Healthcare in climate emergencies
Healthcare workers on the frontlines of the climate emergency
This project aims to understand the role, workplace challenges, and experiences of healthcare workers at the intersection of crises in our healthcare system and climate. This project builds on New Policy Directions in Precarious Labour and Climate Change in BC project to inform and improve the quality of climate change resiliency in Canada.
This project has received funding from the SFU Climate Innovation Seed Fund Amplification Grant ($10,000).
Frontline workers and climate resiliency
This study will encompass participants from diverse health facilities, healthcare authorities, and work arrangements to better understand the impact of extreme weather events on healthcare workers and systems.
- Host focus groups to collect stories of wildfire and flood disruptions, identify community-led research questions, nurture partnerships and
- Assess the state of emergency planning, policy, and emergency communications among healthcare employers and policymakers, establishing a set of best practices.
Project team and community partners
- Kendra Strauss, SFU Labour Studies
- Maya Gislason, SFU Health Sciences
- Leah Montange, SFU Labour Studies
- Nicole Molinari, Hospital Employees' Union
- BC Health Coalition
Potential outcomes
- This project responds to the research gap regarding healthcare workers and climate emergencies, not just in BC but globally. This research seeks to reframe care provision as frontline work in climate crises – a vital but often ignored social infrastructure.This project, has potential to lead the discussion on the role of care, caregivers, and care work in both climate resiliency and a just transition in BC.
- Findings can help improve working conditions and suggest adaptations to address the needs of healthcare workers and those they care for, both in the BC health system and more broadly.
- This project will also raise awareness among healthcare policymakers and different levels of government about the climate challenge to our healthcare system, with the goal of increasing system and community resilience overall.