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Lecture Series on Climate and Health

  • Venue & Location

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    In Person or Online
    See Registration Below.
  • Fee & Registration

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    Free, Registration Required

Description

St. Luke’s and Idaho Clinicians for Climate Health continue their lecture series addressing health and climate change.

All sessions are free and open to the public both virtually and through in-person attendance. Session recordings will be available to any registrants and can also be viewed on our YouTube page upon conclusion.

Fall 2025 Series

A Lasting Impact: Wildfire Smoke and Pediatric Health

Wednesday, Aug. 13: 12-1 p.m.

Join Dr. Debra Hendrickson for a powerful conversation on the health impacts of wildfire smoke and extreme heat on children. Drawing from her firsthand experience at her Reno clinic, Dr. Hendrickson shares how climate change is intensifying these threats — especially for children, whose smaller size, developing organs, and reliance on adults make them particularly vulnerable. With a commitment to pediatric health and environmental advocacy, Dr. Hendrickson offers both medical insight and a passionate call for action to protect our youngest and most at-risk population. Don’t miss this vital and timely discussion.

Attend via Teams

Reducing Waste, Rethinking Care: An Approach to Sustainability in the OR

Wednesday, Sept. 17: 12-1 p.m.

The operating room is a critical hub in any hospital — responsible for over 30% of a facility’s waste, 50% of total supply costs, and driving up to 60% of hospital revenue. It’s a space where clinical excellence must be balanced with operational efficiency and environmental responsibility. So how can we integrate sustainability into such a high-stakes environment? Join Dr. Ami N. Shah as she shares how she leads systemwide efforts to make surgical care more sustainable. Learn how rethinking clinical practices can align better with environmental goals — without compromising patient outcomes or financial performance. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the future of sustainable surgery and how you can be part of the change.

Attend via Teams

A Pediatrician's Perspective on Climate Impacts

Wednesday, Oct. 8: 12-1 p.m.

Join us for a compelling session with Dr. Lisa Patel, executive director of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health and clinical associate professor of Pediatrics at Stanford School of Medicine. Dr. Patel will explore how climate change is already affecting the health of children today and what it means for their future. Drawing on her experience in environmental policy, pediatric care and climate advocacy, she will highlight the urgent need for climate-resilient communities and health care systems that protect our youngest and most vulnerable.

Attend via Teams

Promoting Climate Action through Quality and Safety Activities

Wednesday, Nov. 9: 12-1 p.m.

Join a dynamic session with Dr. Komal Bajaj and Dr. Hardeep Singh as they explore how health care professionals can leverage quality and safety initiatives to drive meaningful climate action. Drawing from their leadership roles and national policy work, they will share practical strategies that align environmental sustainability with diagnostic excellence and patient safety. Attendees will gain insights into system-level innovations, tools, and frameworks that make climate-conscious care both actionable and impactful.

Attend via Teams

Keynote with Dr. Donald M. Berwick

Wednesday, Dec. 17: 12-1 p.m.

Donald M. Berwick is one of the leading scholars, teachers, and advocates in the world for the continual improvement of health care systems. He is a pediatrician, and a longstanding member of the faculty of Harvard Medical School. He founded and led the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, now the leading global nonprofit organization in its field. He was appointed by President Obama as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where he served in 2010 and 2011. He has counseled governments, clinical leaders, and executives in dozens of nations. He is an elected Member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Philosophical Society. He has received numerous awards, including the Heinz Award for Public Policy, the Award of Honor of the American Hospital Association, and the Gustav Leinhard Award from the Institute of Medicine. For his work with the British National Health Service, in 2005 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II appointed him Honourary Knight Commander of the British Empire, the highest honor awarded by the UK to a non-British subject.


Registration

Registration Instructions

All sessions are free and open to the public.

Email us with any questions.

Register Online

Climate Change Lecture Archives

  • Climate Smart Asthma Care

    • People are struggling to breathe, and inhalers are part of the solution. But inhalers can also contribute a significant portion of carbon emissions. There may be choices available that are clinically equivalent and have a significantly lower carbon footprint.

      Presenters: Dr. Gregg Furie; Dr. Samantha Green; and Kathleen Silveira, PharmD

    • View on St. Luke's YouTube Channel
  • Expansion of Infectious Borne Disease

    • Climate change, mild winters, early springs, and new habitats are giving insects more time to reproduce, more interactions with humans/animals and more opportunities to spread diseases throughout the United States.

      Presenters: Dr. Sky Blue, Sawtooth Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases; and Dr. Christine Hahn, Idaho medical director and state epidemiologist, Idaho Division of Public Health

    • View on St. Luke's YouTube Channel
  • Idaho Climate Economic Impacts

    • The Idaho Climate-Economy Impacts Assessment connects the latest scientific research on Idaho’s changing climate with economic risks and opportunities that impact businesses, residents and local and state economies.

      With the participation of researchers and subject matter experts, the findings from the assessment help Idaho plan for a productive, resilient future.

      Presenters: Dr. Bill Weppner, primary care provider and clinician-educator; and Helen Brown College of Health and Human Sciences, University of Idaho
    • View on St. Luke's YouTube Channel