Primary Care Climate Change and Health Program
Primary care is on the frontlines of climate change and is integral to enhancing public health capability and adaptation to this long-term threat to human health. Frontline communities and primary care will need incremental, transitional, and transformational adaptation of social, economic, environmental, and health systems in order to mitigate the health threats of climate change.
Primary care can protect frontline communities by expanding access to high-quality health care, strengthening social capital through health advocacy and relationship building, and treating health conditions caused or exacerbated by climate-related effects. Primary care essentially reduces the vulnerability of frontline communities exposed to climate-related effects.
Mission, Vision and Values
Our mission is to build climate change resilience within our communities through education, public health policy and practice, research and innovation, and healthcare sustainability.
Our vision is to create change within the healthcare system and medical practice to drive climate change adaptation and mitigation practices that protect and promote the health of all Oregonians.
Our values:
Education: We will foster transformational adaptation within medicine that will shift attitudes and perceptions of healthcare professionals’ role in protecting our communities from poor health outcomes driven by climate change.
Public Health Policy and Practice: We will collaborate with academic centers, governmental institutions, and community organizations on disease surveillance, environmental exposures, disaster risk management, and coordination between these sectors to address climate change-driven health threats.
Research and Innovation: We will use implementation science and applied research to enable our team to identify barriers or pathways to implement effective, proven interventions at scale to protect population health.
Justice and Dignity: We will continue our work to expand access to high-quality healthcare to all with a focus on frontline communities to protect these populations against climate change-driven poor health outcomes.
Healthcare Sustainability: We will engage our students, residents, faculty, and staff using the annual Planetary Report Card to improve environmental and healthcare sustainability at home to protect Oregonians’ health from the dangers of climate change and model a pathway forward on institutional sustainability practices.
Community: We are committed to the communities we serve by building long-term, authentic relationships with children, youth, and adults, thereby creating resilient communities while supporting equity, justice, dignity, and access to healthcare for all.