In the Fall 2019 Climate Changes Health and Health Equity Community Read/Journal Club, we will focus on two reports:
The Lancet Countdown was established to provide an independent, global monitoring system dedicated to tracking the health dimensions of the impacts of, and the response to, climate change. It tracks 41 indicators across five domains: climate change impacts, exposures, and vulnerability; adaptation, planning, and resilience for health; mitigation actions and health co-benefits; finance and economics; and public and political engagement.
The 2016 U.S Global Change Research Program Climate and Health Assessment focuses on the impacts of climate change on human health in the United States. This scientific assessment examines how climate change is already affecting human health and the changes that may occur in the future with focus on: temperature-related death and illness; air quality impacts; extreme events; vector-borne diseases; water-related illness; food safety, nutrition, and distribution; mental health and well-being, and populations of concern.
Additional readings may be suggested by the facilitator for each session, those readings will be linked below.
The first five sessions in this series addressed: air quality; mental health and well-being including eco-anxiety; climate change vulnerability; populations of concern; and public policy/solutions. The next three sessions of this discussion featured systemic action being taken at the University of Utah, in Utah, in the U.S. and internationally to address how climate changes health and health equity. Sessions continue to be offered focusing on current issues and topics.
An effort was made to record each session and to obtain the slides for each presentation. Those resources as well as additional readings are linked below. The titles of each of the recorded session below are linked to the recordings. Scroll down for session description, additional resources, etc.
| ORIGINAL PRESENTATION DATE | TOPIC | PRESENTERS | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Tuesday, September 24, 2019 |
Air Quality | Jeff Anderson, MD, Cardiovascular Department, Intermountain Medical Center and University of Utah School of Medicine | |
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Tuesday, October 1, 2019 |
LeRoy Anderson, MD, Psychiatrist (retired); Clinical Faculty (retired), School of Medicine, University of Utah; and Medical Director (retired), Outpatient Psychiatry Service, Utah Valley Medical Center | ||
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Tuesday, October 8, 2019 |
Fall Break, No Session |
Fall Break | |
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Tuesday, October 15, 2019 |
T. Andrew Dodds, MD, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Intermountain Medical Center | ||
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Tuesday, October 22, 2019 |
Royal P. DeLegge, PhD, LEHS, RS, Director, Environmental Health Division, Salt Lake County Health Department | ||
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Tuesday, October 29, 2019 |
Scott Williams, MD, Executive Director, Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah (HEAL Utah) | ||
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Tuesday, November 5, 2019 |
Smitha Warrier, MD, Anesthesiology, Assistant Professor (Clinical), School of Medicine, University of Utah | ||
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Tuesday, November 12, 2019 |
Students Leading the Way on Climate No recording available. Notes are linked below. |
Piper Christian and Mishka Banuri, Utah Youth Environmental Solutions | |
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Tuesday, November 19, 2019 |
Robin Burr, BA, MA, Chief Facilities Officer, University of Utah and Christopher F. Benson, PE, CEM, LEEP AP, Program Manager, Sustainability & Energy, Department of Facilities Management University of Utah |
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| Friday, January 31, 2020 | Health and Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Inland Port | Deeda Seed, Senior Utah Field Campaigner, Center for Biological Diversity, and Jonny Vasic, Executive Director, Utah Physicians for a Health Environment. Moderator: Olivia Joy Kavapalu, Utah Climate Advocates. |
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| Thursday, December 2, 2021 |
Pursuing Green Health: Assessing Sustainability of Medical Curriculum and Hospital Operations Digital Recording: Slides:
Readings and Handouts: |
Anna Brandes, MS3 UUSOM, She/Her, Lead, Planetary Health Report Card Initiative, Sustainability Club, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, University of Utah. Alexis Pearl Lee, MBA, She/Her, Environmental and Social Sustainability Director, Green Team Co-Chair, University of Utah Health. Smitha Warrier, MD FASA, She/Her, Medical Director of Environmental and Social Sustainability, Green Team Co-Chair, Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, and Medical Director, Anesthesiology- ACC/Area E, University of Utah Health |
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Session Recording and PowerPoint Presentation (scroll to session date)
Session Description: This session will focus on the environmental impact of climate change, with particular emphasis on air pollution and its consequences.
