Taking Heat Prevention to the Next Level

Key Objectives:  1.) Review and discuss current activities related to heat-related illness, as impacted by climate change, focusing on the heat health vulnerability tool developed to investigate heat stress vulnerability in North Carolina.  2.) Determine usability of heat health vulnerability tool and discuss ways to improve. Brief Summary: The purpose of this roundtable is to determine the usefulness of the Heat Health Vulnerability Tool (HHVT), a web-based tool used to predict emergency department visits for heat-related illness based on forecasted maximum high temperature. North Carolina local health departments can use the tool to help prevent heat-related illness by inputting the county or region of concern and population type (i.e. males 15-17) to determine the estimated number of cases of heat-related illness for a given time period. The roundtable discussion will include an overview of HHVT, how to use the tool, suggestions for improvement, and advice on how to develop a similar tool in other states to help state and local health departments prepare for extreme heat and its consequences.