Healthcare facilities are getting ready for a rapidly changing climate that can deteriorate the air quality, create food- and waterborne illnesses and cause an uptick in extreme weather events, according to an article on the Pacific Standard website.

Healthcare facilities have already dealt with several of these problems. Climate change affects both a hospital’s functionality and the staff’s ability to deliver healthcare.

Hospitals are adapting by combining infrastructural improvements, environmentally friendly practices, and predictive climate awareness.

By building a more sustainable infrastructure, or retrofitting what already exists, hospitals can add a significant buffer against these anticipated disruptions, according to the report “Enhancing Health Care Resilience for a Changing Climate,” which was published by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Read the article.