Episode Synopsis "First, Do No Harm: The Role of Health Care in Climate Action"

“First, do no harm.” These words are part of the oath taken by doctors, as they pledge to avoid intentionally harming another person. But as the climate change crisis grows more urgent and the contribution of healthcare systems to the problem becomes clearer, this oath raises questions. In this episode, Lauren Balotin and Meg Withers discuss the role of healthcare in climate action and sustainability. The episode features interviews with Dr. Shanda Demorest, the Associate Director of Climate Engagement and Education at Health Care Without Harm, and Dr. Adam Klein, Professor in Emory University’s School of Medicine. Dr. Demorest and Dr. Klein discuss how they discovered their passions for sustainability as healthcare providers, what barriers healthcare organizations face in climate action, and how healthcare systems can strengthen climate commitments. Additional resources: Health Care Without Harm’s climate programming (https://healthcareclimateaction.org, including the Physician Network (https://noharm-uscanada.org/physiciannetwork) and the Nurses Climate Challenge (https://us.nursesclimatechallenge.org) Practice Greenhealth (https://practicegreenhealth.org) Medical Students for a Sustainable Future (https://ms4sf.org) Sustainability Roadmap for Hospitals (http://www.sustainabilityroadmap.org/strategies/index.shtml#.Y0x2yC2B3UK) Emory University’s 2019 emissions report (http://sustainability.emory.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2019-GHG-Executive-Summary_finaldraft-1.pdf) Credits: Music by Coma-Media on Pixabay

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