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Decarbonizing the Health Care Sector
The health care sector accounts for an estimated 8% of carbon emissions in the United States, contributing to climate change and impacting our health. What aspects of health care contribute to carbon emissions? What are the benefits of reducing the carbon footprint of health care? This session of the Climate & Health Webinar Series shares case studies of how medical practices across the United States are reducing their carbon footprint and reducing waste.
Shirley K Kalwaney, MD
Dr. Kalwaney is a board-certified internal medicine and lifestyle medicine physician and Director of Graduate Medical Education (GME) and Nutrition Medical Education at Inova Health System, and co-founder and co-director of the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators Program. She developed Inova Fairfax Hospital's first two-provider inpatient diabetes consult service, which has since grown into a six-provider endocrine consult service and implemented a comprehensive Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health curriculum for residents, medical students, and faculty. She speaks locally and nationally on nutrition, diet, and culinary medicine for physician trainees and patient health at organizations including the ACGME, ACP, SHM, Obesity Medicine Association, and the AMA. She also serves on nutrition advisory boards and working groups including those of the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) Health Systems Council. Dr Kalwaney is particularly interested in advancing evidence-based nutrition education for dietary behavior change and wellbeing in medical students, residents, and faculty.
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Jinia Sarkar, MSc
Ms. Sarkar is a Sustainability Manager at Rush University Medical Center and Adjunct Instructor at Rush University. She currently focuses on leveraging data analysis and change management to mitigate climate change. Prior to this role, she worked at Advisory Board, a health care consulting company within UnitedHealth Group where she implemented a green team to provide resources to hospitals and health care institutions to better understand how they can implement sustainability initiatives. Ms. Sarkar holds a Master of Science in environmental health from Harvard School of Public Health, with a focus on impacts of extreme weather, gender dimensions of climate change, and sustainability. During this time, she also served as a sustainability analyst at Boston Children's Hospital and independent consultant for Sustainable Solutions Consulting, LLC. Ms. Sarkar is passionate about educating and empowering community members on planetary health.
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Elizabeth Schenk, PhD, RN, FAAN
With over 30 years of experience decreasing the environmental impacts of health care, Dr. Schenk serves as chief environmental stewardship officer for Providence, a large, not-for-profit health system in seven western states. Dr. Schenk and her team lead the effort to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution from its operations, while building climate resilience in the communities they serve. She is an assistant research professor at Washington State University College of Nursing. She led the development of Climate and Health Tool (CHANT), which measures health professionals’ awareness and engagement with climate change and health. Dr. Schenk also developed the WE ACT Framework to organize the extensive range of environmental stewardship, while motivating action. She serves on the expert panel on environmental and public health for the American Academy of Nursing. Dr. Schenk is vice-chair for the Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate, and board member for Climate Smart Missoula. She hosts the Nurses for Healthy Environments Podcast, now in its 8th season.
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Jonathan Slutzman, MD
Dr. Slutzman is the director of the Center for the Environment and Health, medical director for environmental sustainability, and attending emergency physician at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Prior to a career in medicine, Slutzman was a consulting environmental engineer, completing projects in environmental, health, and safety assessment. Combining engineering and medicine, Dr. Slutzman aims to improve the environmental sustainability of health care delivery while reducing the environmental costs of health care. He is a founding member and chair of the Mass General Brigham clinician sustainability group; past chair of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine climate change and health interest group; founding member of the MGH executive sustainability committee; and founding member of the Mass General Brigham climate and sustainability leadership committee. Dr. Slutzman also serves on the advisory committee of the Health Care Without Harm Physician Network.
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Ilse R. Levin, DO, MPH & TM
Ilse R. Levin, DO, MPH & TM is a board-certified internist and an epidemiologist. Elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees in June 2020 and re-elected in 2024, she is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and has served in many leadership positions throughout her career. Dr. Levin received her medical degree from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif., and completed her residency in internal medicine at Baystate Medical Center/Tufts University School of Medicine in Springfield, Mass.
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