Climate change can affect an individual’s health, whether they realize it or not. For example, extreme heat can influence how an individual stores important medications, such as insulin. And children breathe in more pollutants than adults, which can cause issues when there are wildfires or smoke in the area.
Andrew Lewandowski, DO, assistant professor, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, is an advisor for Healthy Climate Wisconsin and is an expert in climate change and health care. Lewandowski and Christa Wagner, director, Medical College of Wisconsin’s Center for Sustainability, Health, and the Environment, sat down with Larry Meiller on Wisconsin Public Radio to talk about sustainable solutions for hospitals and to answer listeners’ questions about climate change.
Health care institutions that need to be open and operable 24/7 are energy intensive. Wagner explained that in the U.S., the health care sector is responsible for 8.5% to 10% of greenhouse gas emissions every year.
The conversation between Lewandowski and Wagner revolved around finding a balance between patient safety and environmental impact. Wagner shared that focusing decisions through a climate lens can be important for institutions.
When discussing patient safety, Lewandowski brought up the fact that physicians and health care professionals take an oath to do no harm.
“Whether you are a physician, nurse, allied health professional, or health care administrator, the goal is to provide high-quality care to everybody,” he said. “And when you look at climate-smart health care, the underlying goal is to provide good quality, safe medical care for individuals and help them achieve and maintain health.”
The “Sustainability in Healthcare, Ice Fishing Update, Reducing Food Waste in Wisconsin” episode aired on Wisconsin Public Radio on January 28, 2026.