Healthy planet, healthy people: One doctor’s quest for change

April 22, 2024

Dr. Kyle Merritt realized he had to do more for the planet during a two-week stretch of thick wildfire smoke in 2021 that saw his family sheltering inside their Nelson home.

“As a parent of two young children, I was wondering how dangerous it would be for them to go outside,” remembers Kyle. “I also thought about the childhood I had growing up in Castlegar, playing outside in the forests – there were no wildfire seasons then. It hit me things are changing and changing quickly.”

Wildfire smoke affects the most vulnerable in our community (Nelson Star)

The emergency department physician at Kootenay Lake Hospital was also seeing the effects of climate change in his patients. “My patients were being impacted by the heat and smoke, especially seniors and those with mental and chronic illnesses. They described feeling trapped and oppressed by the polluted air, and the number of people with depression and anxiety seemed to double,” he explains. “They were asking me for advice on how to adapt, whether they could take their newborn for a walk, or exercise outside.”

At around the same time Kootenay residents were suffering from heat and wildfire smoke, Kyle attended a climate emergency conference at UBC.

A man in a grey jacket, track pants and cycling helmet leans on a blue bike attached to a yellow trailer in which two children covered in a green blanket sit — Kyle is an enthusiastic cyclist and supporter of active transportation.

“Physicians from B.C. and all around the world were talking about planetary health,” shares Kyle. “This was a new term for me. It struck me, how can we think about human health without clean air and water? I also realized this kind of work could be part of my professional role at Interior Health.”

Kyle has long considered himself an environmentalist; he is a member of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. However, he knew then he had to do something bigger.

Making the link between human health and planetary health

Back at home, he emailed a couple dozen people he thought might be interested in meeting about health care and the planet’s health. The response was overwhelming and immediate, and Doctors + Nurses for Planetary Health (DNPH) was born. Today, 170 doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and other health-care professionals from the Kootenays are part of DNPH.

The group, which meets every two weeks, has been working on sustainability projects in and around Nelson. They recently joined a new active transportation committee to encourage alternatives to gas-powered vehicles. In partnership with the City of Nelson, DNPH received a grant to coordinate a community engagement project focused on reducing the barriers to active transportation in Nelson. This included a Winter Cycling Expo in November 2023. During this event, the committee gave away $17,000 worth of free cycling equipment.

Kyle and DNPH has also had the opportunity to present to Nelson’s city council about the health harms of fossil fuels in homes. The presentation was in support of a more rapid adoption of the Zero Carbon Step Code, a new tool for the construction sector and communities to switch from carbon-intensive systems to lower emission water and heating systems.

Acting in patients’ – and the planet’s – best interest

Across the Interior Health region, interest and efforts continue to grow among physicians and staff in reducing the environmental impacts of health care, hospital facilities and services.

A group of people in casual and business attire wearing name tags. Two of them hold up a framed award. — In January, the Regional Planetary Health Table was awarded a certificate of Excellence in Partnership at the Interior Regional Facility Engagement Showcase. From L to R: Dr. Devin Harris; Jennifer Brunelle, FE project manager, Regional Planetary Health Table; Dr. Kyle Merritt, Kootenay Lake Hospital physician; Danica Burwash, FE project manager, Regional Planetary Health Table; Ozora Amin, environmental sustainability coordinator; Cindy Myles; Dr. Andrew Sellars.

In early 2023, physicians, Doctors of BC’s Facility Engagement, IH’s Population and Public Health, and the Environmental Sustainability team formed a partnership called the Regional Planetary Health Table.

The Table provides an opportunity for IH physicians to collaborate regionally, to share their local efforts with other sites, and to work alongside IH leaders and staff to advance climate change action.

“Sitting at this Table allows me to collaborate with my colleagues in a way we were not able to before,” says Kyle. “It’s energizing to know that we are not only able to work at our own facilities to implement environmentally sustainable initiatives, but to also share and spread successful projects across IH.”

Physicians representing nine facilities across the region are working on advancing actions outlined in IH’s strategic priorities, and the Climate Change and Sustainability Roadmap. Kyle took part in developing the Roadmap and sits on the steering committee.

“There’s a passion among people at IH to improve the negative impacts health care has on planetary health and therefore human health,” he adds. “Once you start doing something with other people, it’s so satisfying. You can see momentum and progress. And it helps with the anxiety and despair.

“I love my patients and I love the Kootenays. I want to see my patients, my family and my community thrive. Together we can adapt to the coming challenges and do our best to lead the way for others to follow.”

Read another Stories@IH post Kyle was included in: Celebrating our climate champions