CR4HC Heat Element 6: Communications and All-Hazards Approach

Element 6. Communications and All-Hazards Approach

Extreme heat events often occur simultaneously or in quick succession with other climate change-related hazards, such as drought, wildfire, hurricanes, and flooding. Multi-hazard events increase the risk of multiple system failures at the community scale (such as disruptions to the water and power utilities) and can result in both direct and indirect harm to population health. Repeated patient surges and cascading infrastructure failures both in the community and within healthcare facilitiescan temporarily disrupt the entire healthcare system in a region (Clarke et al., 2018). Fortunately, many policy, infrastructure, and communications interventions can increase organizational resilience to more than one climate-related hazard. This is particularly true if emergency management and climate resilience planners use an all-hazards approach to designing, implementing, and testing proposed interventions.

Link to the Fifth National Climate Assessment, Chapter 18, for more information.

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CR4HC Heat Element 6

Climate Resilience Actions:

Use simultaneous disasters as an opportunity for education about the co-benefits of taking an all-hazards approach to resilience: Simultaneous and cascading disasters can be opportunities to educate the community, staff, and emergency management partners about the need to use a co-benefit approach to risk assessment, emergency response, and rebuilding efforts.
Broadcast heat alerts using culturally-appropriate language and communication pathways: Broadcasting alerts about heat vulnerability and protective behaviors to patients, staff, and community partners using culturally-appropriate language and communication pathways can help amplify the local public health department and office of emergency management’s communication efforts (Hasan et al., 2021; O’Neill et al., 2009).
Provide a place of refuge for patients, staff, and the general public: Healthcare facilities equipped to continue operations during power outages can act as places of refuge for patients, staff, and the general public during all types of emergencies that result in power outages.

Tools and Resources:

Data and Tools

About Urban Heat Islands: This webpage explains what urban heat islands are, what causes them, why we should care about them, and what can be done to address them. https://www.heat.gov/pages/urban-heat-islands
City Resources for Adapting to Heat: Guidance on how to develop comprehensive heat adaptation plans. Resources include: Comprehensive Heat Response Planning, Forecasting and Monitoring, Education and Awareness, Responses to Heat Waves, and Infrastructure Improvements. https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/adapting-heat
Cool Your Community Social Media Toolkit: This social media toolkit, presented in English and Spanish, is designed to increase awareness of heat islands, share information on heat island cooling strategies, and encourage individuals to adopt these cooling strategies. https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/cool-your-community-social-media-toolkit
EPA Excessive Heat Events (EHE) Guidebook: Guidebook that provides critical information that local public health officials and others need to begin assessing their Excessive Heat Events (EHE) vulnerability and developing and implementing EHE notification and response programs. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-03/documents/eheguide_final.pdf
Extreme Heat: CDC Social Media Graphics: This social media toolkit presented in English and Spanish, provides helpful tips, information, and resources to help you stay safe in the extreme heat. https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/socialmedia/graphics/default.htm#extreme_heat
Heat Response Plans: Summary of Evidence and Strategies for Collaboration and Implementation: Report summarizing the science behind extreme heat, the health burden of heat exposure, the impacts of climate change, and components and effectiveness of heat response plans with a focus on relevant peer-reviewed literature and existing heat response plans. https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/docs/HeatResponsePlans_508.pdf
National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network: Heat & Heat-Related Illness (HRI): Explore, view, and download climate change-related exposure, vulnerability, and health outcome data by indicator/measure of interest, geography (e.g. state, county, etc.) and time (e.g. year).
Under 'Step 1: Content,' select 'Heat & Heat-Related Illness (HRI)' and then select desired indicator, measure, geography, and time. https://ephtracking.cdc.gov/DataExplorer/
National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS): Web portal for the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) that serves as a source of heat and health information to reduce the health, economic, and infrastructural impacts of extreme heat. https://www.heat.gov/
NHTSA Child Heatstroke Prevention Social Media Toolkit: This playbook, from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), includes specific content and assets, along with instructions, to raise awareness of the heat risks posed to a child who has been forgotten or left behind in or gained access to a parked car. https://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/sites/tsm.gov/files/2024-04/child-heatstroke-social-media-playbook-en-2024-16260-v3-tag.pdf
Ready.gov: Extreme Heat Safety Social Media Toolkit: Social media toolkit designed to provide guidance on what to do before, during, and after extreme heat events. Includes safety and preparedness messages. https://www.ready.gov/extreme-heat-safety-social-media-toolkit
Who is Most At Risk to Extreme Heat?: This webpage describes who is most at risk to extreme heat and why. https://www.heat.gov/pages/who-is-at-risk-to-extreme-heat

People and Operations

Climate Change and Extreme Heat Events: How Health Systems Should Prepare: Article that discusses the health effects of extreme heat emergencies and provides illustrative examples of what health systems can do to promote climate readiness and heat resiliency. https://catalyst.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/CAT.21.0454
Climate Resilient Health Clinics Toolkit: Extreme Heat Year-Round Guidance: This document, a part of the Americares' Climate Resilient Health Clinics Toolkit, outlines important administrative tasks to be accomplished leading up to potential extreme heat. https://www.americares.org/wp-content/uploads/4.-ADMIN.Heat_Year-Round_Guidance_2023Final.pdf
Climate Resilient Health Clinics Toolkit: Health Center Power Outage Guidance: This document, a part of the Americares' Climate Resilient Health Clinics Toolkit and designed for administrators of health centers and clinics, provides recommendations for policies or procedures in the event of a power outage that can be included in an Emergency Operations Plan or into a standalone power outage plan to help ensure the safety of staff and patients in the event of a power outage during a heat wave. https://www.americares.org/wp-content/uploads/ADMIN.Heat_HealthCenter_Power_Outages_Final.pdf
Climate Resilient Health Clinics Toolkit: Heat Alert Plan Guidance and Checklist: This document, a part of the Americares' Climate Resilient Health Clinics Toolkit, identifies actions that administrators of health centers and clinics can take to maintain situational awareness and facility/clinic operations during extreme heat events. https://www.americares.org/wp-content/uploads/1.-ADMIN.Heat_Alert_Plan_2023Final.pdf
NIOSH: Heat Stress: This National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) website provides a list of resources and tools for preventing and managing heat stress as an occupational hazard. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/heatstress/default.html

Physical Infrastructure

Climate Ready DC Resilient Design Guidelines: These guidelines share a methodology for conducting a climate resilience needs assessment and suggests steps for planning, designing, and constructing projects to support resilient outcomes in the built environment. https://doee.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ddoe/service_content/attachments/CRDC%20resilient%20design%20guidelines_FINALApproved.pdf

Funding Opportunities

Cigna Extends Medicare Advantage Transportation Benefit Due to Heat: Cigna Medicare Advantage members can use their same-day transportation benefits to escape the heat and ride to places including community cooling centers or places with air conditioning like libraries and senior centers. https://newsroom.cigna.com/2022-07-29-As-Temperatures-Rise,-Cigna-Offers-Medicare-Advantage-Customers-Rides-To-Cooling-Centers-at-No-Extra-Cost

References

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CR4HC References

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Extreme Heat

Elements of Extreme Heat Resilience

1. Prospective Risk Assessment 2. Health Equity and Community Engagement

3. Infrastructure & Operations 4. Collaboration Between Healthcare Organizations

5. Interdisciplinary Planning, Oversight, and Evaluation 6. Communications & All-Hazards Approach