At the Intersection of Medicine and Environmental Health Policy: Creation of a Novel Climate and Health Science Policy Fellowship for Physicians

Climate change is negatively influencing human health, and the health manifestations of extreme weather events related to climate variability such as tropical cyclones, wildfires, floods, and heat waves are only expected to increase worldwide. Governments and professional societies have called upon the health sector for engagement and guidance on the health implications of climate change. The call for action was viewed as a significant opportunity for enhanced physician leadership and training in communication, public health, and policy. As such, a novel climate and health science policy graduate medical education (GME) fellowship for emergency medicine physicians was created at the University of Colorado. The fellowship provides clinicians with diverse leadership experiences and the critical communication skills necessary to confront current and emerging environmental health threats with multiple stakeholders across academic departments, federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, professional societies, and private industries. The formation of the fellowship offers a unique perspective and venue for physicians to engage with meteorologists and environmental scientists to better articulate the health impacts of weather. Finally, the climate and health science policy fellowship outlines a path for sustained collaboration across sectors to improve population health for generations to come.