Jessica Hinshaw, MPH, is the Director of Environmental Health in NACHC’s Population Health Department.
As summer temperatures rise, Community Health Centers face the critical challenge of protecting their patients from the adverse health effects of heat. Heat-related illnesses and deaths are preventable. Yet, heat causes the most climate-related deaths each year– even more than hurricanes and wildfires. Furthermore, due to a changing climate, the heat now stretches as early as April to as late as October in certain areas of the continental US. The patients that receive care at health centers can be especially affected by heat because of health and life conditions, social drivers of health, and occupation.
Fortunately, there are many resources that can help health centers prepare clinicians, patients, and facilities for heat.
News and Updates about Heat
- Check the CDC HeatRisk tool each week for a heat forecast in your zip code and service area zip codes. This tool provides protective tips and health measures depending on the level of risk.
- Sign-up for Harvard C-CHANGE and Climate Central’s Heat Risk Clinical Alert system. This system uses the CDC Heat Risk tool to send email alerts when an area’s heat risk is moderate, major, or extreme.
- Sign-up for NACHC’s dedicated Heat Newsletter for short updates and reminders on heat.
Understanding the Risks of Heat
Heat can cause a range of health issues, from heat exhaustion to heat stroke, and can exacerbate chronic conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Populations that face negative impacts from heat include:
- Infants and children
- pregnant people
- adults over age 65
- people with disabilities, mental health conditions, chronic health conditions, substance-use disorders
- people who lack housing and/or quality housing, access to cooling
- people who are socially isolated, breathing polluted air
- workers (especially outdoor workers)
- those who engage in strenuous outdoor activities including athletes
These populations often have limited access to cooling resources, making it imperative for health centers to talk with patients and prepare their staff and facilities during the heat season.
Clinical Tip Sheets and Heat-Related Patient Resources
- View NACHC’s resources on heat-related illness
- Use the following resources to speak with patients about heat:
- CDC CHILL’D out questionnaireCDC Heat and MedicationsCDC Action Plans and Tip Sheets for Pregnant People, Children/Teens with Asthma, and People with Cardiovascular Diseases
- Americares and Harvard C-Change’s Climate Resilience Toolkits
- Consider installing solar panels and back-up battery storage to access reliable energy, even during planned and unplanned power outages or even become a resilience hub! The Community Health Access to Resilient Green Energy partnership supports health centers in learning about their options for solar and storage.
Webinars about Heat and Health
- Review webinar recordings from a recent NACHC and Migrant Clinicians Network Four-part Webinar Series on Heat in English and Spanish.
- Host a tabletop exercise to prepare for the heat. Stay tuned for a forthcoming situation manual from the NACHC Environmental Health and Emergency Management teams.
The NACHC Environmental Health team hopes health center staff and patients can stay safe throughout the heat season. Please reach out if you have additional resources or stories, suggestions, or questions to share at envhealth@nachc.org.