Florida Clinicians for Climate Action (FCCA) is busy connecting health and climate solutions. FCCA has partnered with Miami Dade County, the Health Foundation of South Florida, Miami Foundation, Baptist Health System, and the Cortada Foundation to:
- Map the largest healthcare providers identified by Miami Dade County as communities with the highest heat vulnerability index
- Provide climate change and heat prevention education (using CDC and Miami Dade County approved literature and flyers) to health care providers and patients in those communities (primarily federally qualified health centers and safety net hospitals)
- Produce nine one-hour CME webinar series on heat and heat illness for the Baptist Health System platform, accessible to all Florida clinicians. Speakers for webinars included nationally recognized experts in climate change health impacts for their specialty
- Develop a four-hour climate and health certificate training program for pre-health professional students(16 years and older) and health professionals to assist in educating clinicians and patients-Climate Health Outreach Team (C-HOT) representatives
- Develop climate and health community practicum for medical students. The students are trained to educate the community, participate in research, and employ advocacy skills (write op-eds, letters to the editor, etc.)
FCCA also continues advocacy efforts against burning sugar cane fields, approval of Miami-Dade’s adoption of a heat standard ordinance, increased purchase of electric vehicles (especially school buses), and working with four regional climate and sustainability compacts looking for federal funding opportunities. Three FCCA members also met with Congressman Daren Soto on the Farm Bill who sits on the Agriculture Committee.