MEMBER VOICES

Here is a collection of words from members of NHACC.

Mary Jane Shafer, Community Engagement Chair

"We are stewards of our planet and have the responsibility to this Earth just as much as we do to our future generations. The health of our planet and our communities depends on the actions we take today, and it is critical to incorporate sustainable changes within our daily lives as well as advocate for these changes at a corporate and national level. I am very humbled to be a part a group that supports environmentalism and creating a space for individuals to learn more about our role in climate activism within our professions as healthcare administrators."

Dante Cilento, Community Engagement Member

"My experience with environmental activism is at the cross roads of urban forestry and addiction. Trees in urban environments provide substantial community and personal benefit in regards to their financial returns over time and the impacts on health. In urban centers that lack trees and green space tend to correlate with higher rates of asthma, anxiety, depression, and other negative physical and mental health outcomes. Additionally, those areas are disproportionately impacted by gun violence, domestic violence, etc. In areas where the population experiences higher rates of traumatic events, the greater the risk that those individuals develop a form of substance use disorder. These issues are known to disproportionately impact low income people of color. Greening low income urban centers can be a start to sustainably and equitably impacting individual health and combat climate change."

Hope Woolf, Advocacy Member

"As emerging health care leaders, it’s impossible to ignore the significant impact the healthcare industry has on the environment. My specific interests lie in public health—and there’s nothing that impacts a larger number of people worldwide than the health of the natural world around us—there can’t be healthy humans without a healthy world! I’m excited to be a part of the NHACC and help to advocate for environmental consciousness and climate activism in the healthcare field."