As part of a two-year, statewide initiative focused on increasing health provider knowledge about climate change, the California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation is recruiting physicians and other providers to be Climate Change Champions. This initiative will expand the diversity of voices speaking about the impacts of climate change on health. By mobilizing health provider champions, the project aims to increase public understanding that climate change is an important public health issue and to build public support for climate change solutions.

The CMA Foundation and the Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations (NEPO) were awarded a Climate Change and Health grant in partnership with the Public Health Institute and the National Medical Association.

With the help and leadership of physicians and other health care providers and local ethnic physician organizations, we also hope to increase the relevancy of the climate change message to the cultural experience of communities of color.

Climate Change Champions will receive:

• Media training


• Advocacy training


• Coaching on how to speak about climate change to various audiences


• Information on how climate change impacts health

The CMA Foundation will work alongside Climate Change Champions to address climate change at the community level through the use of in-person presentations, segments on television and radio shows, letters to the editor and op-eds in local media (including ethnic media), and social media.

Health providers play a vital role in protecting the health of their communities by lending their credible voices. We hope that you are able to partner with us on this effort.

If you would like to become a Climate Change Champion, contact Anita Charles at (916) 779-6623 or acharles@phcdocs.org.