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May 5, 2025
Earth Month Reflections
The SHE Center hosted its second Earth Month event on MCW-Milwaukee's campus, and with it experienced many sustainability “wins.” We would like to thank everyone for participating, and we look forward to carrying the spirit of Earth Month over the rest of the year.
One Healthcare Ecochallenge
The One Healthcare Ecochallenge has officially come to a close! A big thank you to our MCW team for participating in this friendly competition to support collective action for personal and environmental health! Over the course of the month, our team saved 984 gallons of water, 1,257 pounds of CO2, and spent 5,190 minutes exercising. The MCW team ultimately scored 7,717 points, 157 per person, for a final ranking of 33rd out of more than 100 teams across 43 healthcare organizations. After being challenged by the Froedtert Hospital team, our MCW team finished the month over 2,600 points ahead. Stay tuned to participate in the challenge in 2026; small examples of collective action make a big difference!
Earth Day celebration
The SHE Center and MCWell360 partnered to host MCW’s Earth Day celebration, featuring community speakers from Milwaukee Riverkeeper, Urban Ecology Center, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and Compost Crusaders. Members of our MCW community contributed dozens of seedlings to swap, and hundreds of batteries, plastic bags, and soda can tabs were recycled. For more, see our story on Infoscope! If you attended the event and would like to provide feedback, please follow this link.
MCWell360 Clothing Swap
The MCWell360 team hosted another successful clothing swap on April 3 in support of diverting clothing waste from landfills and providing no-cost clothing options. The team’s twice annual swaps have consistently been growing in popularity, and this month’s was no exception! The team counted 1,317 items of clothing contributed, and 793 items were given a new life with new owners during the swap. All remaining items were either saved for the swap in the fall or donated.
News & Updates
MCW evaluated for Planetary Health Report Card
For the first time, MCW participated in the student-led Planetary Health Report Card, an annual report that evaluates health professional schools’ progress in the field of planetary health. The Report Card focuses on the inclusion of a planetary health curriculum, interdisciplinary research on health and the environment, and community outreach and advocacy. For 2025, MCW has received a score of 60%, a B-, ranking 38 out of 62 U.S.-based medical schools that participated. Areas where MCW scored highly include interdisciplinary research and planetary health medical school curriculum, but there is still room to grow in campus sustainability. Read the details of MCW’s score here. Thank you to M1 Katie McShea for taking the lead on this initiative for 2025, and we look forward to our continued participation in the Report Card in years to come as we continue to improve our efforts in planetary health.
In January 2025, the Arbor Day Foundation designated the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center as an official Tree Campus in healthcare. To receive the designation, MRMC needed to meet qualifications such as having a defined tree care plan, participating in at least one community forestry project, and sponsoring at least one event celebrating the connection between trees and human health. Studies have shown that spending time around trees can reduce stress and anxiety as well as lower blood pressure. MRMC is currently the only healthcare campus in the Milwaukee area to have received the designation, including MCW's participation as a MRMC member. For more details on the efforts that went into this designation, please view the MRMC press release.
National Academy of Medicine releases agenda on gaps in climate & health research
On April 22, the 55th Earth Day, the National Academy of Medicine released, “A Research Agenda to Protect Human Health and Build Resilience in the Face of a Changing Climate,” to further advance knowledge and protect human health from the impacts of climate change.The agenda was developed “with the aim of advancing scientific understanding and shaping effective interventions and policies related to climate and health.” Four domains of gaps in climate and health research were identified - economic impacts, crosscutting strategies to support resilience and infrastructure, capacity building, and policy and communication.
WI DNR encourages residents to reduce food waste
In support of Food Prevention Week, April 7-13, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources encouraged state residents to take steps to reduce their food waste. The results of the agency’s 2020-2021 waste characterization study indicated that food waste is the largest component of trash in Wisconsin. In 2020, when food scraps were also included in their calculations, there were 294 pounds of food per Wisconsinite sent to landfill, contributing to a total of 854,000 pounds of food sent to a landfill.
