National Sessions Beginning January 25. The Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE) was established in 2021 to address the impact of climate change on health in the United States and territories. The office has been coordinating efforts across 12 operating divisions, including HRSA, in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). From the beginning, the initiative identified rural areas as uniquely vulnerable – where people, businesses, and safety net health organizations pay disproportionately high costs to recover from storms, heat waves, and wildfires. Following on an information session in November 2023 the OCCHE is launching its Catalytic Program later this month – providing funding, tax credits, grants and other supports made available by the Inflation Reduction Act. The opportunities are meant for health care organizations – especially safety net providers – to improve energy efficiency, infrastructure resilience, and more. The Catalytic Program will be carried out through collaboration with federal partners, including the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy, and reach out to ground-level partners through a series of national webinars and separate breakout sessions by provider type (e.g., rural facilities) to help organizations to assess their needs and opportunities. Sign up now to take part in sessions taking place January through April.