Readings/Videos:
Facilitator: Dr. Jeffrey L Anderson, MD, is Distinguished Clinical and Research Physician, Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute, and Tenured Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), University of Utah School of Medicine. As an academic physician and medical scientist, he has pursued a broad interest in cardiovascular diseases and prevention. With his colleagues he has published over 700 peer-reviewed and invited articles and book chapters and over 600 abstracts presented at national and international meetings. One expanding area of research and personal interest over the past 15 years is air pollution and the impact of climate change. In addition to supporting and participating in local research on air pollution, he volunteers as a member of Citizen’s Climate Lobby, which is seeking federal and state regulatory solutions to our high local and national carbon footprint.
Session Recording and PowerPoint Presentation (scroll to session date)
Session Description: In this session, Dr. LeRoy Anderson will explore the relationship of physical health stressors (such as asthma/pulmonary problems from pollution, increasing rates of malaria/dengue fever/West Nile virus/Zika virus, heatstroke, salmonella, allergens, leptospirosis, Lyme disease, hantavirus, etc.) to anxiety, PTSD, grief, aggression, increasing suicide rates, and depression. He will provide information on the effects of climate change on vulnerable populations (indigenous, arctic, island) on loss of habitat/hunting/fishing/agricultural areas as well as the effects on those in inner cities and the impoverished who are more vulnerable to physical and mental illnesses, including exacerbation of previously existing mental illnesses, inability to cope with heat waves (three times more common in recent years) or extreme weather events. Evidence indicates that society has reduced ability to cope with the mentally ill or to help when faced with added stress of extreme weather, leading to increases in suicide, anger, violence, as well as anxiety in vulnerable individuals. Dr. Anderson has experienced devastated coral reefs as a scuba diver, witnessed reduced snow packs as a skier, and on hikes in Southern Utah has noted a reduction in the number of insects and amphibians seen, as well as noting new insect disease vectors in Utah such as West Nile virus. We are seeing and experiencing changes which can lead to a deep sense of concern and worry for our collective future. Here as elsewhere, many people are now less willing or likely to have children due to worry about having a viable environment for their posterity. Lastly, Dr. Anderson will offer some suggestions on what societies, individuals, and professionals can do to moderate the negative effects of climate change.
Readings/Videos:
Hayes K, Blashki G, Wiseman J, Burke S, Reifels L. Climate change and mental health: risks, impacts and priority actions. Int J Ment Health Syst. 2018; 12: 28. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5984805/
Eco-anxiety: how to spot it and what to do about it: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/b2e7ee32-ad28-4ec4-89aa-a8b8c98f95a5
Facilitator: LeRoy Anderson, MD, is a graduate of the University of Utah School of Medicine, completing residencies in general and child/adolescent psychiatry at University of Washington (Seattle) and University of Utah, and remains board certified in both. During the course of his career, he has served as Medical Director, Behavioral Medicine Inpatient/Outpatient Unit, Dixie Medical Ctr., St. George, Utah where he was the only psychiatrist available for a population of over 100,000; Director, Medical Staff, Dixie Medical Ctr.; Medical Director Clozaril Clinic, Children's Outpatient Services, Spanish Speaking Hispanic Clinic; Medical Director of the Carmen Pingree Center for Autism; Clinical Faculty, Psychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of Utah; and Medical Director for Outpatient Psychiatry Services at Utah Valley Hospital. He has served in multiple roles at Salt Lake Valley Mental Health and had private practices in St. George and in Salt Lake City. He has also served as consulting psychiatrist at the Utah Boy's Ranch and Cross Creek Manor. Although he retired in 2017, Dr. Anderson continues to be involved in locum tenens work, psychiatric resident education, and maintaining licensure and board certification.
Session Recording and PowerPoint Presentation (scroll to session date)
Session Description: In this session, we will examine the Indicators developed for monitoring climate change vulnerability issues.