Some ways to reduce food waste include:
- Researching food labels and expiration dates
- Buying food with a plan for how you will use it
- Storing food properly to make the most of its shelf life
- Freezing food to extend its life before you throw it away
Waste composition for SE Wisconsin. Photo from 2020-2021 WI DNR Waste Characterization Study
Upcoming Events
Webinar: Reducing Plastic Pollution in the Great Lakes, May 5, 3:00pm
Plastic pollution disrupts aquatic life, and exposure to microplastics from the environment has been associated with endocrine disruption, weakened immune systems, and insulin resistance. The Alliance for the Great Lakes, in association with Chicago Water Week, will be hosting a webinar on May 5 at 3pm CST to explore research on plastic reduction, current policy efforts, and how communities can get involved. If you are interested, please click here to read more and register.
CleanMed Annual Conference, May 6-8
CleanMed is the premier conference on environmental sustainability in the health care sector, hosted by Practice Greenhealth and Health Care Without Harm. This year’s conference will take place in Atlanta, GA and cover topics including building sustainability leadership, reducing food waste and food as medicine, challenges of plastics in healthcare, and more. See the full agenda here. Registration for virtual attendance is still available, with a Practice Greenhealth Partner discount available to the MCW community.
MCW Mental Health Awareness Event, May 15 11:00am-1:00pm
May is Mental Health Awareness month, and the MCWell360 team and Student Health & Wellness will be partnering to host a Mental Health Awareness event in the cafeteria lobby on May 15, 11am-1pm. This will be an opportunity for the MCW community to explore opportunities to spread acceptance, promote compassion, and show support for mental health awareness, featuring both on- and off-campus partners.
May 20 & 21 – MCW’s Medical Students for a Sustainable Future (MS4SF) Events
On May 20 beginning at 9am, MS4SF will lead the planting of the student garden in the HUB Quad. This year’s garden will double in size from last year’s inaugural summer vegetable garden, with harvested produce intended for delivery to the student food pantry. Interested students should email Brian Wagner (bawagner@mcw.edu) with any questions or to sign up.
On May 21 at 4:00 PM in MEB M2050, MS4SF will host an event focused on food insecurity and food waste. We’ll start with a brief didactic session, then work together to assemble shelf-stable soup and breakfast jars for distribution through the Saturday Clinic for the Uninsured. Food will be provided! To sign up, please email: kmcshea@mcw.edu.
MRMC Bike Month, throughout May
Throughout the month of May, MRMC will be partnering with Love to Ride to host a Bike Month Challenge. The goal of the challenge is to ride at least five miles at some point in May, but you can set your own targets as well. As you log more rides in the Love to Ride app, you can gain points for potential prizes. For more information and to register, visit the registration site or [CW1] scan the QR code in the image below.
On Our Radar: Research, Podcasts, and More
Funding Opportunities
Burroughs Wellcome Fund Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grants:
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund is accepting applications for grants of $2,500-$50,000 focused on climate change and human health, with rolling deadlines starting Jan. 23, 2025 and extending through July 24, 2026. The Fund plans to dedicate $1 million during that time to projects that pilot ways to reduce healthcare’s climate impact, explore connections between basic science approaches and planetary health, and prepare for climate-related natural disasters. For more information, review the grant details on the Fund website.
Resources & More
MCW is a member of several consortia and membership organizations with different resources to support engagement in climate action in academic medicine. Contact us for any assistance in signing up!
Global Consortium for Climate and Health Education (GCCHE) aims to unite health professional training institutions, health societies, and regional health organizations to create a global climate-ready health sector, prepared to mobilize and lead health promotion and response in the era of climate change, while restoring the health of the planet. Learn more and join here.
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Climate Action Virtual Community provides meaningful connection to the myriad people in academic medical centers working across mission areas to address the climate crisis and improve institutional resiliency. Request an account using your MCW email address here. Once your account has been approved, click here to join the Climate Action and Sustainability group.
Practice Greenhealth is the health care sector’s go-to source for information, tools, data, resources, and expert technical support on sustainability initiatives that help hospitals and health systems meet their health, financial, and community goals. Learn more.
Interested in learning more about the SHE Center at an upcoming MCW departmental, institute, or center faculty and/or staff meeting? Email Dr. Wagner to schedule.
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