The kickoff of Bridges to Access: Health and Climate is a presentation on The Science of Climate Change by Dr. Robert Haley.

Internist Dr. Robert Haley is a Distinguished Teaching Professor. He served 10 years at the CDC, receiving the U.S. Public Health Service Commendation Medal and also founded the Division of Epidemiology at UT Southwestern. For the past 16 years he has studied the health effects of air pollution in Dallas from nearby coal-fired power plants, and he lectures widely on the scientific evidence for climate change.

The purpose of this talk is to introduce the main empirical evidence behind the scientific consensus that human-caused carbon emissions are warming the planet and threatening the health and survival of the world population. Following a “case report” of the role of climate change in causing the 2012 epidemic of West Nile encephalitis in Dallas, the presentation will summarize the evidence that addresses the 4 fundamental questions of the problem: Is the earth’s surface warming? Is the warming due to human effects or natural phenomena? Is the warming climate a serious threat to humans? Should society invest in curtailing climate change? The first two are purely empirical questions which have been thoroughly answered. The last two involve value judgments and economic consequences which have provoked denial of the first two, stymying planet-saving action.

The 2nd keynote of Bridges to Access: Health and Climate is a presentation on The Climate Vulnerability Index by Dr. Elena Craft.

Dr. Elena Craft is Senior Director of Climate and Health at the Environmental Defense Fund. Based in Texas, Dr. Craft has helped public officials to identify toxicological exposures from large releases of air pollution, including during climate-fueled disasters, like hurricanes. Her work uncovered a massive leak of cancer-causing benzene in a Houston neighborhood during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Dr. Craft initiated and led a partnership with Port Houston to secure nearly $10 million in federal funding to reduce air pollution. Dr. Craft serves as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center and Texas A&M University, and as a Kinder fellow at Rice University. She has pushed forward research efforts to protect public health, including a leading role in the establishment of the Texas Flood Registry to understand Hurricane Harvey’s toll on people’s physical and mental health.

The purpose of this talk is to use a meta-data analysis to identify health disparities exacerbated by climate change. The central focus will be on a new Climate Vulnerability Index tool that will provide insights and opportunities to prioritize policies and solutions to mitigate adverse health outcomes associated with a warming climate.

The 3rd and final keynote of Bridges to Access: Health and Climate is Mobilizing for Change - How to Be an Effective Advocate by Dr. Lisa Doggett

Dr. Lisa Doggett is co-founder of the Austin (now Texas) chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR). As a leader for Texas PSR, she advocates for policies to reduce air pollution and climate change, works to increase health care access, and launched the first environmental health elective at the University of Texas Dell Medical School. As a family physician and patient advocate who has dedicated her career to caring for underserved communities, Dr. Doggett has worked in Austin’s community clinics for 13 years and provides clinical oversight as the senior medical director for HGS Population Health Management Solutions. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2009, Dr. Doggett is also active with the National MS Society as a South Central Board member, MS150 cyclist, and top fundraiser.

The purpose of this talk is to teach medical and other health professional students the importance of advocacy in a world of climate change and health disparities. Physicians, nurses, and other health professionals are among the most respected and trusted authority figures in our society. Yet when it comes to controversy, we often stand on the sidelines. Dr. Lisa Doggett, a family physician and author, will challenge and empower you to become a positive force for change, sharing her experience as co-founder of Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility and an advocate for a healthy environment and marginalized communities.

This breakout session at Bridges to Access 2022 discusses the impact of air and water pollution.

Air pollution causes millions of premature deaths each year and increases the risk of cardiac and respiratory disease, early miscarriage, neurologic disease, poor mental health, and much more. Water pollution also jeopardizes our health, with almost half of U.S. rivers and streams classified as unsafe for swimming and fishing. Both are inextricably linked to climate change. Drs. Lisa Doggett and Don Williams will review the health consequences of pollution and the role of health professionals in advocating for change.

