Kendra Smith, Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH) vice president, Community Health, recently shared her insights with Crosswalk Magazine regarding how climate change and overall sustainability challenges are significantly affecting disadvantaged communities.
With the incredible impact that climate change can have on health, many health care organizations and community groups view it as a vital condition that should be invested in – much like safe housing, food access and transportation challenges.
“If we could incorporate climate change (as a vital condition), that would allow us to prioritize it better,” says Smith. “When you think about what housing investment looked like 10 years ago – it took a while for it to materialize. Lesser-known social determinants like climate are on that trajectory.”
As a health care provider focused on social determinants of health, BSMH strives to improve these outcomes through collaborations with community groups across its footprint. These efforts are seen in the organization’s Community Health plans, as well as in its ESG work.