Primary care clinics—particularly those serving low-income and socially disadvantaged populations—are on the frontlines of both health and climate change.
A recent national survey of 430 clinic staff across 43 U.S. states reveals how climate-related extreme events are already disrupting operations and threatening patient health. The findings, published in BMC Primary Care and conducted by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE) in partnership with Americares, underscore the urgent need for resilience planning. The research was supported in part by a grant from Biogen.
Key Findings from the Survey
The majority (82%) of respondents agreed that human activities are driving climate change. Yet only one in five reported strong knowledge about how climate change directly affects health. This knowledge gap matters, since 84% of providers and case workers acknowledged that climate change impacts patient health, but only 36% discussed these risks with patients—largely due to limited time and competing priorities.
Operational disruptions are widespread:
- 52% reported power failures
- 28% experienced hurricanes
- 23% faced flooding
These disruptions led to clinic closures, staff shortages, spoiled vaccines, and loss of medications. As one respondent summarized, “Extreme weather doesn’t just stress patients—it shuts down the very places they turn to for help.”
What Clinics Say They Need
When asked about their greatest needs during extreme weather, staff overwhelmingly identified emergency power as the most critical requirement, followed by real-time information, access to emergency services, and financial assistance.
Motivation and Barriers
The good news: more than half of respondents expressed strong motivation to use climate resilience resources such as checklists, planning guidance, and training modules. Providers were also motivated to help patients prepare for extreme events, though they cited barriers such as time constraints, more pressing medical topics, and lack of climate-health knowledge.
Research Authored by: Tess Wiskel, Thomas T. Miles, Mariel Fonteyn, Kristin Stevens, Chelsea Heberlein, Nathaniel Matthews-Trigg, Caleb Dresser, and Aaron Bernstein
Expanding the Toolkit for Resilience
In direct response to these findings, Harvard Chan C-CHANGE and Americares developed the Climate Resilience for Frontline Clinics Toolkit in 2022. This free online resource—available in English and Spanish—equips patients, providers, and administrators with practical tools for extreme heat, wildfires and smoke, hurricanes, and flooding. Clinics across the country have piloted the toolkit, and an expanded version was released in 2024. To date, the toolkit has been downloaded more than 20,000 times, demonstrating both its reach and urgent relevance.
Why This Matters for Practice Management
For healthcare professionals, the implications are clear. Climate change is not a distant problem—it is a present and growing challenge that disrupts patient care and widens health inequities. Integrating resilience into practice management systems is no longer optional.
That’s where My Green Doctor (MGD) can help. MGD offers free, evidence-based resources tailored to clinics, including sustainability and resilience checklists, patient education materials, and staff training guides. For practices seeking deeper support, our customized consulting services provide step-by-step strategies to safeguard both operations and patients during climate-driven disruptions. And, learn how to create significant cost savings by following our practice management program.
Moving Forward
As the survey authors conclude: frontline clinics are essential to community resilience. By equipping clinics with the right tools, training, and planning resources, we can ensure continuity of care for the patients who need it most—especially in times of crisis.
✅ Call to Action
Healthcare professionals, practice managers, and clinic administrators can start building resilience today:
- Visit MyGreenDoctor.org to access free resources and guides.
- Enroll your clinic in our Entire Practice Green Membership to systematically improve sustainability and preparedness.
- Contact us for customized consulting support to accelerate your clinic’s resilience journey- [email protected].
Together, we can safeguard patient health while building clinics that are greener, healthier, and more resilient.
