# Shaken by heatwaves, U.S. clinics get tips on staying cool Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-10-05 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Nurse Practitioner Aims to Tackle Heat-Related Health Meta Description: Discover how nurse practitioner Alexis Hodges is leading the way in training patients and healthcare workers to cope with heat-related emergencies. URL: https://financedigest.com/shaken-by-heatwaves-u-s-clinics-get-tips-on-staying-coolhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2022-10-05t123813z1lynxmpei940nvrtroptp4us-usa-climate-change-health-temperature-1736815099019-compressed.jpg) By David Sherfinski NAGS HEAD, North Carolina (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The day a patient collapsed out in the parking lot, nurse practitioner Alexis Hodges realized she needed a plan to deal with the extreme heat that has overwhelmed U.S. community health clinics from the East Coast to California this summer. Hodges, who works in North Carolina, said about half of the patients she saw in July had heat-related conditions, as soaring temperatures in much of the United States fueled policymakers’ concern about the [health impacts](https://www.financedigest.com/the-impact-of-debt-on-your-health-and-what-you-can-do-about-it.html "The Impact of Debt On Your Health, And What You Can Do About It") of climate change. For her mainly low-income patients, who are either uninsured or underinsured, [cost is one of the biggest worries](https://www.financedigest.com/fortum-says-rising-costs-of-nordic-power-trading-are-worrying.html "Fortum says rising costs of Nordic power trading are “worrying”") of a health emergency, Hodges said. It’s a [financial worry](https://www.financedigest.com/why-finance-needs-to-collaborate-to-get-rid-of-internal-worries.html "Why finance needs to collaborate to get rid of internal worries") … Patients will beg you not to send them to the hospital,” said Hodges, sitting in her office at the Community [Care Clinic of Dare](https://www.financedigest.com/flat-sharing-caring-and-definitely-daring-wembley-park-has-it-all.html "Flat-sharing, caring and definitely daring – Wembley Park has it all") – one of a handful of U.S. clinics taking part in a pilot [program to train](https://www.financedigest.com/new-trends-in-online-training-programs.html "New Trends in Online Training Programs") them, and their patients, to cope with extreme heat. The man who collapsed, a [diabetes patient with high blood pressure](https://www.financedigest.com/diabetic-foot-ulcers-and-pressure-ulcers-market-revenue-status-and-outlook-2016-2024-detailed-in-new-research-report.html "Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Pressure Ulcers Market Revenue Status and Outlook 2016-2024 Detailed in New Research Report"), was probably charged at least some of the $1,000 bill for an ambulance ride to hospital, Hodges said, adding that simple steps like drinking enough water could avert such emergencies. “If (only) we could have been proactive instead of reactive and stressed the importance of water,” she added. The pilot program, [launched by global](https://www.financedigest.com/q-acoustics-push-global-expansion-with-canada-launch.html "Q Acoustics Push Global Expansion with Canada Launch") health aid organization Americares, Harvard University, and Biogen, a Massachusetts-based biotech firm, provides tip sheets – called toolkits – to patients to help them ward off the health effects of extreme heat, with special recommendations for high-risk groups. Similar [tip sheets for wildfire and hurricane preparation are also planned](https://www.financedigest.com/5-annuity-tips-to-know-for-2023-retirement-planning.html "5 Annuity Tips to Know for 2023 Retirement Planning") as part of the initiative, which is unusual for channeling climate resilience aid to a wealthy country. “It’s important for everybody to know that nobody is immune … It’s going to hit every country, ” said Kristin Stevens, director of climate and disaster resilience at Americares, which [plans to expand the program to at least three low-to-moderate income countries over the next five years](https://www.financedigest.com/3-factors-to-plan-for-in-2017-a-year-like-none-other.html "3 Factors to Plan for in 2017, A Year Like None Other"). HIGH RISK The program, which is starting with nine pilot clinics across four U.S. states, is a useful tool for overstretched healthcare workers with little [time to contemplate the impact of climate change on their day-to-day jobs](https://www.financedigest.com/britains-purplebricks-to-cut-more-than-10-of-jobs-the-times.html "Britain’s Purplebricks to cut more than 10% of jobs – The Times"), said Hodges. It offers them a checklist of items to ask heat-vulnerable patients, like whether they have proper [access to emergency heat alerts and if they have a backup plan](https://www.financedigest.com/are-the-over-55s-accessing-their-pensions-early-failing-to-plan-for-later-life.html "Are the over-55s accessing their pensions early failing to plan for later life?") if air conditioning is unavailable. It