DAL MED GREEN TEAM
The Dalhousie Medicine Green Team was founded by four Dalhousie University medical students with a shared interest in environmental health and sustainability, and has since grown to include numerous students from both campuses and a growing network of collaborators. We designed this network with the intention of promoting green health care initiatives within our learning and working environments across our Maritime provinces. We hope to bridge connections between students, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders who are eager to participate in healthcare sustainability projects. Through interprofessional collaboration we hope to inspire change at all levels of health care both locally and regionally. If you are interested in joining our network, please reach out to us at our email below.
About us:
Our team members are located in both NS and NB at Dalhousie Medicine’s two campuses. In 2018, Dalhousie Medicine’s Global Health Initiative created the position of a Local Officer of Environmental Health and Sustainability. This role serves to organize local awareness events and initiatives within our medical community and also becomes a member of the Dal Med Green Team. One of the main goals of our Green Team is to broaden our reach to include not just medical students, but health care providers from all backgrounds. We welcome the opportunity to explore planetary health from unique perspectives. Whether you are a student or working professional, we welcome new members from any and all backgrounds. Please reach out to us for more information!
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Join us:
Do you have a shared interest in environmental health and sustainability? Would you like to join us in advocating for more sustainable health care practice? Do you have any ideas (big or small) for sustainable health care projects? We would love to hear from you and offer support in any way possible! |
Active Team Members:
Emma McDermott (Class of 2023) Juliana Ali (Class of 2023) Jessica Johnson (Class of 2023) Kalpesh Hathi (Class of 2023) Meriel Fitzgerald (Class of 2024) Reba McIver (Class of 2025) Amanda Vandewint (Class of 2025) Katie Luiker (Class of 2025) Former members: Jacqueline Mincer (Class of 2022) Jenna MacLeod (Class of 2022) |
Current projects:
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cURRICULUM rEFRESH
.The Dal Med Green Team is excited for the Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine Curriculum Refresh which begins this fall for the class of 2026. For the past four years, we have been advocating for the inclusion of Planetary Health Educational Competencies into the curriculum. These competencies were written by the Canadian Federation of Medical Students Health and Adaptive Response Task Force’s (CFMS HEART) with support and feedback from experts across the country. CFMS HEART has also released a 2021 update of these competencies and we plan to continue to advocate for their full inclusion into the undergraduate curriculum, and eventually the postgraduate curriculum. iNTERPROFESSIONAL eDUCATION mINI-COURSE
The Dal Med Green Team is proud to be a part of Dalhousie University’s first interprofessional education mini-course focused on environmental sustainability in healthcare, entitled “Healthcare In A Changing Climate: The Need For Planetary Health & Sustainable Health Systems.” This course was first offered in Fall 2020 and was a wonderful way for interprofessional groups of students to unite in discussion about planetary health concepts in the context of health care. Find out more here. ppe rECYCLING
The Dal Med Green Team also acknowledges the extensive carbon footprint that has come with increased PPE use in the setting of COVID-19. We recognize and value the importance of PPE use for student, staff, and patient safety, and hope to find ways to optimize our disposal methods for single-use PPE items. Recognizing that PPE use will likely be our “new normal” for the indefinite future, we look forward to continuing our work with the Dalhousie Global Health Office and other partners to seek sustainable solutions for PPE recycling. Check out an article written by one of our Dal Med Green Team members about plastic pollution in the era of COVID-19: https://www.cfp.ca/news/2020/08/17/08-17. aDVOCACY, EDUCATION, AND COLLABORATION
One of the main priorities of the Dal Med Green Team is to increase awareness about the need for sustainable health systems within the Maritimes. Therefore, you’ll be seeing our name and logo on many upcoming educational events, campaigns, commentaries and op-eds, as well as at local roundtables. Be sure to check back for updates about our team’s progress and new initiatives! cONNECTING STUDENTS TO LOCAL RESEARCH OPPORTUNITES
Are you a Dalhousie student interested in completing a research project related to greening healthcare? Are you a medical student seeking out a green topic for your RIM project? We would be happy to help connect you with some of the fantastic researchers within our local network in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Advocating for Green Teams in the Maritime Provinces
Green teams are interprofessional groups of healthcare practitioners and hospital administrators who work together to inspire and initiate sustainability projects within local/regional healthcare systems. As Green Teams continue to increase in popularity worldwide, the Maritimes are currently lagging behind western parts of Canada (check out the Canadian Coalition for Greening Healthcare’s Green Team mapping project). The Dal Med Green Team is invested in furthering the development of formal greening initiatives within our local and regional health care systems. PaRX: A prescription for nature
PaRx is a nationwide campaign encouraging healthcare providers to prescribe time in nature to their patients. We are planning an Atlantic-Canada wide launch later this year! Check out the benefits of spending time in nature: parkprescriptions.ca |
Funding provided by CFMS HEART Project Green Healthcare
Contact us: dalmed.greenteam@gmail.com