WASHINGTON, DC – Atlas Research’s Chief Health Care Transformation Officer and Senior Executive Vice President, Dr. Kenneth W. Kizer, draws attention to the multiple ways wildfires are affecting population health and the planet in an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on September 18, 2020.
Based on information and observations from a 2019 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) workshop that he chaired and data from this year’s wildfires, Dr. Kizer observes that wildfires are becoming more frequent, intense and severe; creating a new model of public health emergency; generating many adverse population health consequences; and disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. He also describes how the COVID-19 pandemic is complicating wildfire control efforts and making persons more susceptible to coronavirus infection. He highlights the need for research-based data to inform preparedness and recovery strategies.
Read the full article at JAMA.
Dr. Kizer, a former firefighter and emergency physician, has served as the Director of the California Department of Health Services; Under Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; and founding President and CEO of the National Quality Forum, among other positions.