Oral

The world’s climate is showing signs of a shift. The world is becoming warmer, with more precipitation and weather extremes. Potential effects of this climate change are likely to include more variable weather. Stronger and longer heat waves, more frequent extreme weather events such as flooding and tropical cyclones, rises in sea level, and increased air pollution will become more the rule than the exception. According to a 2008 national survey conducted by the Environmental Defense Fund and National Association of County and City Health Officials, 77 percent of local health directors surveyed felt they lacked resources to address climate-related health threats. At the state government level, a 2009 Association of State and Territorial Health Officials survey revealed that most state health officials have identified significant gaps that included expert staffing and training to adequately deal with the challenges of climate change. Launched in 2010, the Climate-Ready States and Cities Initiative (CRSCI) saw the CDC award $5.25 million to ten health departments over three years, to act as advanced practice sites to assess threats, make plans and develop programs to meet the public health challenges of climate change. These sites are developing pioneering approaches that will be recorded as demonstrations for public health agencies across the United States. Through the CRSCI, CDC is helping states and cities to develop ways to anticipate the health effects of climate change by applying climate science, predicting health impacts, and preparing flexible programs. In undertaking this approach the advanced practice sites are partnering with local and national climate scientists to understand climate change in their area, develop and use models to predict health impacts, monitor health effects, and identify the area’s most vulnerable to these effects. The session will provide an opportunity for public health professionals to hear from 4 advanced practice sites about the approaches they have taken en-route to becoming “Climate-Ready”, the challenges faced, and the innovative solutions developed to overcome these challenges. At the time of the session, the advanced practice sites will have had more than 2 years of progress and experience to report on.

Session Objectives: 1. Describe activities that can be undertaken by a health agency to become “Climate-Ready”. 2. Identify 3 challenges that a health agency is likely to face en-route to becoming “Climate-Ready” and approaches that are being taken to address these challenges. 3.Describe where and how to find appropriate climate and health related data to understand the health impacts of climate change in an area.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH) , Masters Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)