also includes broader tips for clinic administrators on how to make their premises more resilient to [climate change](https://www.financedigest.com/scientists-in-germany-turn-up-heat-on-seagrass-in-climate-change-fight.html "Scientists in Germany turn up heat on seagrass in climate change fight"), for example by prioritizing tree-planting along the sunniest exterior walls. We want health centers to be able to [remain open](https://www.financedigest.com/eex-markets-to-remain-open-as-power-prices-soar-statement.html "EEX markets to remain open as power prices soar – statement") and functional longer,” Stevens said, adding that people without health insurance – who rely on the centers – are often the most vulnerable to the effects of the climate crisis. Many of the patients Hodges sees in Nags Head, a beach and vacation [community in North Carolina’s Outer Banks](https://www.financedigest.com/why-poor-customer-communication-is-holding-open-banking-back.html "Why poor customer communication is holding open banking back") region, work outdoors in construction or hospitality, where exposure to extreme heat is unavoidable. Others have conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease, which are considered high [risk in a heatwave](https://www.financedigest.com/risk-of-new-wildfires-in-southwestern-france-as-heatwave-persists.html "Risk of new wildfires in southwestern France as heatwave persists"). Meeting patients one September morning, Hodges asked one of them – a 74-year-old man with kidney issues – how much water he was drinking, [warning him that he was at risk](https://www.financedigest.com/risk-of-uk-balance-of-payments-crisis-under-truss-is-rising-deutsche-bank-warns.html "Risk of UK balance of payments crisis under Truss is rising, Deutsche Bank warns") of having to start dialysis and handing him one of the tip sheets. “Maybe, just maybe, my education today … and handing him that patient handout that says ‘how to manage heat with renal disease’ is going to wake him up to say ‘OK, I really do have this problem’,” she told the [Thomson Reuters](https://www.financedigest.com/thomson-reuters-keeps-outlook-but-wary-of-slowing-economy.html "Thomson Reuters keeps outlook, but wary of slowing economy") Foundation later. ‘MORAL INJURY’ The [impact of climate change on community](https://www.financedigest.com/how-mifid-ii-will-impact-financial-advisor-communications.html "HOW MIFID II WILL IMPACT FINANCIAL ADVISOR COMMUNICATIONS") health clinics has also caught the attention of the U.S. Congress, which held a hearing last month on preparing healthcare infrastructure for [extreme weather](https://www.financedigest.com/europe-unveils-hi-tech-satellite-to-speed-up-extreme-weather-warnings.html "Europe unveils hi-tech satellite to speed up extreme weather warnings"). Parinda Khatri, chief executive of nonprofit healthcare provider Cherokee [Health Systems](https://www.financedigest.com/health-care-information-systems-market-growth-set-to-surge-significantly-during-2018-2026.html "Health Care Information Systems Market Growth Set to Surge Significantly during 2018 – 2026"), told lawmakers the organization had to close its pediatric clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee, for 10 days over the summer after its air conditioning broke down. They resorted to using fans to cool refrigerated vaccines, but still lost $20,000 worth of in-stock medications. There’s a lot of moral injury when there is a [heatwave and we know that people are living in areas where they cannot have access to air](https://www.financedigest.com/air-pollution-surges-as-heatwave-sweeps-across-europe.html "Air pollution surges as heatwave sweeps across Europe") conditioning or, frankly, water,” she said. Programs such as the patient toolkit initiative are vital for shielding vulnerable [groups from climate change impacts](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-report-warns-of-impact-of-islamist-groups-in-prisons.html "UK report warns of impact of Islamist groups in prisons"), said Aaron Bernstein, director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of [Public Health](https://www.financedigest.com/how-can-technology-impact-public-health.html "How can Technology Impact Public Health"). “This is a canary in a coal mine situation,” he said. What we need to work on is making the resources as adaptable and [effective as possible](https://www.financedigest.com/the-brexit-effect-hits-uk-salaries-but-possibly-boosts-tourism.html "The Brexit Effect Hits UK Salaries, but Possibly Boosts Tourism") because again, the harms of climate change are already apparent in folks whose health is already most compromised. Originally published on: (Reporting by David Sherfinski; Editing by Helen Popper. The Thomson [Reuters](https://www.financedigest.com/thomson-reuters-lifts-sales-outlook-on-back-of-earnings-beat.html "Thomson Reuters lifts sales outlook on back of earnings beat") Foundation is the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters. Visit https://www.context.news/) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---