Like the weather itself, the national conversation around climate change has its own seasons––some mild, some stormy. For healthcare professionals, however, the focus remains on treating patients affected by health conditions associated with a changing climate. But a patient doesn’t necessarily walk into a clinic saying “climate change” is making them sick. They arrive with symptoms: difficulty breathing during wildfire smoke, heat-related illness, or perhaps something less visible, like mental distress.
Climate Knowledge Becomes Community Action
Since 2020, the Climate Change and Human Health ECHO has been reaching out to health professionals, public health practitioners, educators, mental health practitioners and “boots on the ground” climate organizers from New Mexico and throughout the US, as well as globally. The program educates participants about the science of climate change, the human health consequences of global warming and how to take action, both as an individual and as a community.
The Climate Change and Human Health ECHO program has so far reached over 2,000 unique participants from around the globe. Dr. Joanna Katzman, the founder and medical director of the program, continues to bring new evidence-based content to the participants. The goals of each session are to increase knowledge, improve confidence and increase communication skills regarding climate change so that participants can teach their patients, their colleagues and their community members.
The effects of climate change go beyond environmental impacts, contributing to long-term health issues such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress, food insecurity and respiratory illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Through the Climate Change ECHO Program, behavioral health providers, community health workers, doctors and nurses learn how to combat these health effects by learning about extreme heat and air pollution, natural disaster preparedness and more.
Environmental Toxicity and Environmental Justice
Through a collaboration with the New Mexico Department of Health, the Climate Change and Human Health ECHO brings several yearly sessions on water safety, nuclear hazards, including downwinder effects, and environmental justice. These focused sessions have been highly successful and the series in 2027 is planned to focus on nuclear waste.
Climate Change in Vulnerable Populations
The Climate Change and Human Health ECHO also continues their regular programming which is now focusing on Vulnerable Populations. Recent sessions have included: Climate Change and its effects during War, Climate Change and Sea Level Rise, Climate Change and Extreme Heat, Climate Change and Athletes, and the Mental Health Effects of Climate Change.
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Mental Health in a Changing Climate
In fact, the psychological effects of climate change are so large that the program has two sessions this year, one with Dr. Julia Rothschild, from the University of Colorado, on the topic of Eco-Anxiety in Women and Children and a second talk by Jeffrey Katzman, on the Mental Health Impact of Climate Change, from the University of New Mexico and Silver Hill Hospital.
In a recent presentation for the Climate Change ECHO Program, Dr. Rothschild presented on the topic of eco-anxiety in women and children. Given that the summer season is concluding in the Northern Hemisphere, she began her talk by noting the effects of extreme heat on mental health. For example, it is common for most people to feel irritable and less attentive. But the scales of mental health are tipping dramatically toward the extreme. From depression to violence to suicide, a 2018 study showed that:
Suicide rates rise 0.7% in U.S. counties––and 2.1% in Mexican municipalities––for a 1°C (1.8°F) increase in monthly average temperature.
Source: Adobe Stock.
Why Is Equity Needed, Why Now?
In 2025, the federal perspective on climate change shifted, with the U.S. Department of Energy challenging some widely held conclusions about the severity and impacts of a changing climate. A July 2025 DOE report questioned whether US historical data support claims that droughts, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes are becoming more frequent or intense.
Yet the effects of a changing climate are not experienced equally. Some communities face greater exposure to environmental hazards while having fewer resources to protect their health or recover from disasters. The Climate Change ECHO Program brings these disparities into the conversation, giving healthcare and public health professionals evidence-based information they can use with the communities they serve. Recent topics include: Climate Change: Disparities and Equity; Climate Threats in New Mexico; The Environment and Indigenous Communities; and Microplastics.
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Learn More: Additional Resources
Get Involved with Project ECHO
Join healthcare professionals from around the world and learn how a changing climate affects human health. Register for an upcoming Climate Change ECHO session through iECHO.
Contact Us
Email the Climate Change ECHO Program Team with questions.
Originally published in April 2022, this article was updated in October 2026 to include data and links to research.
Featured image source: Adobe Stock.
