How health systems are meeting the challenge of climate change

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As with any business initiative, taking action on climate change starts with the mission. For health systems, climate change directly impacts the health of patients and communities. We are only as healthy as the environment in which we live, and as climate change worsens, more and more people face the health consequences of wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and forced migration globally from failed crops, droughts, and resulting political unrest.

For John Messervy, the Director of Capital and Facilities Planning of Partners Healthcare, the biggest local threat is water. Boston is situated where two major ocean currents collide: melting Arctic ice spills from the north and meets stronger storms coming from the south. This puts the city at particular risk for sea level rise and catastrophic floods. Preparing for this — and doing what they can to prevent it — is a vital part of serving the health system’s mission. “The people of Boston aren’t fleeing because there will be flooding in the future,” Messervy told us. “It’s our responsibility to build our response plans to keep serving the community, no matter what happens.”

Also in Boston, Bob Biggio, Senior Vice President of Facilities and Support Services of Boston Medical Center, motivates his team by reminding them that everything they do goes back to serving patients and the community. “My north star is the hospital’s mission to make Boston the world’s healthiest urban population by 2030,” he said. “This means doing our part – through carbon reduction and resiliency – to protect our patients from the impacts of climate change.”

In Cleveland, Ohio, Jon Utech, Senior Director of the Office for a Healthy Environment at the Cleveland Clinic, conveys to people across the organization and community that the magnitude of climate change means that everyone needs to engage. “Climate change is a clear and present danger now,” Utech said. “We need to be ready to respond to immediate and increased threats such as hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and tornados. Our caregivers need to understand how climate change is impacting disease patterns and population vulnerabilities to better care for our patients.”

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