Readings/Videos:
Impact of climate change on occupational health and productivity: a systematic literature review focusing on workplace heat. Levi M, Kjellstrom T, Baldasseroni A. Med Lav. 2018 Apr 24;109(3):163-79. doi: 10.23749/mdl.v109i3.6851. PMID: 29943748
Handrakis JP, Trbovich M, Hagen EM, Price M. Thermodysregulation in persons with spinal cord injury: case series on use of the autonomic standards. Spinal Cord Ser Cases. 2017 Dec 6;3:17086. doi: 10.1038/s41394-017-0026-7. PMID:29423292
Flouris AD, Dinas PC, Ioannou LG, Nybo L, Havenith G, Kenny GP, Kjellstrom T. Workers' health and productivity under occupational heat strain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Planet Health. 2018 Dec;2(12):e521-e531.
Facilitator: T. Andrew Dodds, MD, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Intermountain Medical Center, trained at Harvard, Dartmouth, UCLA and the University of Washington. Dr. Dodds did a fellowship in Health Services Research but has spent the last 22 years practicing acute inpatient rehabilitation at Intermountain Medical Center.
Session Recording and PowerPoint Presentation (scroll to session date)
Session Description: Presentation and discussion will focus on the impact of climate change on vulnerable populations and actions to address those impacts.
Readings/Videos:
And one or more of the following:
Climate Change, Health and Health Equity: A local health department guide: https://www.apha.org/-/media/files/pdf/topics/climate/guide_section1.ashx?la=en&hash=2ADD9E5229247C1CE16053B2394D92503AD693D6
Environmental Justice for All - https://www.apha.org/-/media/files/pdf/factsheets/environmental_justice.ashx?la=en&hash=BF2694E6A2FC6707C373F1E1DC60243BF333CACE
Climate change and health equity ‘inextricably linked’: Vulnerable populations most at risk from harmful effects: http://thenationshealth.aphapublications.org/content/48/7/1.1
Facilitator: Royal P. DeLegge, PhD, LEHS, RS, has been the Environmental Health Director for the Salt Lake County Health Department since August 1999. He previously served as Director of Environmental Health for the Winnebago County Health Department in Rockford, Illinois and in various positions at the DuPage County Health Department in the Chicago metropolitan area. Dr. DeLegge has a BS in Biology from Illinois State University, MPA from Northern Illinois University, and PhD in Public Policy & Administration from Walden University. As Adjunct Professor of Public Health he teaches courses in the School of Nursing and Health Sciences’ Master of Public Health program at Westminster College in Salt Lake City. Dr. DeLegge currently serves on the boards of six organizations.
Session Recording and PowerPoint Presentation (scroll to session date)
Session Description: This session will focus on the opportunities and challenges of implementing the most viable policy options for retarding and perhaps reversing the pace of climate change over the next decade as well as mitigating its health effects. These options include the transitions to clean energy and energy efficiency, carbon sequestration strategies, and required changes in preventive health practices. The role of health care providers in pursuing these changes will also be discussed.
Facilitator: Scott Williams, MD, Executive Director, Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah (HEAL Utah) received a BA degree in American Literature from the University of Utah and then went on to medical school and then completed a residency in pediatrics and a Masters of Public Health. Scott was on the faculty of the University of Utah’s Department of Pediatrics for about ten years, caring for children in various clinics that served Navajos, migrant workers, and inner-city families. He then served in various executive positions at the Utah Department of Health during the Leavitt/Walker administration. Prior to joining the team at HEAL Utah, he spent eight years as the chief medical officer for the Mountain Division of the Hospital Corporation of America, supporting physicians at ten HCA hospitals in Utah, Idaho, and Alaska. Scott has three grown sons and three small grandchildren and is an avid cyclist, swimmer, and hiker. He feels lucky to be able to regularly wander around on soil and snow in Utah’s mountains and canyons, and swim and boat in its lakes and rivers.
