What are the ways that climate change impacts human health? How can healthcare professionals support patients and communities to adapt to a changing climate? This short course explores the deep and complex connections between climate change and health for individuals and communities. By completing this course, students, trainees, practicing healthcare professionals and administrators will learn how to integrate climate awareness into their daily practice to inform and protect their patients and communities. While knowledge of human health is helpful, this is an introductory course with no required prerequisites.
Climate and Health for Healthcare Professions
Climate and Health for Healthcare Professions
This course is part of Healthcare Leadership for Climate Change Specialization
Instructors: Valerie K. Sabol
Included with 
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level
No prior experience required
18 hours to complete
3 weeks at 6 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
What you'll learn
Describe how the quest for economic development has caused the climate to change in ways that threaten human health and wellbeing, often inequitably
Explain the environmental harms and preparedness, resiliency, and sustainability challenges of healthcare practices and systems
Integrate a climate-informed approach to patient care through a health-equity lens
Act on climate change, sustainability, and health with motivation and confidence
Details to know
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Recently updated!
April 2025
Assessments
4 assignments
Taught in English
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This course is part of the Healthcare Leadership for Climate Change Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
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There are 4 modules in this course
Welcome to the course! We’ll begin by providing some introductory materials to set you up for success in the course. Then, the module explores how climate change is impacting the health of the planet Earth, our home. You will learn about how climate change exacerbates health and wellbeing disparities, and the role that social and economic vulnerabilities play in increasing risk. We will also introduce the Planetary Health framework to help make sense of these global-scale changes and work toward solutions for those most impacted. How are land use, water, biodiversity and climate changing in ways that affect our health and wellbeing? How do natural hazards interact with communities to produce disasters? And critically, how can we change our thinking to recognize that some people and places need more focused resources to thrive while others can stand to reduce their consumption without compromising wellbeing? Finally, you will hear firsthand from people working in health-related fields about how climate disruption is impacting their communities in unique ways and what solutions they are exploring for resilience.
What's included
11 videos13 readings1 assignment3 discussion prompts
This module explores both the climate impact and vulnerability of healthcare systems and provides concrete examples of efforts to reduce carbon footprint and build resilience. You will first learn about the climate impact of healthcare systems, particularly focusing on their greenhouse gas contributions. We will consider changes some healthcare systems have made to reduce their carbon footprint. The second part of this module will discuss how stresses and disruptions from our changing climate threaten the functioning of healthcare systems. You will learn about how healthcare systems can collaborate with their local and state governments and community organizations to make communities safer and better prepared.
What's included
10 videos14 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt
This module examines the intersection of climate change and health, emphasizing the direct and indirect health impacts of climate change on individuals within their communities. You will gain insights into the environmental determinants of health and the complex ways in which climate change amplifies health inequity. Then, you will be introduced to climate-informed clinical skills such as communicating environmental risks, developing adaptation and resilience strategies, and preparing for emergencies to optimize wellbeing in a shifting climate.
What's included
9 videos16 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt
This module discusses how health professionals can expand their roles and influence as climate and equity-informed educators, organizers, researchers, advocates, and systems change agents. You will learn specific communication strategies and have opportunities to connect your own knowledge, skills, and values with key themes from this course. By reviewing examples of how health professionals have led systems-level and community efforts to mitigate, adapt to, or build resilience to climate change, you will learn why working together with others is essential to effective climate action.
What's included
18 videos13 readings1 assignment3 discussion prompts
Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Public Health
Duke University
Duke University
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