For a Healthier Long Island: New Office at SBU Links Climate, Community and Health

A hurricane knocks out power, smoke from a wildfire drifts across the Northeast, rising temperatures bring longer tick seasons and increase the risk of tick-borne disease — these examples and many more illustrate the impact of rising temperatures on health in ways many Long Island residents may not consider.

At Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine, a new initiative is exploring those connections. The Office of Health Equity and Climate Medicine Research (HECMR), under the direction of Vice President of Equity and Inclusion and Chief Health Equity Officer Judi Brown Clarke, brings together researchers, clinicians, community organizations and policymakers to better understand how environmental conditions shape health outcomes and how communities can become more resilient when facing the realities of a changing climate.

“As the world around us continues to change and become more complex, it is vital that we find bold solutions to keep Long Islanders healthy,” Clarke said.

The impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly visible on Long Island. More intense storms can disrupt transportation and access to care. Poor air quality can worsen asthma and other respiratory conditions. Extreme heat can place vulnerable populations at greater risk. While these challenges are often discussed separately, HECMR was created to examine how they intersect and what can be done to address them.

“Living a healthy life requires us to think beyond the doctor’s office,” Clarke said. “We need to think about the air we breathe and the water we drink. We need to think about access to physical activity in parks and at beaches. We need to think about the connection we have to each other and to the island we call home.”

Aaron Zeiler, director of strategic communications for HECMR, described one example that is especially relevant to Long Islanders. “The example that I use to describe the purpose of the office to people is hurricane season,” Zeiler said. “A lot of people recognize the lasting impacts of Superstorm Sandy. If a hurricane comes through the Forks and knocks out the one road to the South Fork, how are people going to access care?”

While many researchers across Stony Brook are already studying aspects of climate, health and equity, they often approach the challenge from different disciplinary perspectives. Some focus on environmental science, others on medicine, public health, policy or community engagement. HECMR was created to help connect those efforts while building partnerships with the communities most affected by these issues.

One of the office’s largest projects is a geolocation mapping initiative that combines electronic health record data with environmental and geographic information to better understand how climate-related factors influence healthcare access and outcomes. The effort builds on work developed by Stony Brook alumnus Jonathan Tan, MD ’09, and now involves a collaboration with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

By mapping where people live, how they access care and the environmental conditions around them, researchers hope to create tools to help hospitals, policymakers and community organizations.

“We’re trying to create a HIPAA-compliant tool that helps decision-makers make better decisions about care,” Zeiler said. “Our hope is to also make it so that policymakers can make better policy decisions, and community organizations can make more informed decisions about where to allocate resources.”

Earlier this year, HECMR partnered with the Suffolk County Department of Health Services on a series of nature walks that combine outdoor recreation, conservation education and conversations about health. Participants meet with healthcare professionals before heading out on walks through local parks and natural spaces, giving community members a chance to ask questions about health concerns outside of a medical office.

“We wanted to connect with community members to bring Stony Brook clinicians to do health talks before group nature walks,” Zeiler said. “It’s a health and conservation walk together. Especially reaching out to minority communities, but also to provide health information directly to people, have them ask questions directly that they might not think of in an appointment.”

The walks reflect one of the office’s broader goals: ensuring that community voices help shape both research priorities and solutions. “We can’t reach our health and climate goals without the community at the table,” Clarke said. “This is our chance to co-create solutions with our neighbors, not just for them.”

The office is also investing in future collaborations through a new mini-grant program supporting projects that address health equity and climate-related challenges. Current initiatives include research examining how healthcare providers view artificial intelligence, efforts to use machine learning to better understand mental health risks, and programs designed to help future healthcare professionals communicate more effectively with patients about climate-related health concerns.

“This office was made to connect insight with action, creating opportunities for Long Islanders to live longer, fuller lives,” Clarke said.

— Beth Squire