Spread the Climate Message at Every Healthcare Meeting

I’m excited to moderate & speak at the Climate and Sustainability session at this week’s Society of Chairs of Academic Radiology Departments (SCARD) annual meeting. It will be held in New Mexico at a resort just north of Albuquerque.

New Mexico, USA: it’s not just for Oppenheimer movie fans.

The SCARD meeting has about 100 chairs of academic radiology departments, with the chief business officers of those radiology departments also attending. As a result, it’s a forum of major health system movers-and-shakers. And one in turn that I would like to help influence.

Our climate session is called: Is Radiology’s Blue Ocean…Green Radiology?

The snarky title references Blue Ocean strategy. What’s that? A red ocean is one in which blood is everywhere, as all the fish are eating one another. Red oceans are hypercompetitive, and thus difficult to survive. Blue oceans, on the other hand, don’t have many fish. They are safe, and allow their residents to swim without fear of being eaten. Also, as my good friend, Aravind Arepally, MD, likes to say, there are no imposters in the blue ocean. It’s always easier to make a difference in a blue ocean.

The Pacific Ocean, San Diego. Who knew that going to the beach could be an opportunity to learn business strategy?

(Note to non-radiologists….this session title can easily accommodate other disciplines by substituting __[your discipline]____ for “radiology”. Think about it…Is Endocrinology’s Blue Ocean… Green Endocrinology? or Is Nursing’s Blue Ocean….Green Nursing? If you are in the mood, consider stealing for your future meeting’s climate session)

“There are no imposters in the Blue Ocean”– Aravind Arepally, MD

During my talk, I plan to highlight 3 key points of #ClimateAction:

1. Speak up: physicians have immense trust from the public, and according to Ipsos, rank at the top of all professions, just ahead of scientists and teachers. Politicians, understandably, are at the bottom.

Let’s use that credibility to communicate climate science to others & inspire action.

2. Green the green: not all climate actions are equal. Those most likely to be adopted require an immediate economic ROI. Bemoaning the many ills of capitalism will not change this reality, and in fact, will backfire on gaining the support of those we need.

3. Link people and the planet: do you have a strategy to address equity? If so, then include goals which also address climate change. Likewise, when addressing climate change, make sure to address equity. These go hand-in-hand.

Stay tuned for follow up in a future blog post!