Dr. Lisa Doggett is a family physician and co-founder of the Austin (now Texas) chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR). Donald Williams, MD is a pediatric hospitalist at Dell Children's Medical Center in Austin, TX, and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas in Austin.

This breakout session of Bridges to Access 2022 discusses the mental health impacts of climate change.

Climate change impacts mental health and psychological well-being — and there are solutions at hand. This breakout session will explore the interconnected relationship between mental, physical, and community health, and how each of these are affected by climate change. With a particular focus on the findings from the new report, Mental Health and Our Changing Climate, we will discuss steps to resiliency and solutions that individuals, communities, and health professionals can help accelerate.

Nicole Hill, MPH (she/her), serves as the Research and Marketing Manager for ecoAmerica. In her current role, she researches climate perspectives in the United States and reports on how attitudes have changed year over year. Nicole is a recent co-author of the Mental Health and Our Changing Climate report, released by ecoAmerica and the American Psychological Association.

This breakout session at Bridges to Access 2022 discusses climate change and its impact on cancer.

Climate change is already impacting exposure to health hazards, access to care, and cancer outcomes. Individuals diagnosed with cancer, and individuals from communities targeted for marginalization, are vulnerable populations to the health hazards of climate change.

Dr. Leticia Nogueira is a researcher at the Surveillance and Health Equity Science Department at the American Cancer Society. Her research focuses on cancer disparities that can be addressed by policy, including those caused by social determinants of health and climate change.

This breakout session at Bridges to Access 2022 will provide an overview of the nexus of climate change, health and health equity, and the health benefits of climate solutions. Additionally, the speaker will discuss the range of policies that simultaneously promote health and climate mitigation and resilience, and the role of health professionals in advocacy for these policies.

Dr. Linda Rudolph is a nationally recognized thought leader on the integration of health equity into climate policy. She serves as Senior Advisor on Climate, Health and Equity for the Public Health Institute and for the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, and provides consultation to local jurisdictions and non-profits.

This breakout session at Bridges to Access 2022 discusses infectious disease. Over the past few years, we have become increasingly aware of how the world is changing and the effects this can have on the infectious diseases that are transmitted in our communities. In this lecture we will explore how changes in climate, environment and population structures alter the distribution of different infectious diseases, with a focus on mosquito-borne infections. To highlight the importance of preparedness, the lecture will also cover future scenarios, including novel methods of disease detection and surveillance.

Dr. Katrin Kuhn has a specific research interest in the interplay between animals, the environment and infectious diseases, and in particular using novel ways of detecting and describing infectious disease outbreaks. She worked for almost 15 years at the national Danish institute of infectious diseases as a senior epidemiologist. Since transitioning to the Hudson College of Public Health in 2020, Dr. Kuhn has worked with public health, city and municipality leaders to manage COVID-19 across Oklahoma.

This breakout session of Bridges to Access 2022 discusses re-emergence of malaria. Malaria is not usually considered a health risk in temperate regions such as the Caucasus, but seasonal epidemics were common in the Caucasus in the early twentieth century. We combine qualitative historical research with geospatial analysis to create an in-depth study of the ways ethnic conflict reconfigured local ecologies to facilitate the re-emergence of P. vivax malaria in epidemic form. Ongoing tensions in the region, combined with the repopulation of key vector species (specifically An. sacharovi) as a result of land use and climate change suggest that contemporary populations remain vulnerable to resurgent conflict and new epidemics of this ancestral vector borne disease. We highlight two types of land use change impacts that are important for the re-establishment of malaria in the region and we show how the regional malaria infection rates coincide with the studied land cover changes.

Kirsten de Beurs is a Presidential Professor in Geography and Environmental Sustainability at the University of Oklahoma. Her research focuses on the analysis of earth observation data to detect, assess, and attribute ongoing changes in terrestrial ecosystems.

