Speaker Series—Getting Healthcare to Act on Air Quality

Join us for lunch, learning, and conversation at the next installment of the HEROP Speaker Series on Friday, Oct. 23rd, at 12 PM CT. Coffee and networking session to follow. For folks outside of the UIUC community, please join us via Zoom!

In-person or Virtual?

The in-person option is open to the University of Illinois community (students, staff, and faculty). Please use the RSVP option on the right for the in-person portion of the event. We will have lunch for all attendees who RSVP by Wednesday @ 10 AM before the event.

A virtual option via Zoom is available for the public. To register for the Zoom option, please access the following link: go.illinois.edu/HEROP-ZOOM-OCT23.

Talk Topic

"Getting Healthcare to Act on Air Quality: Leveraging Community Health Needs Assessments"

Can hospitals’ community health needs assessments, required by the federal Affordable Care Act of 2010, encourage healthcare providers to act for cleaner air?

In many areas, healthcare professionals and hospitals are in the front lines of the impacts of air quality on their patients and communities. They can affect the health impacts of poor air quality through their services, community outreach, operations, and voice in government policies. While some healthcare providers address environmental determinants of health, many do not.

By participating in community health needs assessments, health geographers, other scientists, environmental organizations, and community groups could help promote healthier air quality. Experts advanced the collection of air quality data, evaluation of air quality impacts on illnesses and mortality, and cost/benefit analysis for actions that affect air quality. As many governments worsen or fail to improve air quality, there is greater need for experts to spur healthcare providers’ actions and leadership.

Presenter

Warren Lavey, JD

Carle College of Medicine

Warren Lavey is an adjunct professor at UIUC. He taught several courses in the School of Earth, Society & Environment and the College of Law on sustainability, protecting natural areas, environmental policies, and environmental laws. He currently teaches in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and the College of Medicine. Lavey is active in the Union of Concerned Scientists and International Union for Conservation of Nature. He was a partner in a global law firm. JD, MS in Applied Mathematics, and BA (Harvard), and Diploma in Economics (Cambridge).

About the Organizers

The HEROP Speaker Series on Illinois Climate, Heat & Pollution connects scholars, experts, and innovative thinkers and highlights IL researchers and IL-based research on how a changing climate, extreme heat, and air pollution influence population health. Sharing how communities can make sense of the data to drive change locally with action-ready steps. The Healthy Regions & Policies (HEROP) Lab integrates innovative GIScience, public health, and statistical approaches to explore, understand, and promote healthy places. We’re experts in the spatial & social determinants of health. We're based in the Dept. of Geography & GIScience at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.