Three health care clinics in northern Arizona will pilot a program aimed at preventing heat-related illnesses. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports, the goal is to create tailored action plans for healthcare providers in communities that are vulnerable to extreme heat events.
Tuba City Regional Healthcare Corporation clinics in Tuba City, LeChee and Flagstaff will receive action plans by next summer, following an assessment of their needs and capabilities.
Project lead Nathaniel Matthews-Trigg says healthcare responses to increasingly frequent heatwaves must consider not only the local climate, but community demographics, too.
On the Navajo Nation, he says: "There are incredibly strong social connections and ties in that region, so that could be something clinics could leverage to help them identify ways to support those most vulnerable. But then there’s also there are also a lot unique challenges on the Navajo Nation, like access to electricity and running water."
Clinics in Florida and Louisiana are also participating in the pilot program. It’s run by Americares and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, with funding from Johnson & Johnson.