Climate Resilience for Frontline Clinics and the Patients They Serve

Climate Resilience for Frontline Clinics Toolkit

When is heat dangerous to patients, who is at risk, and what can a nurse or doctor do about it? Clinicians looking for answers to these questions can sign up to receive heat alerts developed through a collaboration between Harvard Chan C-CHANGE and Climate Central. The heat alert system provides users with location-specific dangerous heat information from the CDC / NWS HeatRisk system, paired with information about populations at risk and links to resources for counseling, patient education, and workplace safety.

How does it work? Learn more about how heat alerts are generated and what information they contain:

If you are a clinical staff member interested in signing up to receive heat alerts for areas with HeatRisk mapping coverage, please email Sweta Waghela.

Harvard Chan students helped conduct a needs assessment and develop the messaging strategy and content for this project. If you are interested in learning more about opportunities for students, please contact our team.

Nurses, doctors, administrators and other healthcare staff need resources to help them navigate the impacts of climate change on their clinics and their patients. We are working with Americares to develop, implement, assess, and improve the Climate Resilience for Frontline Clinics Toolkit, which brings together the best available scientific evidence and the lived experience of health professionals in frontline clinics, providing actionable information for patients, providers, and administrators to improve climate readiness. 

The toolkit was developed in response to the findings of a needs assessment survey conducted in 2021, which reached over 400 respondents and identified the need for informational resources on climate hazards such as heat, wildfires, and extreme weather. An initial version of the toolkit was piloted in 19 clinics across the United States. Following a series of focus groups, surveys, interviews with toolkit users, and expert working groups, we updated and revised the toolkit to better meet the needs of its users and reflect the latest research at the intersection of climate change and health. The updated toolkit will be available in the late summer of 2024.

Looking for patient action plans to support your planning and counseling? We have resources for heat, flooding, wildfires, and hurricanes. 

The full toolkit has materials in English and Spanish for patients, providers, and clinic administrators.

Harvard Chan students conducted implementation research with pilot clinics and helped revise the materials in this toolkit. If you are interested in learning more about opportunities for students, please contact Sweta Waghela.

Dangerous Heat Alerts for Frontline Clinics

When is heat dangerous to patients, who is at risk, and what can a nurse or doctor do about it? Clinicians looking for answers to these questions can sign up to receive heat alerts developed through a collaboration between Harvard Chan C-CHANGE and Climate Central. The heat alert system provides users with location-specific dangerous heat information from the CDC / NWS HeatRisk system, paired with information about populations at risk and links to resources for counseling, patient education, and workplace safety.

How does it work? Learn more about how heat alerts are generated and what information they contain:

If you are a clinical staff member interested in signing up to receive heat alerts for areas with HeatRisk mapping coverage, please email Sweta Waghela.

Harvard Chan students helped conduct a needs assessment and develop the messaging strategy and content for this project. If you are interested in learning more about opportunities for students, please contact our team.

Clinic Actions Plans for Prevention of Health Harms from Heat and Smoke

Preventing climate-related health harms requires providing resources that go beyond the walls of frontline clinics and that can support patients in their homes and communities. In collaboration with Americares, we have developed a portfolio of prevention-focused resources to address heat and wildfire smoke hazards. Participating clinics use an online assessment tool to generate customized heat and smoke action plans, which include interventions ranging from wellness checks to air conditioner distribution. With support from Johnson & Johnson, we are expanding this program across the country, with a goal of bolstering climate resilience in 100 free and charitable clinics and community health centers by 2025.

Students at Harvard contributed to the development of the resource guides for heat and wildfire smoke. If you are interested in learning more, please contact our team.

Continuing Education on Climate Change for Health Professionals

Many practicing clinicians do not learn about the impacts of climate change on health and healthcare during their formal degree programs. We developed a continued education course for nurses, doctors, advanced practice providers, psychologists, and other health professionals seeking to advance their clinical knowledge in ways that allow them to better serve their patients in the context of our changing climate. The course was first offered in May 2024. Learn more about this accredited CME opportunity on the course website.

Climate Resilience Resources for Healthcare in the Philippines

Harvard Chan students conducted a literature review that provided important information for this project. If you are interested in learning more about opportunities for students, please contact our team.