Resources to Improve Your Environmental Footprint

The Vancouver Division recognizes the importance of the health and wellness for our community. Below are Member Wellness resources and programs we hope you’ll find useful.

And, of course, if you’d like more information, please contact the Membership team at membership@vancouverdivision.com

Dr. Jay Slater

Physician Lead for Environment and Sustainability

Dr. Jay Slater explores the intersection of healthcare and environmental impact, highlighting how medical practices contribute to pollution, resource waste, and climate change. He emphasizes the need for sustainable healthcare solutions, including reducing plastic waste, minimizing pharmaceutical contamination, and lowering the sector’s carbon footprint. His work advocates for integrating eco-conscious practices into medicine to protect both human health and the planet.

Dr. Slater’s Top Environmental Tips

Climate Corner for Mental Health

The first instalment of Climate Corner

In our offices we see increasing respiratory illness related to wildfire smoke and other pollutants. With our 1300 members making incremental changes in our own lives, our clinics, and our patients’ lives we can have a large collective impact.

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Climate Corner: Greening Your Practice

How can we influence the impact of healthcare on the environment?

Practicing medicine with a ‘planetary health’ lens has many of the same elements that we consider to be part of good primary care. Things like deprescribing unnecessary medications and addressing social determinants of health are good for our patients and good for the planet.

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Medications and Ecotoxicity

Climate Corner with Dr. Jay Slater

We know that many drugs end up in ground water, rivers, lakes, oceans and soil. So, what do we tell our patients about their unused medications? Return what you don’t use, ideally to the pharmacy where they were dispensed, otherwise to one participating in a Take Back program.

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Plastics and Health

Climate Corner with Dr. Jay Slater

As plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller particles, these microplastics and nanoplastics enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, and even skin contact. And evidence is growing that they are associated with numerous health risks.

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Saving the Planet

…one puff at a time

One area of clinical practice where we can, collectively, make a positive impact on climate change is in the management of our patients’ asthma and COPD. Inhalers are a mainstay of therapy for these conditions, though they are not created equal in terms of their carbon footprint.

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Earth Day

Climate Corner with Dr. Jay Slater

We can consider every day to be Earth Day in the choices we make: Walk, bike or take public transit to work at least twice a week; Plan a local holiday rather than one requiring extensive transportation; Practice mindful consumption.

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Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples

The unique health impacts of climate change on Indigenous Peoples

In Canada, June marks National Indigenous History Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the rich heritage and resilience of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples. There’s an opportunity to consider the impacts of climate change on Indigenous peoples.

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Do You Have Something to Share?

If you’d like to contribute your expertise or knowledge as a guest or regular contributor, reach out to our membership team.

Doc-to-Doc Member Tips

Doc-to-Doc is a place to showcase the amazing and diverse leadership in the Vancouver Family Medicine community which each their own unique expertise and interests.

Browse through our other featured tips, or leave one of your own!

Doc-to-Doc Member Tips