A new state-by-state climate and health scorecard released today by the Commonwealth Fund reveals mounting risks to patients and health systems from extreme weather and environmental pollutants across the United States. The findings raise concerns that many health care facilities and communities remain highly vulnerable to climate-driven threats. At the same time, the report underscores how the health care sector itself contributes to the problem through pollution and its broader environmental footprint.
Authored by researchers at Northeastern and Yale Universities, the Commonwealth Fund State Scorecard on Climate, Health, and Health Care is the first study to compare all 50 states and the District of Columbia on the climate risks that threaten people’s health and the health care systems that serve them. The report examines vulnerabilities such as extreme heat, flooding, and poor air quality, as well as state actions like clean energy and efficiency policies that can help protect public health.