Want to Get Involved?
Want to Get Involved?
Want to Get Involved?
Want to Get Involved?
Want to Get Involved?
Climate change is here and impacting our health today.
So why aren't future health professionals learning about it?
The Virginia Climate and Health Education Collaborative (VCHEC) was established in 2021 to introduce climate education into the curriculum of schools of health training in the Commonwealth. The health of people is intimately connected, across disease and organ systems, with our changing climate reality. Future doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other allied health professionals must be prepared to recognize, diagnose, and treat climate-related health conditions if they are to adequately care for patients in our changing world.
The VCHEC is a collaborative of healthcare trainees, faculty, academic administrators, and practicing clinicians who understand the need to incorporate climate education into schools of health training. Members are leading initiatives at institutions across the Commonwealth to bring climate education into the curriculum. This collaborative provides support, resource sharing, and inspiration to health trainees working to ensure that they are prepared for the future.
2024 Summit of Virginia Climate and Health Education Collaborative
May 17-18, 2024
Doubletree Hotel and Williamsburg Regional Library, Williamsburg, VA
Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action (VCCA) hosted the 2024 Virginia Climate and Health Education Collaborative (VCHEC) conference on May 18, 2024, at the Williamsburg Regional Library Schell Room in Williamsburg, VA. The hybrid event enjoyed participation from numerous partners as we shared resources on integration of climate and health into health professional curricula.
The schools that participated this year included:
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University of Virginia School of Medicine
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University of Virginia School of Nursing
Saturday morning, students and faculty leaders were joined via Zoom for a presentation titled “Climate Health and Medical Education” by Catherine Chen, MD, FACP of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Elizabeth Cerceo, MD, FACP, FHM of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. Dr. Chen and Dr. Cerceo gave insights into what they have accomplished with the curriculum at their respective schools. Dr. Chen discussed approaches to planetary health curriculum. She gave an overview of her work at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and integrating planetary health into the curriculum. Dr. Cerceo detailed how to build a climate curriculum at medical schools. She emphasized that we cannot have a healthy people if we have a sick planet. Also, Dr. Cerceo discussed the importance of merging the work already done at the Cooper Medical School with environmental justice concerns.
After presentations by Dr. Chen and Dr. Cerceo participating schools gave updates and challenges they have faced. To conclude the day participants discussed how to maintain continuity within the student interest groups and how to incorporate nutrition into climate change curriculum. Participants used a worksheet to describe the current state of climate and health education in their school as well as a roadmap for progress in the upcoming year.
We would like to thank Dr. Nicholas Snow and Dr. Homan Wai for making this summit possible. We would also like to thank all of the speakers, participants, and sponsors who made the summit such a success. We look forward to the next VCHEC summit in 2025!
2024 Summit Presentations and Recordings
PRESENTATIONS:
Introduction of VCCA and education committee goals for summit - Dr. Nick Snow and Dr. Homan Wai
Catherine Chen, MD, FACP, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Elizabeth Cerceo, MD, FACP, FHM, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine
West Virginia University (WVU) School of Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
VCHEC SUMMIT RECORDINGS BELOW - Speaker View
2023 Summit of Virginia Climate and Health Education Collaborative
May 5–6, 2023
Hotel Roanoke, Roanoke, VA
Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action (VCCA) hosted the 2023 Virginia Climate and Health Education Collaborative (VCHEC) conference on May 5 and 6, 2023 at the Roanoke Higher Education Center in Roanoke, VA. The hybrid event enjoyed participation from new partners as we shared resources on integration of climate and health into health professional curricula.
The schools that participated this year included
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UVA School of Medicine
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UVA School of Nursing
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VCU School of Medicine
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VT/Carilion School of Medicine
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West Virginia University School of Medicine
On day one, students and faculty leaders heard an interview by Lena Bichell, a graduating UVA medical student who has been instrumental in effecting change in the UVA climate and health education landscape. Lena's accomplishments include drafting a syllabus for an elective that materialized into a formal course at UVA. She has also started a student interest group which has now blossomed into Student Clinicians for Climate Action encompassing students from School of Medicine and School of Nursing.
On day two, participants heard from climate and health clinician educators from UT Dell Medical School and UT Southwestern who presented their climate and health curriculum. Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) in Texas plays a similar role to VCCA in accelerating the progress in curriculum integration.
A new addition to the 2023 summit was a workshop where participants used a worksheet to describe the current state of climate and health education in their school as well as a roadmap for progress in the upcoming year.
We would like to thank Dr. Camron Johnson-Privitera for making this summit possible. We would also like to thank all of the speakers, participants, and sponsors who made the summit such a success. We look forward to the next VCHEC summit in 2024!
2023 Summit Presentations and Recordings
PRESENTATIONS:
Keynote Presentation from PSR Texas
VIDEO RECORDINGS:
Day 1: Recording of Interview with Lena Bichell
Day 2: Opening and Introduction
2022 Summit of Virginia Climate and Health Education Collaborative
April 1–2, 2022
The Berkeley Hotel, Richmond, VA
Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action (VCCA) hosted the 2022 Virginia Climate and Health Education Collaborative (VCHEC) conference. The hybrid event continued the collaborative integration of climate and health into the curriculums of regional health professionals schools.
The schools that participated this year included
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George Washington School of Medicine
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Georgetown School of Medicine
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Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
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Shenandoah University School of Health Professions
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UVA School of Medicine
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UVA School of Nursing
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VCU School of Medicine
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VCU School of Pharmacy
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VT/Carilion School of Medicine
The goals for the summit included learning about successful models for climate and health programs at other institutions, understanding challenges and strategies for success, creating short- and long-term plans for program integration and networking to build a regional community that would work together towards a common goal.
On day one, the 37 students and faculty leaders from 8 regional schools heard words of inspiration from Dr. Samantha Ahdoot, chair of VCCA, as well as Dr. Cecilia Sorenson, director of the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education (GCCHE) launched by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. On day two, student leaders from eight of the participating schools presented the wonderful progress they have made so far. This was followed by a moderated discussion about progress and challenges faced by those that are doing the work. Participants received a worksheet to build a goal and a roadmap for the upcoming year. Finally, the summit was concluded with a motivating talk by Dr. Hana Akselrod from George Washington University School of Medicine.
We look forward to further development of programs in Virginia and a follow-up convening in 2023!
Nick Snow
Homan Wai
Co-Chairs of VCCA Education Committee
2022 Presentations
Below is a list of available presentations from the institutions at the summit.
University Presentations
Speaker Presentations
University of Virginia School of Medicine
University of Virginia School of Nursing
John Hopkins University School of Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy
Shenandoah University School of Health Professions
2022 Summit Recordings
Inaugural Summit of Virginia Climate and Health Education Collaborative
In May of 2021, VCCA sponsored the Inaugural Summit of the VCHEC. This hybrid event included 24 student and faculty representatives who attended either in-person or remotely from seven different schools of health training in Virginia and Washington, DC.
Goals for the summit included learning about successful models for climate and health programs at other institutions, understanding challenges and strategies for success, creating short- and long-term plans for program integration and networking to build a community in Virginia working together towards a common goal.
The summit was a success. Students and faculty were inspired by presentations from regional institutions already incorporating climate education into health training. Current students highlighted the status of progress at their health education institutions, shared lessons from their experiences, and enjoyed camaraderie with other students.
May 7–8, 2021
The George Washington Hotel, Winchester, VA
2021 Presentations
Below is a list of the presentations from the institutions at the summit.