Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate
A healthier future for Montanans.
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 See details and register here . Free for students. Pay-what-you-can.
Our Climate & Health banners have been floating all around this state this year, and we're grateful to everyone who has hosted them. Our six banners cover some of the most important topics for Montana's climate and health: climate change basics, extreme heat, wildfires, mental health, maternal health, and the role of health systems. If you would like to host the banners in your lobby, check them out here.
Health care professionals across Montana are increasingly seeing the negative health effects of climate change. Many have had patients move out of state to escape the lengthening wildfire smoke season. Anxious children wonder why summer expeditions get canceled. Some have even reported having had patients shut down their farm and ranch operations due to extreme drought.
Your stewardship can be ongoing (like frequent conversations with patients about how climate affects their health) or a one-time impact (like attending a climate-related CME course or webinar). Each steward is planning an action in one of three different categories: reducing healthcare's carbon footprint, supporting MT climate health, or amplifying MT healthcare voices for climate. This follows the commonly used framework of mitigation/adaptation/advocacy for climate health. Being a steward means you're not in this alone! We have quarterly meetings to inspire and encourage each other as we share our successes and ask for advice. If you'd like more examples of possible actions, or if you have an idea and are ready to be a Climate Health Steward, please sign up here! Thanks to Good Works Ventures for the use of their beautiful space in downtown Missoula for our launch event.
We are thankful for all the people who supported our work this year. Our board donates close to 3000 hours to climate and health work but we still need a part-time staffer to keep us going! It is end-of-year-giving time too. If you are able, we would welcome your time or talents.
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