Kathy Gerwig is a strategic adviser on climate and health and formerly vice president, employee safety, health and wellness, and environmental stewardship officer at Kaiser Permanente based in Oakland, California.
Front Health Serv Manage. 2022 Oct 1;39(1):4-10. doi: 10.1097/HAP.0000000000000148.
Climate change is a crisis with a devastating impact on health. The warming atmosphere is increasing the tolls of deaths and illnesses from heat waves, extreme weather, poor air quality, insect-borne diseases, and other conditions. Healthcare is connected to climate change in a way that is not fully appreciated by many healthcare leaders-in fact, the sector generates a significant share of greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. As additional costs, healthcare providers' margins are put at risk from treating more climate-related disease and illness, supply chain disruptions, and damage from severe storms and wildfires. These connections provide a compelling rationale for healthcare executives to create more resilience in operations, lead efforts toward decarbonization, and catalyze for climate action.
气候变化对健康造成了毁灭性的影响，是一场危机。变暖的大气使热浪、极端天气、空气质量差、虫媒疾病和其他疾病造成的死亡和疾病人数不断增加。医疗保健与气候变化的关系并没有被许多医疗保健领导人充分认识到——事实上，该行业产生了大量导致气候变化的温室气体排放。随着额外成本的增加，治疗与气候相关的更多疾病和疾病、供应链中断以及恶劣风暴和野火造成的破坏，使医疗服务提供者的利润面临风险。这些联系为医疗保健高管提供了强有力的理由，要求他们在运营中创造更强的弹性，领导脱碳工作，并推动气候行动。
