Courageous Medicine for The Climate Health Crisis: Activating the Medical Community on Climate

“We as America have not created a robust safety net or we had to rely on a safety net because of so many holes in our larger system and so we as physicians have to be the stewards of offerings, the stewards of resources that can catch everyone that falls through the cracks”

Kelley Butler MS4, MPH completed undergrad at Howard University, where she saw the influence that physicians can have on patients' physical, mental, and social health.  She discusses the difference in mindsets among her medical school classmates, the impact of the AMA and lobbying, and how to get started as an advocate for a healthier world.  

"This is altruism in the political space it's saying we're going to take our political energies and move our government agenda toward justice, that would be to me that would be healing to me-- that would be healing and we're supposed to be healers."

Dr Don Berwick is one of America's most well-known physicians, having served as former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Prior to his work in the administration, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement a not-for-profit organization. Join for this engaging conversation as Dr Ashley McClure interviews Dr Berwick about his personal reasons for engaging in climate solutions advocacy as a grandfather, citizen and physician leader.  Dr Berwick shares about the healing power of solidarity, and how the responsibility of physicians has 'gotten bigger' since many went to medical school, but how our values as a profession compel engaging in advocating for social and climate justice because the policies determined by politics affect our patients' health more powerfully than our direct medical care.