Would you talk to a climatologist about health care issues? Recent studies say public health and weather, more specifically, climate change, are more connected than you might think. In fact, a 2010 study of 32 million U.S. births by Environ International states that among 58,681 single births in California, a 10 °F increase in weekly average temperature before delivery was associated with an 8.6% higher risk of preterm birth. For Black mothers, this risk nearly doubles to 15%.

While you may not realize it, climate change is quickly becoming a public health issue. It’s time for health care professionals and patients to take note.

I saw a quote the other day that really stuck out to me: “Addiction shouldn’t be called ‘addiction.’ It should be called ‘ritualistic comfort-seeking.’” Amazing, right?

That quote is attributed to Dr. Daniel Semrok, who treated Vietnam veterans who became hooked on drugs and alcohol in the 1980s to cope with the PTSD they developed from the war. His point is simple: addiction is as normal of a response to trauma as bleeding is to being cut. When we begin to realize the connection that addiction and trauma have, we can take better steps to meet more of our patients’ needs than what they may have initially come in for.

Dogs are picky. Sometimes, they do just what you ask them to. Other times, they may not. They’re friendly with one person, and they growl at the next. Sometimes, different breeds get along; sometimes, they don’t. Now that I’m thinking about it, dogs and medication have more similarities than I realized.

Think about it: some drugs work exactly as intended for our patients. Some drugs don’t. Two different drugs may not pose any risk to a patient. But there are times when two different drugs don’t mix well.

“You have breast cancer.” Those four words change the lives of nearly 300,000 women each year who are diagnosed with breast cancer. According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, there are more than 4 million breast cancer survivors in the United States today. Each of these survivors has their own story about how they beat cancer. For Karen Young, AFMC’s Medicaid Management Information System Trainer and Program Developer and 14-year breast cancer survivor, her recovery started by trusting her body and learning to maintain persistent communication with her doctor.

Guilt. Fear. Shame. Disappointment. Are these emotions what we want our patients to feel when they visit us in the clinic or the emergency department? No. We want them to feel safe, heard, cared for, and wanted. Unfortunately, for patients with substance use disorder (SUD) or even those in recovery, some providers may have trouble putting their judgments aside to give patients the help they need to treat their illness and stay healthy.

Your phone lights up: “Please call me ASAP.” You never get a text from your best friend during work unless it’s an emergency. You quickly call them back. “Things have been so hard lately. I’m not eating. I’m not sleeping. I don’t know what to do. I want to disappear.” You think your friend may be seriously thinking about suicide. You want to ask them directly, but you don’t want to make things awkward if you’re wrong. “Hang in there. It’ll get better,” you reply.

Jacqueline Sharp, Director of the Arkansas division of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), has heard of interactions just like this from individuals who never saw the warning signs or knew that their loved ones were struggling with thoughts of suicide.