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June 28, 2024
Get to Know the SHE Center Team
The MCW Center for Sustainability, Health, and the Environment (SHE Center) is supporting three learners during the summer of 2024 who are contributing to different aspects of the Center’s sustainability and climate and health efforts. Learn more about their interests and engagement below!
Meet Frances Mackinnon
Frances is a summer intern working on curriculum development for the Sustainability, Health, and Environment Center in planetary health. Previously, she worked for the City of Minneapolis public works analyzing parking strategies to meet city sustainability targets. She has recently completed her undergraduate degree in Sustainable Development from the University of St. Andrews, UK. Her research background includes global health equity, political ecology and urban development, and critical GIS.
Meet Aiden Moore
Aiden is a summer intern at the Institute for Health & Equity engaging in research on eliminating waste in cholecystectomy procedures by creating universal surgeon preference cards optimized to limit their carbon footprint. He is a rising second year medical student at the Medical College of Wisconsin and is involved in the Quality Improvement and Patient Safety elective pathway. His interest in improving hospital efficiency and environmental impact blossomed at UW-Madison through his minor in public health.
Meet Afrah Yafai
Afrah is a summer intern at the Institute for Health & Equity doing research on sickle cell disease and its connection to climate change -- specifically urban heat islands. She is a master's student at the Zilber College of Public Health studying Epidemiology, where she also received her undergraduate degree in Public Health. Her Yemeni background sparked her interest in global health matters, GIS mapping, epidemiology, and overall, the field of public health.
News & Updates
SHE Center Work Highlighted at AHW 20th Anniversary Conference
SHE Center Director Christa Wagner, PhD, presented the ongoing work to develop the SHE Center at the June 20 Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin (AHW) for ALL Conference in Green Bay, WI. The “ignite style” presentation provided an overview of the two AHW-funded grants supporting growth of the Center in its first year (more detail on the Development of the Center and “Greening” the Operating Room grants are on the AHW website).
The Conference highlighted more than 30 funded projects during concurrent sessions and celebrated 20 years of the AHW Endowment, during which time more than $338 million has been distributed to over 600 projects.
In Case You Missed it - Department of Medicine Grand Rounds
"Climate Smart Healthcare: How You Can Make a Difference."
SHE Center Director Christa Wagner, PhD, and Associate Professor and Course Director Joanne Bernstein, MD, MSE, presented the MCW Department of Medicine Grand Rounds, "Climate Smart Healthcare: How You Can Make a Difference." The presentation took place on May 31, 2024; view the fully recorded presentation here.
Beat the Heat - How to Stay Safe as Temperatures Rise this Summer
Summer officially kicked off on June 20, and Wisconsin has already experienced several high heat days. The health impacts of heat are particularly dangerous early in the season when our bodies haven’t adapted to the warmer temperatures, and can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even death. Below are several resources describing how heat impacts our bodies, risk factors that make some more vulnerable to heat exposure, and ways that high temperatures can impact medications patients take to stay healthy.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: About Heat and Your Health
- Americares: Extreme Heat and Climate Change
- AP: How does heat kill? It confuses your brain. It shuts down your organs. It overworks your heart
- The New York Times: Extreme Heat and Heat Stroke: What ER Doctors Want You to Know
Show Your Stripes
Did you know the average global temperatures have increased by >2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1850? View the temperature change in your area with Show Your Stripes, a website that shows the temperature change of cities, regions, and the globe over time. Below is a look at the city of Milwaukee's stripes over the last 150+ years normalized to the average temperature from 1961 - 2010.
The stripes above are a visual representation of the change in temperature in Milwaukee, WI.
Meet Hammer, Anvil, and Stirrup - MRMC's Newest Peregrine Falcons
Meet Hammer (F), Anvil (F), and Stirrup (M), the three new additions to the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center’s (MRMC) peregrine falcon nesting box, located on top of the Thermal Power Plant.
Learn more about the falcons, the history of the MRMC nesting box, and other innovative ways to approach the conservation of this species on Infoscope.
Upcoming Events
July 16-17: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Climate Crossroads Summit 2024. This is a summit engaging experts, community stakeholders, and decision makers on current and emerging pathways to meet the climate crisis. Attendees can register for virtual or in-person participation here.
August 10: Join the MCW Team for Hank Aaron State Trail 5k Run/Walk. The 24th annual Hank Aaron State Trail 5k Run/Walk is planned for Saturday, August 10, and members of the MCW community are putting together a team of walkers and runners. Students, faculty, staff, friends, and family are welcome to register for the "Team Run/Walk" under the team name "Medical College of Wisconsin. Learn more about this event on Infoscope.
Funding Opportunities
Deadline November 21, 2024: Environmental Protection Agency Community Change Grant: Approximately $2 billion dollars in Inflation Reduction Act funds is available to support environmental and climate justice activities to benefit disadvantaged communities through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate justice challenges. Learn more.
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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