10 Questions for Margaret Fowke: Weather and Health

Editors' Note: We have an abundance of interesting work being conducted within NOAA's National Weather Service. The employees, their expertise, and their current projects deserve a greater audience and the editors of NWS Focus have started a new column that will appear from time to time, called "10 Questions." In the person's own words we'll describe the interesting and ground-breaking projects being worked as an opportunity to highlight traditional and non-traditional areas where NOAA's NWS is making strides. In this issue, we focus on the importance of the health/weather connection. If you have a person in mind for us to interview, please contact us at NWS.Focus@noaa.gov.

Margaret Fowke is a Program Analyst in NOAA's NWS Office of Strategic Planning and Policy. She is working on increasing the medical community and general publics' understanding about the connection between weather and health. In the coming months, her work with the American Red Cross will likely insure that every CPR class given will have the health/weather connection component taught to all participants.

In many cases, the link to weather and health is very obvious. People are very familiar with the effects of temperature extremes such as heat or cold on health. However, other connections between weather and health are not as obvious. These areas continue to reveal much about the relationship between weather and its influence on health. For example, researchers are continuing to examine the relationship between a virus that survives in cold weather and Type 1 diabetes. It is thought this virus attacks the beta cells in the pancreas during pregnancy or in newborns and could possibly be the source of insufficient insulin production resulting in Type 1 diabetes. Further research in the area of weather and health continues to reveal more links that we currently are not aware.

2. What do you think the NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) can do to help health professionals become more aware of the linkages between health and weather?

Most environmental events could be characterized as having three phases: pre-event, post-event, and "during" the event phase. NOAA's NWS has expertise in the areas of environmental prediction, especially before and during an environmental event. For the majority of health professionals, their response to environmental events focuses on the post-event phase as most are accustomed to treating victims of environmental events in health care settings during this stage. Many health professionals do not equate weather information as having a predictive value in the area of predicting disease or protecting public health.

3. What are the best ways to promote the involvement of meteorologists in environmental health among the medical and general public?

Many health professionals are reluctant to attend a weather class due to busy schedules, lack of interest, or do not see the relevance to their work in a hospital or clinic. However, if meteorologists can make weather information relevant within their "busy" health care settings or practice area, the health professional usually becomes very interested. For example, all medical professionals are required to be current in CPR and must take CPR annually to maintain current certification. Within this familiar "health" setting, the introduction of weather information can be potentially made useful to the medical community.

4. Tell me about the project you are working on now with the local Red Cross.

Working as a CPR instructor with the local Montgomery County, MD, Chapter of the American Red Cross, I've been incorporating weather information into CPR classes. Upon entrance to the class, participants are given a pre-test on two weather-related topics. Seven of the 20 weather topics introduced so far include lightning safety, rip currents, air quality, UV, space weather, wind chill, and hurricanes. After rescue breathing and CPR demonstration skills, the medical participants are given about 15 minutes on two weather topics. For example, with lightning strike victims who need rescue breathing and/or CPR the medical participants are taught to interpret NWS thunderstorm watch and warnings, the 30/30 rule, and seeking appropriate shelter. It is at this point that many begin to see the weather/health connection and their interest level in lightning safety or whatever weather related topic is being discussed increases. There are some classes where I have to get the class back on topic to finish the CPR lesson. Upon completion of the CPR class, the participants are given a post-test and weather information is distributed. The current overall pre-test average is 63.80 and the post-test average is 84.16 for all 302 medical participants.

5. When will this newly developed Red Cross course (directed at medical professionals) be ready for fielding? Will it be offered to everyone across the country? What will it likely be titled?

Currently, I have identified 20 areas in which weather is connected to health. So far only seven weather topics have been introduced in CPR classes. The remaining 13 are still being reviewed or under development by NWS experts. It is hoped this will be completed within the next three months. The national offices of the American Red Cross will evaluate all 20 weather/health lessons to determine which will become part of a class, likely titled "Environmental Health and Weather" within their Health and Safety Courses in all local Red Cross offices across the country. Upon completion, all medical participants will receive a health/weather certification and meteorologists will receive an environmental health certification.

6. In your opinion, what's the best way to promote NOAA and the National Weather Service in protecting health?

The CPR classes offer the best opportunity to promote NOAA/NWS information and products to health professionals. The majority of the health community rotates through CPR classes on an annual basis and all communities have a local Red Cross office. The classes also serve dual benefits to both the medical and meteorological community. Meteorologists have served as guest speakers in these classes and have also been educated by medical participants on health issues. Each discipline begins to gain more insight and understanding on weather/health issues and opportunities for working together.

7. How does NOAA/NWS contribute to improving the medical community and general public's preparedness and understanding of weather and environmental information impacts?

The NOAA/NWS web site offers a multitude of valuable information and, in some cases, medical participants need help interpreting weather information. During the CPR classes, meteorologists have interpreted hurricane track and area of probability, and other weather-related information.

8. If NOAA/NWS were to address certain segments of the medical community to promote the positive aspects between health and weather, what key partners would you recommend?

The medical community is aware and potentially using UV and Air Quality information to protect public health. However, f urther long-term analysis will reveal the extent to which it is being used by medical community. Weather information concerning lightning, rip currents, hurricanes, wind chill, and space weather still needs to be addressed within the medical community to improve misconceptions.

9. Are you working on any other projects (outreach efforts) to make this connection with health professionals on how weather impacts health?

I'm currently involved with the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences, America on the Move, and the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation to develop health impact statements for potential use by professional broadcast meteorologists.

10. Final thoughts. . .why is making this connection between health and weather important, what can be gained from it?

Economic implications in reducing health care costs. For example, a heat watch/warning system used in Philadelphia since 1995 is estimated to have saved 117 lives over its first three years of operation. The total dollar benefits of this system are estimated to be $468 million, while costs are on the order of $200,000 for this three-year period (Economic Statistics for NOAA, April 2004, 3rd Edition, p. 37 ).

Return to the 03/29/2005 Issue of NWS Focus