No images? Click here
June 2, 2025
News & Updates
MCW-Milwaukee students plant community garden to support student food pantry
On May 20, students gathered in the HUB Cafe courtyard to plant this year's community garden, organized by the MCW-Milwaukee chapter of Medical Students for a Sustainable Future. The plants include tomatoes, peppers, collard greens, potatoes, green beans, lettuce, carrots, and basil, which will go toward the student food pantry to support students experiencing food insecurity. Students from the MCW Art Club participated as well to contribute their time and talents creating the “MCW Student Garden” sign. MCW-Milwaukee Students: if you would like to assist with maintaining the garden over the summer, please use this sign up link. Stay tuned for updates as summer continues, or take a stroll through the HUB cafe courtyard to see the plant progress for yourself!
Left: Students from MS4SF and the MCW Art Club who contributed to the garden
Top: MS4SF members planting this year's seedlings in the community garden
MCW-Milwaukee campus representatives present on benefits of food waste prevention
Joanne Bernstein, MD, Course Director, Department of Medicine, and Monica Edwards, Food and Nutrition Services Coordinator, Froedtert Hospital, presented at the CleanMed annual meeting in Atlanta, GA, from May 6-8. The session, titled “Food waste & procurement: Tackling Scope 3 emissions,” focused on the results of a recent Froedtert Hospital waste audit that identified 73,000 pounds of annual food waste, and how a partnership between the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center and a local foodbank rescued food to serve the community. Scope 3 emissions represent the largest component of most organizations’ carbon footprint and are associated with the value chain, including food procurement. Tackling this emissions source is often beneficial for both the environment and business finance. CleanMed is hosted by Practice Greenhealth and Healthcare Without Harm and is the premier conference for leaders in healthcare sustainability.
Dr. Bernstein and Monica Edwards seated at their CleanMed session
Surgical Educators Meeting Discusses Planetary Health, Operating Room Impacts
SHE Center Director Christa Wagner, PhD, joined a panel of surgical educators to discuss planetary health education and waste mitigation in the operating room at the Association for Surgical Education annual meeting on May 10 in Seattle, WA. The panel, "Teaching Green: Integrating Environmental Responsibility into Surgical Training," covered the fundamentals and ethical imperatives for planetary health, integration of these themes into undergraduate and graduate medical education, and training opportunities to decarbonize and reduce waste in the operating room. The session was co-moderated by Ricardo Bello, MD, MPH, MCW Fel ’24. Additional details of the conference are available on the meeting website.
Dr. Wagner presenting during the Association for Surgical Education annual meeting
Meet Hayden and Rossi, MRMC's newest peregrine falcons
Meet Hayden (F) and Rossi (F), the two new additions to the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center’s (MRMC) peregrine falcon nesting box, located on top of the Thermal Power Plant. The chicks were banded on May 22 to support ongoing conservation efforts.
Learn more about the falcons, the history of the MRMC nesting box, and other innovative ways to approach the conservation of this species in our previous Infoscope story.
Hayden and Rossi during their banding
Farmer's markets open for sustainable local produce
As even the cold Wisconsin weather starts to warm up, local farmer’s markets are returning to towns and villages. Farmer’s markets are a great place to find fresh, nutritious produce that is grown locally, without as much of an environmental impact as mass-grown food that is shipped over long distances. They are also a great way to support your community. If you would like to visit a farmer’s market this summer, find a market near you with this link.
Upcoming Events
Bublr bike demonstration, June 3, 5pm
MRMC will partner with Bublr Bikes to offer a “Savvy Cycling” training on how to use the Bublr Bike system and safely navigate Milwaukee’s streets. Attendees will receive a free 30-day pass to use the bike rental system and a helmet. The training will be offered at MCW’s Bublr Bikes station at 1090 N 87th Street. To sign up, follow this link or scan the QR code to the right.
"All Too Clear" screening at Great Lakes Research Conference, June 3, 8pm
The Nature Conservancy will host a free screening of the film "All Too Well," a documentary about the health of the Great Lakes freshwater ecosystem, at 8pm on June 3, as a part of the International Association of Great Lakes Research annual conference at the Baird Center. Following the screening, there will be a panel discussion and Q&A session with the filmmakers, Yvonne Drebert and Zach Melnick. Please follow this link to register.
MRMC Bike to Work day, June 4, leaves at 6:30am
On Wednesday, June 4, MRMC will host a Bike to Work day to promote green alternate transportation methods. Commuter groups will meet at three points along the Milwaukee trail system for those coming in from the North, East, and West. Once on campus, there will be refreshments, free bike tune-ups, and giveaways available at the commuter station at 87th and Connell. If you are unable to join the commuter rides, a group will meet at 5:45am at the commuter station for a ride on the Hank Aaron Trail. In case of inclement weather on June 4, the rain date is June 5. See below for meeting locations and the contact information for ride leaders.
- North: Oak Leaf Trail, Menomonee River, will leave the Froedtert ISC building at 6:00am, with stop at Mt Mary on the Oak Leaf trail at 6:30am, with ride leader Lynn Jack (lynn.jack@froedtert.com)
- East: Hank Aaron State Trail, will leave the Harley Davidson Museum at 6:30am, with ride leader Heidi Curtes (hcurtes@mcw.edu)
- West: Oak Leaf Trail, Underwood Creek, will leave from Potter and Underwood at 6:30am, with ride leader Trent Jay (trent.jay@froedtert.com)
Froedtert Hospital announces new Clinical Green Team, June 10, 11am
Froedtert Hospital announces its Clinical Green Team Kickoff Meeting — an opportunity for nurses, techs, advanced practice providers (APPs), and other clinical staff who want to get involved in sustainable healthcare practices here at Froedtert and MCW. This meeting will cover the purpose and goals of a Clinical Green Team, opportunities to reduce environmental impact in clinical care, and how you can contribute ideas or participate in ongoing efforts. Whether you’re already involved in sustainability efforts or just curious to learn more, we welcome your voice and energy.
Let’s work together to make sustainable healthcare a reality. If you are interested in participating, please reach out to Emily Kilmer at ekilmer@mcw.edu.
Climate Action and Sustainability in Academic Medicine Collaborative Meeting, June 26, 2 pm
The Climate Action and Sustainability in Academic Medicine virtual community will host its next collaborative meeting on June 26 at 2pm CST. The discussion topic is “Electrifying Heat in an Existing Hospital,” and will focus on the feasibility aspects of electrifying a hospital’s heating system. Panelists, including Geoffrey W. Glass, PE, Octet Works; Fred Betz, PhD, Co-Founder, NeuMod Labs; and Kara Brokos, MS, Senior Associate Director of Sustainability, American Hospital Association, will provide their expertise. The discussion will also include a case study covering the technology, costs, and timeline of the project. All backgrounds are encouraged to attend! Free registration is required to attend.
Hank Aaron State Trail fundraiser, August 9
MCW will have a team at the Friends of Hank Aaron State Trail 5k run/walk on August 9, starting at 8:30am. The trail provides the community with opportunities for recreation and alternatives to commuting by car, and this 5k is the its largest fundraiser! If you are interested, please click here for more details and registration. To participate on the MCW team, sign up for the $25 Team Run/Walk and indicate that you will be participating with the Medical College of Wisconsin. Happy trails!
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.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign-up here.
Questions, comments, or content to share? Send it our way: SHECenter@mcw.edu
Connect to the SHE Center on Social!
Medical College of Wisconsin | 8701 Watertown Plank Road | Milwaukee, WI 53226
You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to the SHE Center Notes.
© 2025 Medical College of Wisconsin. All rights reserved.
