As trusted voices in their communities, health professionals have a unique opportunity to advance sustainable, climate-smart health care. The Physician Network, part of the Climate-Smart Collective, supports members in leveraging their influence and expertise to advance the growing health care sustainability movement and create climate-smart health care.
The Physician Network was established to convene physicians and medical students to share best practices and inspire one another to advocate for a sustainable and healthy future. Established in 2018, the network has grown to a robust and active community of sustainable health care leaders. The past decade has been one of significant momentum with health professionals increasingly seeking ways to contribute to the climate-smart health care movement, within the four walls of a health care facility and beyond.
Join the Physician Network
Part of the Climate-Smart Collective
This dedicated subgroup is open to physicians, medical students, dentists and dental students based in the United States or Canada.
By joining our network, you will be a part of a growing, inspirational network of health professionals committed to advancing sustainable, climate-smart health care. In addition, you will:
- Specialize your skills to meet a growing need as health systems are integrating sustainability into their operations, reducing emissions, and creating climate resilience
- Get support applying and advocating for medical and clinical director of sustainability and similar roles at your facility.
- Stay informed of educational, networking, advocacy, and leadership opportunities.
- Receive our e-newsletter to learn about the latest resources, news and opportunities.
- Be eligible for the Emerging Physician Leader Award and Blair and Georgia Sadler Fellowship if you are a medical student, resident, or fellow.
Our power & opportunity
The health care sector is on the front lines of the climate crisis. Patients are already experiencing its health impacts. Climate-fueled disasters, rising temperatures, and air pollution are driving increased asthma, heat-related illness, cardiovascular events, infectious disease, and mental health challenges. These health impacts disproportionately affect communities of color and those already experiencing health and economic disparities. At the same time, climate-related events disrupt health care access, delivery, and supply chains, further compromising patient care.
Despite the commitment to “do no harm,” U.S. health care operations are responsible for 8.5% of national greenhouse gas emissions. Clinical care is the single largest factor driving health care emissions and pollution. Without reducing the climate impact of clinical care, the sector cannot meet its emissions reduction goals. We need engaged and empowered health professionals to help the sector meet these goals.
Health professionals – among the most trusted voices in society – are uniquely positioned to lead this transformation. As the AMA Journal of Ethics emphasizes, "physicians and health organizations have obligations to use their influence, expertise, and resources to protect health, which includes promoting sustainability.”
This urgency is shared by health professionals – 80% of doctors and nurses believe addressing climate change is critical to their hospital’s mission, and 75% want to reduce their environmental impact at work.
Our goals
- Create a network of health professionals interested in promoting climate-smart health care through mitigation, resilience, and leadership.
- Lead and support health professionals' actions to reduce the environmental impact of health care delivery.
- Engage health professionals in advancing the broad agenda of Practice Greenhealth and Health Care Without Harm’s mission to transform health care worldwide so it reduces its environmental footprint and becomes an anchor for community resilience and a leader in the global movement for environmental health and justice.
Sustainability tactics for health professional leaders
Health sector and hospital leadership
As a health professional, you can encourage your leaders to make a commitment to sustainability by joining Practice Greenhealth, signing the Health Sector CARES (Climate Action, Resilience, and Equity Solutions) Pledge, or applying for The Joint Commission Sustainable Healthcare Certification. You can also join or start departmental and clinician sustainability committees, ask your leaders to appoint a medical or clinical director of sustainability, or lead a sustainability project.
Education
As powerful educators, health professionals can educate colleagues, administrators, and others about the intersection between climate, health, and health care and how to reduce the environmental impact of health care delivery. You can advocate for sustainable, climate-smart health care content in grand rounds, departmental meetings, conferences, and health professional training curricula.
Research
You can research to better understand health care’s climate and environmental impacts and where to focus interventions. Such research can help accelerate health sector sustainability and support evidence-based decisions by sustainability and health care professionals.
Clinical practice
Since clinical care is the largest factor driving health care emissions and pollution, health professionals can look at their clinical practice through an environmental or climate lens. You have many opportunities to make environmentally preferable clinical decisions: reducing low-value, inefficient care; prioritizing prevention; expanding telehealth; evaluating pharmaceutical prescribing and anesthetic gas practices; and reducing the use of single-use devices and clinical plastics.
Policy advocacy
Health professionals are powerful advocates for policies that protect the health of their patients, communities, and our environment. You can meet with legislators, submit comments to a regulatory agency, testify before a legislative committee, or sign petitions. You can also call on their health system to publicly support policies that support the transition to sustainable, resilient, net-zero health care at the local, state, and national levels.
Media
There are numerous opportunities for health professionals to engage the media. You can write letters to the editor and op-eds, provide interviews, write blogs or other articles, participate in podcasts and use social media to raise awareness about sustainable, climate-smart health care.
Resilience
Health professionals have a vital role to play in ensuring that their facilities, patients, and communities are prepared for the impacts of climate change. You can encourage your leaders to develop climate resilience plans and to engage in place-based efforts by establishing collaboration between community groups and health care facilities.
Leadership and Advisory Committee members
For more information contact Amy Collins, Health Care Without Harm medical director.