Leveraging Hospital Community Benefit Activities to Address Climate Change and Environmental Risks

March 2016

The Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and community benefit implementation strategies provide a framework to support activities that address local health priorities and climate change. As greenhouse gas emissions increase we are witnessing environmental changes with far-reaching health implications, including some prioritized in the CHNA such as chronic diseases linked to obesity, cardiovascular risks, mental health, and asthma / respiratory risks. This paper identifies community benefit activities that address local health priorities and mitigate climate change or generate environmental benefits.