Session Recording and PowerPoint Presentation (scroll to session date)
Session Description: Learn about how University Hospital is working with Practice Green Health to help them evaluate their operations in light of environmentally sustainable practices and the impact of the healthcare industry’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
Readings/Videos:
Facilitator: Smitha Warrier, MD, is a board certified Anesthesiologist and Assistant Professor (Clinical) in Anesthesiology in the School of Medicine at the University of Utah with special interest in general and regional anesthesia especially as it applies to patients with acute perioperative pain. Dr. Warrier also serves as Medical Director of Anesthesia for the Ambulatory Care Center and President of the Utah State Society of Anesthesiology. She is passionate about environmental sustainability, especially in healthcare.
Session Recording - We experienced technical difficulties with the recording of this session. So, in lieu of a recording, we offer this outline with links (scroll to session date) that were prepared for this session.
Session Description: Piper Christian and Mishka Banuri will speak about their experiences in political engagement and grassroots organizing as youth environmental activists within Utah. They'll share about the various methods of change they have participated in and the importance of protecting the environment to preserve the health and well-being of generations to come.
Readings/Videos:
Facilitators: Piper Christian is a sophomore at University of Utah pursuing a double major in Environmental Studies and Political Science. In 2018, she helped pass a student-led resolution on climate change through the Utah State Legislature. She now serves as the vice president of Utah Climate Advocates, a campus club focusing on climate action and environmental justice. Mishka Banuri is an 18 year old organizer in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was an organizer and emcee for the Utah People's Climate March, co-organized the first Utah Youth Environmental Summit, and continues to work with Utah Youth Environmental Solutions. Mishka is also passionate about reproductive justice, particularly centering marginalized voices. She is a peer educator with Teen Council, a program run by Planned Parenthood that provides sexual education to young people. As a Pakistani-American Muslim, Mishka seeks to build bridges and empower Muslim youth and youth of color in Utah. She is the Director of the Ambassador Program for the Emerald Project, which fights the misinterpretation of Islam.
Session Recording and PowerPoint Presentation (scroll to session date)
Facilitators: Robin Burr, Chief Facilities Officer at the University of Utah holds a BA in Architecture from UC Berkeley and Master of Architecture from Harvard University. She leads Facilities Management for the U, which includes campus planning, design and construction as well as maintenance and operations of buildings and grounds. She has been with the U for just over 2-1/2 years and comes from a similar role at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California. Christopher F. Benson, PE, CEM, LEEP AP, Program Manager, Sustainability & Energy, Department of Facilities Management, University of Utah. Since the beginning of 2017, Chris has been managing the University of Utah’s Facilities Sustainability & Energy Program. His team is responsible for benchmarking building performance across 278 buildings, managing utility procurement (including access to renewable energy) and driving forward projects that support the University’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050 and improved local air quality. He is particularly driven by the powerful win-win of energy efficiency as it drives down operational costs while improving local air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Chris has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Utah. He is a licensed engineer (PE), certified energy manager (CEM), and LEED accredited professional (LEED AP).
Readings/Videos:
January 31, 2020 - HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED INLAND PORT - Presenters: Deeda Seed, Senior Utah Field Campaigner, Center for Biological Diversity, and Jonny Vasic, Executive Director, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment. Moderator: Olivia Joy Kavapalu, Utah Climate Advocates.
Session Recording and PowerPoint Presentation (scroll to session date)
Session Description: In order to facilitate increased international cargo exchanges on the Western seaboard, the state of Utah passed a bill to host an inland port in Salt Lake City, situated to the west of SLC International Airport. Controversy and debate surrounding the port have increased as healthcare professionals, environmental scientists and local concerned residents have considered its consequences. Hosting the port would increase vehicle traffic to the area which poses greater risks for the local ecology and the already poor air quality in the valley. The inland port exacerbates current issues of environmental devastation and health risks influenced by uncelean air. The City of Salt Lake filed a suit against the state of Utah for neglecting to obtain the city's approval for the port's bill prior to its signing. Local courts have since ruled against the city. This informational session will explore the extent of the environmental and community health concerns created by the port while also describing current efforts to mitigate the negative outcomes. The Eccles Health Sciences Library is co-hosting this community discusssion forum with the Utah Climate Advocates, an ASUU sponsored bipartisan political advocacy and community building club that fights climate change. Funding for this event has been provided by a University of Utah SCIF (Sustainabile Campus Initiative Fund) grant.
