climate Action Strategy
Plug into existing efforts
Build your network of collaborators

PARTNER �1

93 of 94

What’s your next step?

Identify one concrete action that you are willing, able, and committed to taking within the next 72 hours

94 of 94

Thank You!