HHS establishes first-of-its-kind Office of Climate Change and Health Equity

Photo: Drew Angerer/Staff/Getty Images

Coinciding with Hurricane Ida hitting the Gulf Coast and on the 16th anniversary when Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana, the Department of Health and Human Services has tied global warming to a health and equity issue and formed the new Office of Climate Change and Health Equity.

It's being led by interim head Dr. John Balbus, a senior advisor at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, who will report to a White House climate task force.

The new office will work with federal agencies and other partners on such tasks as reducing greenhouse gas emissions in hospitals and health systems. The healthcare sector accounts for 8.5% of the country's carbon emissions.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said the office would work closely with regional governments and local officials to stop issues before they start, which continues work he did as former attorney general in California. As AG, he and staffers worked with development project directors to see if they were following the law. This avoided going to court after-the-fact, Becerra said.

"What we found, it was as much an effort to communicate with local governments as it was to work with those entities that would have the direct impact on the environment," Becerra said. "We'll do the same thing."

The office will reach out to every sector, determine what the law requires and use every authority to its greatest advantage, he said.

The office will use all levers, including incentives and investments to achieve the goals being set. The other piece is regulatory, to move health systems to net zero in emissions "very soon," said Arsenio Mataka, Becerra's former advisor in California who is serving as senior advisor for Climate Change and Health Equity. The office will also work closely with the National Academy of Medicine, he said.

HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel L. Levine said, "We've already been in touch with health systems and hospitals about working together to decrease their carbon footprint. I think we're going to get great collaboration."

As of Monday's announcement, hospital and health systems face no monetary or other penalties for noncompliance.

The only way for the federal government to impose a penalty is if that authority already exists, Becerra said.

WHY THIS MATTERS

The announcement comes on the same day Becerra declared public health emergencies in Louisiana and Mississippi due to Hurricane Ida. The declarations, along with waivers authorized under the Social Security Act, give the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services beneficiaries, their healthcare providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs in disasters.

The federal office is the first of its kind to tie hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, wildfires out West, recent storms in the East and other natural disasters to human-made climate change.

"There is no reason to doubt. We must take this on immediately," Levine said.

Like those hit by the pandemic, the vulnerable bear the most impact from climate change risks, she said.

Balbus said, "Climate change is the most important public health [issue] of our time."

OCCHE is tasked with:

• Identifying communities with disproportionate exposures to climate hazards and vulnerable populations.
• Addressing health disparities exacerbated by climate impacts to enhance community health resilience.
• Promoting and translating research on public health benefits of multi-sectoral climate actions.  
• Assisting with regulatory efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and criteria air pollution throughout the health care sector, including participating suppliers and providers.
• Fostering innovation in climate adaptation and resilience for disadvantaged communities and vulnerable populations.
• Providing expertise and coordination to the White House, Secretary of Health and Human Services and federal agencies related to climate change and health-equity deliverables and activities, including executive order implementation, and reporting on health adaptation actions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
• Promoting training opportunities to build the climate and health workforce and empower communities. 

THE LARGER TREND

HHS has established the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity in response to President Joe Biden's January Executive Order Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. 

The World Health Organization estimates that at least 250,000 deaths will occur every year due to climate change. 

ON THE RECORD

"History will judge us for the actions we take today to protect our world and our health from climate change. The consequences for our inaction are real and worsening. We've always known that health is at the center of climate change, and now we're going to double-down on a necessity: fighting climate change in order to help protect public health in our communities," Becerra said by statement.

"Climate change is turbo-charging the horrific wildfires, extreme heat, and devastating floods that are killing people and making millions more sick from exposure to unhealthy smoke, mold and debilitating heat. The new HHS Office of Climate Change and Health Equity is fulfilling President Biden's vision to bring America's world-class medical community into the fight against climate change – a fight for our health that ensures no community is left behind," said National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy.

Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.) said, "As Congress crafts major infrastructure policy, the Ways and Means Committee is committed to tackling the climate crisis through the lens of equity and justice, and I am grateful to have President Biden, Secretary Becerra, and the entire administration as partners in this work. Together, we will drive the meaningful change necessary to deliver better health outcomes and promote sustainability."

Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: susan.morse@himssmedia.com