Heat, Environmental Exposures, and Health Impacts on California’s Central Valley’s Vulnerable Populations

This session explores how extreme heat and environmental exposures impact health across California’s Central Valley. Using a cumulative exposure lens, participants will examine how overlapping risks affect multiple populations, with attention to high-exposure groups (e.g., outdoor workers). The session emphasizes practical implications for education and advocacy across care settings.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe how cumulative exposures impact health across populations.
• Identify populations at increased risk due to higher intensity or duration of exposure.
• Apply nursing strategies for patient education and advocacy related to climate and environmental health risks.