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Scholarly Sessions
School and Community Health
Highlighted Theme: Effects of Climate Change on Child Health
Aparna Bole, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Shaker Heights, Ohio, United States
The shift to value-based care has encouraged pediatric healthcare systems to more broadly recognize and address social and environmental determinants of health. Climate change poses a significant threat to the health of pediatric populations, presenting an opportunity for health system action. There is also increasing pressure for health systems to improve climate resiliency and address significant contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and that can worsen health disparities. Investment in environmental sustainability also offers a novel way to achieve the Quadruple Aim.
Here we will present a series of evidence-based talks that suggest three key areas for health systems to improve population health and value by combating climate change. First, we will frame the argument for healthcare systems to address climate change with a discussion of legislative and administrative policy priorities. Next, we will discuss how healthcare systems can take a community-engaged approach to improve climate equity, from social determinants of health screening and the Community Health Needs Assessment, to health system-community partnerships and community benefit spending. Lastly, we will present a business case for climate-smart health care, highlighting how "green hospitals" can improve quality of care, decrease waste and cost of care, and improve patient satisfaction, thereby promoting value. Through a guided discussion, faculty will then address opportunities and barriers in each of these areas. Faculty will draw on experiences at pediatric healthcare systems in California, Delaware, and Wisconsin, while integrating expertise in a range of disciplines, including pediatric environmental health policy, environmental justice, and healthcare administration and sustainability.
Speaker: Lisa Patel, MD, MESc – Stanford
Speaker: Abby Nerlinger, MD, MPH – Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware
Speaker: Jeff Thompson, MD – Gundersen Health System