December 2, 2021 - PURSUING GREEN HEALTH: ASSESSING SUSTAINABILITY OF MEDICAL CURRICULUM AND HOSPITAL - Presenters: Anna Brandes, MS3 UUSOM, She/Her, Lead, Planetary Health Report Card Initiative, Sustainability Club, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine; Alexis Pearl Lee, MBA, She/Her, Environmental and Social Sustainability Director, Green Team Co-Chair, University of Utah Health; and Smith Warrier, MD-FASA, She/Her, Medical Director, Environmental and Social Sustainability Director, Green Team Co-Chair, Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, and Medical Director, Anesthesiology-ACC/Area E, University of Utah Health.
Digital Recording:
Slides:
Readings and Handouts:
Session Description: Medical students and UHealth staff and faculty continued their sustainability efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic by deep diving into assessment. This session of the Climate Changes Health and Health Equity Community Read will focus on the results of their efforts – The Planetary Health Report Card (SOM) and The Practice Greenhealth 2021 Benchmark Report Card (UHealth). Join us in learning the goals and results of these green health assessments and the plans that are developing for moving forward based on this new information.
“The Planetary Health Report Card (PHRC) is a student-driven, metric-based initiative to inspire planetary health and sustainable healthcare education engagement in medical schools. In addition to inspiring expansion of medical school curricula, we hope to inspire medical schools to expand research efforts,engage with communities most affected by climate change and environmental injustice, support passionate medical students who are trying to organize around planetary health at the institutional level, and implement sustainable practices. A set of metrics in these five category areas allows students and faculty to conduct a needs assessment at their medical school.” - Planetary Health Report Card.
“Each year, Practice Greenhealth collects and compiles comprehensive sustainability data from hospitals that report through the Environmental Excellence Awards. Practice Greenhealth is then able to provide the sector’s best performance benchmarking data to hospitals and health systems working to build environmental stewardship into their mission. … The annual benchmark report highlights the best practices for sustainability integration in 11 different impact areas, while also providing relevant benchmarks for improving hospital performance.” - Practice Greenhealth.
Presenter BioSketches:
Anna Brandes, MS3 UUSOM, She/Her, Lead, Planetary Health Report Card Initiative, Sustainability Club, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine; University of Utah. As a third year medical student Anna has participated in the Sustainability Club at the UUSOM and lead the Planetary Health Report Card initiative. She is planning on applying to a Family Medicine residency and hopes to incorporate advocacy work around climate change as it relates to health and environmental justice into her practice.
Alexis Pearl Lee, MBA,She/Her, Environmental and Social Sustainability Director, Green Team Co-Chair, University of Utah Health, is passionate about pursuing sustainable actions to protect people, public health, and the natural world. Alexis obtained her MBA with a Certificate in Sustainability. She is also a LEED Green Associate, FSA Level II Candidate, and a Global Reporting Initiative Certified Sustainability Professional.
Smitha Warrier, MD FASA,She/Her, Medical Director of Environmental and Social Sustainability, Green Team Co-Chair, Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, and Medical Director, Anesthesiology- ACC/Area E, University of Utah Health, founded the U of U Health Green Team and oversaw the inaugural Practice Green Health assessment that earned an Environmental Excellence Award. Dr. Warrier is an anesthesiologist whose passion for healthcare sustainability started with her understanding of the environmental impacts of inhaled anesthetics. She is working to create awareness as to the connection between clinical care, the environment and population health.
Co-Sponsors: Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library (EHSL), Office for Health Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (UHealth OHEDI), and Office of Sustainability.
CDC Climate and Health: https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/default.htm
The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the U.S.: A Scientific Assessment – https://health2016.globalchange.gov/
Personal choices to reduce your contribution to climate change: https://grist.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/fig1full.jpg
Global Climate Change (NASA) – https://climate.nasa.gov/
Climate Change and Health (WHO) – https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health
Climate Change and Health (APHA) – https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/climate-change
Center for Climate Change and Health – http://climatehealthconnect.org/
