NYSDOH BRACE

Lead Organization: New York State Department of Health

Program Name: NYSDOH BRACE

Summary:
New York State (NYS) staff working on climate and health activities have primarily focused on the health impacts of heat, and recently worked with the National Weather Service to revise the thresholds for issuing heat advisories in NYS. Program staff have also studied health impacts of other climate hazards, including flooding and heavy precipitation events. Following Hurricane Sandy, staff gathered feedback on surveys from a diverse group of stakeholders regarding flooding events to help guide and focus future work. These climate hazards are being addressed through the development and implementation of adaptation activities in coordination with program partners. These adaptations include development of Heat and Health profile reports that summarize extreme heat exposure, sensitivity, vulnerability, and adaptive capacity for NYS counties. A partnership with the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance increases utilization of their program to provide air conditioners to vulnerable populations. Staff also worked with the NYS Environmental Public Health Tracking Program to create a mapping application to display Cooling Center locations across the State and track Heat Stress Hospitalization and Emergency Department Visits annually, and published in peer-reviewed public health journals on lessons learned from the response to Hurricane Sandy. The program also partners with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Climate Smart Communities (CSC) program, which helps local governments take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate. DOH climate and health staff are working to engage more local health departments in the CSC program, as highlighted in a Public Health Live! presentation on “Climate Smart Communities: Connections with Public Health.”

Climate-Ready State funded since 2010

To learn more, please visit: https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/climate/external icon

Relevant Links:

• NY Brace Climate and Health Profile 2015 https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/weather/docs/climatehealthprofile6-2015.pdfpdf iconexternal icon
• New York State County Heat and Health Profileshttps://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/weather/profiles/external icon
• New York State Environmental Public Health Tracking Programhttps://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/public_health_tracking/external icon
• Climate Smart Communities Programhttps://climatesmart.ny.gov/external icon
• Public Health Live! Climate Smart Communities: Connections with Public Health
  https://www.albany.edu/sph/cphce/phl_0519.shtmlexternal icon

To learn more, please visit: https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/weather/external icon

Contact information: climatehealth@health.ny.gov