Climate Resilience for Frontline Clinics Toolkit

The Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Harvard Chan C-CHANGE) and Americares have collaborated to help protect people on the frontlines of the climate crisis with the Climate Resilience for Frontline Clinics project. Biogen is a founding donor of the project.

This project was born from the urgent need to support frontline clinics in the face of worsening climate disasters. We began with a nationwide survey of clinic staff, revealing a critical situation:

• 81% of clinics experienced disruptions due to extreme weather in the past 3 years.
• Less than 20% felt well-equipped to handle such emergencies
• 77% lacked the necessary knowledge and tools for climate preparedness.
• Over 80% desired training to protect their patients from climate-related health issues.

Fueled by this data, we developed the Climate Resilience for Frontline Clinics Toolkit. The initial toolkit underwent user-experience testing with clinics in California, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Texas. We conducted focus groups to gather valuable feedback about knowledge gaps, real-world challenges and ways to best serve patients.

In 2023, 19 U.S. clinics helped evaluate and refine the toolkit, providing feedback through surveys, interviews and focus groups. The updated version, launched in 2024, integrates three years of user feedback, the latest climate science and actionable strategies for clinic preparedness. 

This toolkit empowers frontline clinics with the resources they need to protect their patients and enhance resilience in the face of extreme weather events.