A Johns Hopkins University researcher is urging the U.S. healthcare system to prepare for climate change's impact, according to an article on the Fierce Healthcare website.
The effect of climate change on hospitals is often overlooked, Al Sommer, M.D., dean emeritus of the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University told Kaiser Health News.
Sommer helped create a report, "American Climate Prospectus: Economic Risks in the United States," that examines the effects of climate change on economics.
Large amounts of people without the means to move in response to increased temperatures means the healthcare system will experience a "surge" due to health problems associated with excessive heat, Sommer said in the article.
Hospitals in areas like Miami which will see temperatures and water levels rise, may go out of business due to a mass exodus, meaning hospitals in less at-risk states may need to expand, he said.
Last year, healthcare executives called for action on climate change, calling it "an issue that will affect everyone in the world."
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