This breakout session at Bridges to Access 2022 discusses climate change and wildfires. The risk of wildfire is increasing due to climate change. Firefighters have an elevated risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, even cancer, which is suspected to be caused by occupational and environmental exposure to fire smoke. Wildfire smoke is a complex mixture of air contaminants. We will discuss firefighters’ potential exposures during fire suppression.

Dr. Jooyeon Hwang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Hudson College of Public Health. Her research has focused on evaluating the relationships between occupational exposure to specific contaminants and adverse health effects in several different industries, including mining, agriculture, and manufacturing.

This Bridges to Access 2022 breakout session discusses climate change and its impacts to agriculture and human health. In addition, anti-microbial resistance is discussed in the broader context of how climate interacts with One Health approaches to health and environmental management.

Thomas G. Coon joined Oklahoma State University as vice president, dean and director of the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in 2014. Before that, he was director of Michigan State University Cooperative Extension and a professor of fisheries and wildlife at MSU. He received his doctorate from the University of California-Davis and served on the faculty at the University of Missouri before his move to Michigan State.

This breakout session of Bridges to Access 2022 discusses solar energy. We all know that certain types of electricity are better than others for the environment and our health, but where does one even begin to understand what individual citizens can do, and how to parse fact from fiction? This session will offer: a primer on electricity generation, data and discussion about how the different types of power generation effect health, climate, and economics, what choices consumers have in the matter, and an overview of Oklahoma’s storied energy past and hopeful future.

Lindsey Pever is an attorney for A New Energy, where she represents a diverse array of clients in navigating legal, regulatory, and public policy issues. With a focus on renewable energy and utilities, much of her practice takes place before the Corporation Commission. Lindsey is a founding member and currently serves as President of the Oklahoma Solar Association, where she and a team of advocates work to advance solar energy in Oklahoma.

This breakout session at Bridges to Access 2022 discusses the fossil fuel industry and Oklahoma. This talk is an introduction to sustainability and the impacts climate change will likely wield on the Oklahoma region, and more globally. The talk also investigates Oklahoma's fossil fuel energy production/use and the impacts to health using a sustainability framework for analysis. Suggestions are provided to reduce anthropogenic impact through selection of metrics, personal choices and industry investment.

Isaac Rutel, Ph.D, DABR is the president of the Oklahoma Sustainability Network (OSN), a group dedicated to pursuing the “3 E’s” of sustainability for all Oklahomans. OSN serves to connect, educate and be a catalyst for improvement for Oklahoma’s economy, ecology, and equity.

This breakout session at Bridges to Access 2022 discusses sustainable transportation, within Oklahoma City specifically. Public health and the environment and intrinsically intertwined. The environment and pedestrian infrastructure influences physical activity levels. Here, Harris discusses his work with creating safer, more walkable neighborhoods and implementing Bike Walk OKC.

Maxton Harris is an Associate Planner with the City of Oklahoma City Planning Department in the Transportation Planning Program. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Geography from the University of Central Oklahoma and his Master of Regional and City Planning degree from the University of Oklahoma. Max has worked in multimodal planning, assisting with the completion of the City’s first bicycle and pedestrian master plan, bikewalkokc, as well as the implementation of the bike, trail, and sidewalk projects it created.

This Bridges to Access 2022 breakout session discusses Scissortail Park and the Myriad Botanical Gardens in Oklahoma City.

Maureen Heffernan is the CEO and President of Scissortail Park Foundation as well as the Myriad Gardens Foundation. She was previously director of the Coastal Maine Gardens in Boothbay, Maine, and has worked for other gardens including Blooms of Bressingham in Europe, a great castle estate in Ireland, Cleveland Botanical Garden, and New York Botanical Garden. Maureen grew up in Ohio on a large family farm as a “free-range child” and was surrounded by outdoor spaces and Concord grape farming. She received her bachelor's in sociology from Fordham University and then studied horticulture at Ohio State University.