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Bridging healthcare and environmental advocacy

Record-breaking heat, drought and floods, and more frequent hurricanes and tornadoes are the most visible symptoms of climate change. Less apparent are the impacts on the health and well-being of the people affected by this extreme weather: heat-related deaths; the disruption of food supply chains; the increase of food- and waterborne illnesses; new and rapidly spreading vector-borne diseases; and mental health disorders.

To address the devastating effects of climate change on human health, many healthcare experts now agree: They must—as a profession—address climate change themselves.

That’s why the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing chose to co-host the Climate and Health Education Summit, an interdisciplinary conference aimed at addressing the intersection of climate change and healthcare. The summit, held at the Health Education Campus of �ǿմ�ý and Cleveland Clinic, brought together students and practitioners from across Ohio, emphasizing the critical role climate change plays in healthcare.

Attendees benefited from the expertise of prominent figures from �ǿմ�ý's nursing and medical schools, Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and other institutions. These experts shared the latest research on how climate change impacts health and discussed strategies to advocate for policies that promote community well-being in the face of environmental changes.

“The interdisciplinary nature of the summit highlighted the wide-reaching impacts on climate health,” said Mary Quinn Griffin, PhD, RN, the May L. Wykle Professor and associate dean for global affairs at the School of Nursing, and one of the summit’s organizers.

Bud Isaacson, MD, executive dean of Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of �ǿմ�ý, noted the collaboration between the fields was especially successful.

“There was a great partnership between nursing and medicine in planning the summit,” said Isaacson, a co-organizer. “The dialogue and building of relationships exceeded our expectations.”

Nursing professionals have an important role to play in environmental health and advocacy, said Celeste Alfes, DNP, RN, professor and assistant dean for academic affairs at the School of Nursing, during her plenary presentation.

Because nurses comprise about 60% of the world’s healthcare professionals, Alfes explained in her presentation, they “have the potential to change the trajectory of climate action and can be powerful advocates for climate solutions.”

And it should start with nursing education, she said. Alfes advocated for incorporating climate-related content into nursing theory, research and leadership classes, noting that some institutions have already established dedicated courses on the subject. As the effects of climate change increasingly impact patient care, equipping nursing professionals with this knowledge is crucial, Alfes said.

That sentiment resonated with attendees, with one noting in a post-event survey that, “nursing doctors and health professionals are some of the most trusted members in the community, and they can use their voices to educate and advocate for patients.”

This article appears in the print edition of Forefront magazine, summer 2024. Find more stories from Forefront at case.edu/nursing/news-events/forefront-magazine.